The provincial government of Bohol has renewed its donation of a lot in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City to the Supreme Court for a new Hall of Justice, even as an environmental group questions the location.

Gov. Aris Aumentado signed the deed of donation Oct. 29, 2026 for the lot at the foot of Mount Banat-i.

The deed reaffirms an earlier donation under then-Gov. Arthur Yap, which was not notarized. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan authorized the signing through Resolution No. 2026-1252.

Provincial Legal Officer Handel Lagunay clarified that the province is donating only 5,000 square meters of the 2.6-hectare property.

He said the donation reflects the commitment of successive provincial administrations to the project.

Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta accepted the property for the Supreme Court. The signed deed was presented to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting.

Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap, Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Lindecita Arcamo, Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Executive Judge Angie Logarta, Lagunay and Bohol Rep. John Geesnell “Baba” Yap witnessed the signing.

Former Bohol 1st District Rep. Atty. Edgar Migriño Chatto, a longtime advocate of the project, said Saturday that he was pleased to see the facility moving forward.

He thanked the Supreme Court for committing to give Bohol a new one-stop courthouse and said the aim is to make justice more accessible to Boholanos.

The complex will house seven RTC branches, four MTCC branches and a Family Court, with two courtrooms reserved for future needs. It will also host the offices of the clerks of court, the Provincial and City Prosecutor’s Offices, the Public Attorney’s Office, the Parole and Probation Office and a Judicial Marshal’s Office.

Planned amenities include a canteen, library, conference room, clinic, business center, training room, roof deck, basement and outdoor parking.

It will replace the existing 1970s-era Hall of Justice, which Chatto and others describe as overcrowded and inadequate.

Opposition and support

Tagbilaran Baywatch opposes the Bool site, citing environmental concerns.

Lead convenor Gigi Biliran said the group backs the hall itself and suggested alternative sites such as Barangay Cabawan.

She also questioned the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificate, which has not been issued.

Lagunay said the Supreme Court, as the builder, will apply for the necessary clearances and conduct the feasibility study. The province’s only role is donating the lot.

He welcomed opposition, saying it offers another view on whether the project is beneficial or harmful, and noted that several layers of approval must be passed before construction.

He assured Gesmundo of the donation during the inauguration of the Hall of Justice in Candijay.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Bohol chapter, which earlier urged the Supreme Court by resolution to build the courthouse, reiterated its support. Chapter president John Jeric Lim said the group will back the high court’s plans.

Background

Chatto began lobbying for the project in 2019 with then-Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and worked to include Bohol in the Supreme Court’s judicial infrastructure program.

Former IBP-Bohol president Atty. Julius Gregory Delgado credited him on social media, saying the project began with Bersamin’s 2019 visit to the province.

By March 2020, Bohol had secured the largest allocation among new Hall of Justice sites nationwide, an estimated P240 million pesos in the General Appropriations Act. Chatto, then the district’s representative, joined a Supreme Court infrastructure team and local judges in inspecting the site.

The Manila Bulletin reported that the provincial government under ex Gov. Art Yap had signed a deed covering about half a hectare.

After Bersamin retired, Chatto secured a renewed commitment from his successor, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, at a congressional hearing on the court’s 2020 budget.

In January 2021, the Supreme Court said bidding for the detailed architectural and engineering design was under way.

In September 2022, Chatto told DYTR’s “Newsmakers ug Uban Pa” that Associate Justice Midas Marquez had informed him bidding was complete, with civil works expected to start in 2023.

In October 2023, he followed up with Executive Secretary Bersamin during House deliberations on the 2024 national budget.

The court’s infrastructure office told him the design consultant would submit three conceptual options within three weeks, after which procurement would follow.

In May 2025, the Supreme Court approved the initial conceptual design, according to Atty. Abel Damalerio, then Chatto’s chief of staff. Deputy Court Administrator Requel Ladrillano signed off on a five-story building with a floor area of 13,103.12 square meters.

Construction has yet to begin. Site assessments on environmental and geological risks at Banat-i Hill slowed the project, and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan later interposed no objection, subject to thorough reviews by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other agencies.

In November 2025, provincial and city officials said the project still had no permits. Environmental concerns also halted a separate Regional Cultural Hub on the same hill, prompting the province to convene coordination talks with the Tagbilaran City government and national agencies.

Chatto said the priority is to get the building done, regardless of who gets the credit.