Angkas gets TRO against cap on motorcycle taxis
THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223 has issued a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) against the implementation of a policy that limits the number of motorcycle taxis in Metro Manila to 30,000 and 9,000 in Cebu.
The petition for a TRO was filed by motorcycle-hailing firm Angkas (DBDOYC, Inc.).
This development comes after Angkas bikers themselves had earlier secured a 72-hour hold order from a Mandaluyong court blocking the same policy.
In its petition for a TRO, Angkas also asked the QC court to exclude JoyRide (We Move Things Philippines, Inc.) and Move It (We-Load Transcargo Corp.) from the pilot program for motorcycle taxis that is being implemented by the government’s technical working group (TWG).
The court, however, did not grant the company’s petition to restrain respondents Department of Transportation (DoTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from allowing the inclusion of JoyRide and Move It in the pilot program.
“When the acts sought to be prevented by injunction or prohibition have already been performed or completed prior to the filing of the injunction suit, nothing more can be enjoined or restrained; a writ of injunction then becomes moot and academic, and the court, by mere issuance of the writ, can no longer stop or undo the act,” the court said in its order dated Jan. 9, as signed by Judge Catherine P. Manodon.
On Angkas’ petition for a TRO against the implementation of the TWG’s new guidelines that limit the number of bikers for Metro Manila to a total of 30,000 and Cebu to 9,000 during the pilot test, which will then be divided among the three motorcycle hailing firms, the court “finds that irreparable injury would be suffered by the plaintiff” if the implementation of the policy “is not restrained before the matter of the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction is heard.”
“Considering the urgency of the situation, [the Court] hereby issues a temporary restraining order enjoining defendants, for a period of 20 days from receipt of this order, from implementing said revised guidelines insofar as it imposes a cap the number of petitioner’s bikers,” the court added.
The court also required Angkas to post a bond of P1 million “to answer for any damage that the defendants may suffer from the issuance of this restraining order, within 24 hours from receipt.” — Arjay L. Balinbin
