Bus firms question Court of Appeals ruling on Pantranco deal

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer representing three bus firms said a question on the validity of the sale of the 489 franchises of the defunct Pantranco North Express Inc. remains despite a recent Court of Appeals (CA) ruling that junked the bid to stop the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from awarding these franchises.

Hazel Minoza - counsel of Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines Inc., Genesis Transport Service Inc. and Pangasinan Solid North Transit Inc., which are opposing the award - said the ruling of the CA’s 8th division covered only the prayer for issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the resolution of the LTFRB last May that allowed the public auction of the Pantranco franchise to its retrenched employees.

“The interpretation of the workers that the non-granting of the TRO by the CA was equivalent to the affirmation of the legality of the franchise is premature and irresponsible,” she said.

“The two workers group (Pantranco Retrenched Employees Association and the Pantranco Employees Association) should respect the CA and cease and desist from making such irresponsible statements,” she added.

Minoza said the CA ruling had asked the petitioners to file the motion that would lead to the next step - the CA taking up the issue on whether the franchises are valid or not.

She said a major intervening event that took place between the filing of a request for a TRO and the CA’s non-grant of the TRO sought, also removed the urgency of getting a TRO from the CA.

Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas II ordered last June 27 the suspension of the franchise granted by the LTFRB to the former workers of Pantranco and ordered an in-depth investigation of the award by his legal team. - Rainier Allan Ronda, Edu Punay