QC court junks plea to halt app-based vehicle service

MANILA — A Quezon City court dismissed, on Wednesday, the petition of a transport group to temporarily stop the operations of an app-based vehicle service after the petitioner’s lawyer failed to attend the hearing.

In an order issued in open court, Judge Luisito Cortez of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 dismissed the application for the writ of preliminary prohibitory injunction filed by Angat Tsuper Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator ng Pilipinas Genuine Organization (Stop and Go).

The preliminary injunction is a provisional order while the main case is being heard.

The Stop and Go petition seeks to nullify government issuances authorizing the operations of transport network companies such as Uber, Grab, and U-Hop.

The hearing on the petition will continue on August 10.

Winston Ginez, chairman of the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), welcomed the court decision.

“We have said it all along that the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) and LTFRB’s underlying reason to open a franchise for app-based transport system was meant for our commuting public,” Ginez said.

The DOTC issued the department order in May 2015 while the LTFRB issued the memorandum circulars concerning TNCs and their partner vehicles.

Stop and Go president Jun Magno said they would file a motion for reconsideration. “Our lawyer is sick, is that already a ground for dismissal?” he said. –Erika Sauler,  SFM