Patikul, Sulu – September 4, 2025 — The vision of bringing justice closer to the people of Sulu took a historic step forward as the province officially broke ground for the construction of its long-awaited Hall of Justice at the Capitol Grounds, Bangkal, Patikul.
The ceremony was led by Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, accompanied by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen and Associate Justices Rodil V. Zalameda, Jhosep Y. Lopez, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Midas P. Marquez. Also present were Sulu Governor Abdusakur “Toto” A. Tan II, Vice Governor Abdusakur M. Tan, 1st District Representative Samier A. Tan, Kusug Tausug Party-list Representative Aiman Tan, and Executive Judge Alsad H. Alfad Jr., along with OPAPRU Secretary Carlito G. Galvez and other local leaders.
The initiative, spearheaded by Rep. Samier A. Tan and funded by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, is not merely a construction project. For Sulu, it represents a long-overdue symbol of justice—one that can finally be seen, visited, and recognized by the community it serves.
While courts and judges have long been serving in Sulu, the lack of a permanent Hall of Justice stood as a reminder of the gap between the ideal of accessible justice and its visible presence. Soon, this will no longer be the case. With a structure dedicated to justice, Sulu will no longer feel distant from the institutions that safeguard fairness and accountability.
This development is more than bricks and mortar—it is a powerful statement that justice belongs to the people of Sulu, not in abstraction but in a tangible place they can call their own.
At last, the province will stand proudly with a Hall of Justice that does not just house the rule of law, but also embodies the people’s right to see and feel that justice is near, real, and within reach.