Manila judge inhibits from port controversy

A MANILA judge has finalized her inhibition from the case involving the dispute between businessman Reghis Romero II and his son, Michael, over the ownership of the P5-billion company that operates a 10-hectare port terminal facility at state-owned Manila Harbor Center.

In a four-page order dated March 2, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Ma. Victoria Soriano-Villadolid affirmed her December 2015 decision to inhibit from the commercial suit upon the request of Joseph Edwin Galvez, former vice president and chief operating officer for administration of the Romero-controlled Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI).

Galvez said Villadolid should inhibit herself as there could be possible conflict of interest owing to her being a former partner of the law firm Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz, popularly known as Accra, which represents R-II Builders Inc., another of Romero’s companies, and Harbour Centre Port Holdings Inc. (HCPHI).

Galvez pointed out that in a separate civil case being heard by another Manila court, the two companies confirmed the transfer of 285.49 million shares of HCPTI to HCPHI through a deed of assignment dated March 2, 2011.

The case being heard by Villadolid pertains to Romero and HCPTI’s claim that the deed of assignment was forged.

HCPHI has earlier sought the judge’s reconsideration of her decision to inhibit herself. Villadolid reiterated her decision that while her objectivity would not be affected by her previous affiliation with Accra, she opted to recuse herself from the case nonetheless.  Jerome Aning