CA issues writ, stops Harbour Centre takeover

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) extended indefinitely its order preventing the transfer of control of the 10-hectare Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI) from businessman Reghis Romero II to One Source Port Services Inc.

In a decision dated March 11, the CA’s former Special Second Division issued a writ of preliminary injunction instructing Judge Rolando Mislang, of the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167, not to enforce his permanent restraining order issued on Dec. 12, 2014, which allowed One Source to take control of the port facility. 

The order was penned by CA Associate Justice Danton Bueser.

The CA granted Romero’s petition and extended the 60-day temporary restraining order that lapsed last week. The TRO was issued on Jan. 5.

The CA ordered Romero to file a P10-million bond for the writ. 

The appellate court ordered all agents and representatives of One Source not to enter and take control of Harbour Centre.

The CA stressed that the court order is “effective during pendency of this petition” or until a ruling on the merits of the case is handed down.

Harbour Centre tapped One Source Port in 2007 to render port ancillary services and services management at the terminal.

One Source Port has been operating in the terminal facility for the last seven years without any issue until the R-II Group, owned by Romero, reportedly evicted the company on Sept. 22, 2014 for inefficiency and threatening to rescind the port ancillary services contract.