Capitol to provide guards for Qimonda
The Cebu provincial government will temporarily provide guards for the Qimonda IT Center building where all of Cebu City's courts are stationed.
Governor Hilario Davide III said a number of Capitol guards will be assigned to secure the establishment at the North Reclamation Area for a month while the courts acquire or renew their security service contract at the Supreme Court.
"We requested our security provider to put guards there para ma-secure and Qimonda," Davide said, adding that important pieces of evidence of several cases are stored in the said establishment.
GDS Tactical and Security Agency Incorporated is the Capitol's security service provider since 2014.
Davide said Executive Judge Gilbert Moises requested the provincial government to temporarily deploy guards to Qimonda as its security service contract already expired. said."I was just informed nga ang kontrata diay, adto sa Supreme Court, dili sa Court Administrator's Office," he
To avoid similar incident from happening in the future, Davide said, the executive judge should be given authority to enter into contracts for the courts' security service.
"Kay adto pa na's Manila dugay pa kaayo og malangan... duna unta'y authority ang executive judge ana especially sa security sa ilahang building, sa Palace of Justice nila," he said.
In 2014, the Cebu City's courts were transferred to Qimonda from the Palace of Justice inside the Capitol compound following the order of SC Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.
Sereno, after a dialogue with judges and Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) officials, instructed all Cebu City courts to transfer to Qimonda for better security, as judges and court personnel used to hold office inside tents at the Palace of Justice grounds.
The Palace of Justice building has been deemed unfit for occupancy after suffering serious damage from the Oct. 15, 2013 earthquake.
Tudtud/KBQ