The Court of Appeals allowed the use of container vans

City officials recently granted the use of two container vans located at the Baguio Convention Center to the Office of the Court Administrator to serve as temporary storage units for the Court of Appeals (CA) rolls for a period of three years or until the complete disposal of the same whichever comes first.

Further Resolution No. 256, series of 2023, states that after the said period shall have lapsed, the container vans will be returned to the city government.

Earlier, council members agreed to approve the request allowing the use of 2 container vans as temporary storage areas of the CA.

Upon the creation of 4 new court branches last year, 2 for the Regional Trial court (RTC) and 2 for the Municipal Trial Court (MTC), there arose a concern on space at the Baguio City Hall of Justice for the then newly appointed judges and their respective staff.

The Office of the Court Administrator sought assistance from the city government for possible spaces for their use but since no space was available, the matter was referred to Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez, Chairperson of the Hall of Justice Committee, and his office immediately coordinated with the CA as their building in Baguio City is currently unoccupied.

Subsequently, the CA has acquiesced on the said request and that preparations are now underway for the renovation of a portion of the CA building in the city to be used as courtrooms and staff rooms for Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branches 5 and 6 and Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branches 78 and 79, respectively.

However, in order for the renovation to begin, there is a need for a temporary storage facility for the CA rolls currently stored in the said building, and that a request has been made to use some container vans that were once used at the Baguio Convention Center triage unit. – Dexter A. See