HCPTI: No SC victory for lawmaker’s camp

MANILA, Philippines - Construction magnate Reghis Romero II has not lost the legal battle over the control and management of the Harbor Center Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI) to his son, 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero.

The HCPTI made this clarification recently following reports that the Supreme Court (SC) has ruled in favor of One Source Port Services, the firm owned by the younger Romero.

Reports said the SC has upheld the Court of Appeals (CA) decision last May declaring One Source as the rightful operator of the HCPTI in Tondo, Manila.

The younger Romero won the case in the CA after its Special Fifteenth Division ruled on May 12 that his company is the rightful operator of the HCPTI based on its port ancillary services contract in 2007 and port services management contract in 2014 with HCPTI, but which were unilaterally voided without valid basis by his father.

The elder Romero said such reports were “misleading and maliciously imply that he lost control of the port.”

“The high court, in its resolution dated Aug. 24, did not affirm the CA decision. The SC merely denied HCPTI’s petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO),” the HCPTI explained.

The HCPTI maintained that the high court only rejected its prayer for a TRO and has not ruled on the merits of the case.

“There was absolutely nothing in the one-page SC resolution, which affirmed the CA decision. As a matter of fact, the SC never discussed or touched the merits of the case,” it pointed out.

“While the SC affirmed the CA’s resolutions dated Oct. 26, 2015 and March 8, these do not pertain to the main case, but only limited to collateral or incidental matters, particularly, the inhibition or voluntary disqualification of CA Justice Rodil Zalameda and the recall of his vote during the deliberations of the case,” it added.

The HCPTI said the writ of preliminary injunction issued by the appellate court in favor of the elder Romero remains in effect.