Court junks plea for TRO versus takeover of seedling bank

Mayor Herbert Bautista. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A Quezon City court has denied a petition by the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation Inc. asking it to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the takeover of its seven-hectare lot on Edsa by the Quezon City government.

In a three-page order, Judge Luis Zenon Maceren of Regional Trial Court Branch 218 denied the petition for a temporary restraining order against Mayor Herbert Bautista and other officials.

The judge said that a temporary restraining order was “no longer available as the action sought to be enjoined has already become fait accompli,” or has been consummated.

Maceren set the hearing for the petition for preliminary injunction against the city government on August 22.

The Manila Seedling Bank Foundation has been challenging City Hall’s takeover of its lot since last week, claiming only a court ejectment order could get them off the property.

The city government padlocked the property, owned by the National Housing Authority, on July 9 for the foundation’s alleged failure to settle P57.208 million in real property taxes from 2000 to 2011.