Cebu city asks Court: Dismiss meat importers' case

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government asked the court to dismiss the petition for declaratory relief with prayer for preliminary injunction and issuance of a temporary restraining order filed by the 17 imported meat importers and local meat vendors in Cebu.

The City, through its legal counsels Joseph Bernaldez and June Maratas, in its 15-page answer said that any decision the court would render on the petition will not end the controversy considering that Administartive Order (AO) No. 22 is national in scope.

It said that the application of the order far exceeds the jurisdiction of the court and even if the court will bar the respondent local government unit (LGU) from enforcing it, other LGUs that are not defendants in the case and those outside the jurisdiction of the court can still implement AO No. 22 without any legal obstacle.

Department of Agriculture (DA) AO No. 22 provides for the rules and regulations in the handling of frozen and chilled meat and meat products in the markets.

In line with this, the 17 imported meat importers and local meat vendors in Cebu filed their memoranda before the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 praying that a temporary restraining order be issued against the agriculture department and several other respondents.

The petitioners also moved that an injunction be issued against the respondents to stop them from implementing AO No. 22 while the case is pending. They also want the court to declare AO No. 22 as invalid and unconstitutional.

In their memoranda, the petitioners contended that they will suffer grave and irreparable injury if the implementation of the administrative order is not stopped because their entire livelihood is from importing, distributing and trading of imported meat.

The petitioners include Estrella Laderas Meat Trading, Judphilan Foods Corp., Meatcore Corp., Three Dragons Devt. Corp., Ludens International Trading Corp., Jesus Escaño Devt., Corp., Kitchen Solutions, Alfa All Foods Asia, Inc., LJC8 Enterprises, DPO Philippines, Inc, Corazon Sepra, Dolores Nuñez, Wivina Abad, Versan Tecson, Romeo Maturan, Zenaida Tampos, Lilibeth Tanilon and Dioscora Mancao. –(FREEMAN)