SC starts Manila justice hall project

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has opened the bidding for the architectural and engineering design of Manila’s Hall of Justice.

In an announcement published in The STAR yesterday, the high court invited bidders for consultancy services for the detailed design of the building that will rise on the site of the abandoned building of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

The SC has allocated P49,711,204 for the design – an amount that will come from the P1.865-billion budget for the project, funded entirely from savings of the judiciary.

The services would cover five phases of the project: pre-design, design, procurement, construction support and post-construction support. The winning bidder would also be in charge of the technical, social and environmental, and management aspects.

The pre-design and design phases would cover nine months.

The bidding, according to the SC bids and awards committee, would be conducted through open competitive procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as provided under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Act.

Bidders have until 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 to submit their bids to the SC.

The SC proceeded with the project after Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno personally assured Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada that the high court was committed to building the Manila justice hall, which will house 120 courtrooms, during a recent event.

The groundbreaking of the project was held in August 2012. The project has long been planned, but never materialized.

The high court has allocated P1.865 billion from its savings, but the project actually would need P3 billion to be completed, according to court officials.

Presently, Manila trial courts are scattered in the Manila city hall, the old dilapidated building of the ombudsman, and in the condemned structure of the GSIS.

The proposed Manila justice hall would have LCD screens outside each courtroom so that lawyers, litigants and the rest of the public can view court activities and announcements.

The modern hall of justice would also have paperless conference rooms equipped for video-conferencing, as well as closed-circuit television cameras, intercom units and Internet wireless hotspots installed in strategic areas.

It would also have a centralized filing and docketing system to improve the administration of justice.