The Regional Trial Court executive judge of Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental has extended the 72-hour temporary restraining order on the importation of 200,000 metric tons of sugar that he earlier issued, for another 17 days.
Judge Walter Zorilla ordered the Sugar Regulatory Administration represented by Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica to cease and desist from implementing Sugar Order No. 3 that allows the importation of the 200,000 metric tons of sugar.
Zorilla issued the order Thursday, February 17, after hearing the petitions filed by Enrique Tayo, president of the Negros Occidental Federation of Farmers Associations, and intervenor David Alba for the Asosacion de Agricoltores de La Carlota y Pontevedra Inc. and the La Carlota Mill District Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
The judge, in his 4-page order, said it is readily apparent that the petitioner and intervenors may stand to suffer greatly and irreparably if the questioned sugar order will be implemented.
Nonetheless emphasis has to be laid that the ruling should not be considered a pre-judgment of their application for a writ of preliminary injunction, he added.
The hearing of the application for a writ of preliminary injunction is set at 8:30 a.m. on February 28.
Executive Judge Reginald Fuentebella of the Sagay City RTC Branch 73 also earlier issued a 20-day TRO directing Serafica to halt the planned importation of sugar.
The SRA, in compliance with the TROs, has temporarily put on hold the importation of 200,000 metric tons of sugar.*