Reghis Romero’s group loses in appellate court

THE COURT of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the control of Manila Harbor Center by One Source Port Support Services Inc., junking the bid of businessman Reghis Romero’s group for a certiorari against a lower court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) that prohibited them from running the terminal facility.

In a 22-page decision, the CA’s 15th Division upheld the order of Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 on Dec. 1, 2014, enjoining Romero and his two firms, R-II Builders and R-II Holdings, to “cease and desist” from further disrupting One Source’s control, operations and possession of the facility in Tondo, Manila.

The CA also said that it found “no grave abuse of discretion” on the part of Judge Rolando Mislang in issuing the TRO and a preliminary injunction order against Romero’s group.

“The case is remanded to the court a quo for further proceedings. The writ of preliminary injunction dated March 19, 2015, issued by virtue of this court’s March 11, 2015, order is hereby lifted and set aside,” said the decision penned by Associate Justice Leoncia Real-Dimagiba.

On March 11 last year, the CA issued a writ of preliminary injunction stopping the TRO, which prohibited Romero from exercising control of the terminal facility.

The case is part of a complex ownership dispute between Romero and his son, Michael Romero.