Court denies plea of cable company vs NTC order

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has denied the petition for preliminary injunction filed by a cable company against the cease and desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Judge Kathleen Rosario de la Cruz-Espinosa of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 91 junked the request of Now Cable Inc. to stop the implementation of the NTC’s order.

The NTC ordered the company to  stop operating after its 25-year legislative franchise expired on Sept. 21, 2021.

The court said the cable company, formerly known as GHT Network Inc., was not able to prove its right to be protected by the injunction it is praying for.

The NTC stopped the cable company to operate pay cable television and interactive multimedia services.

Now Cable argued that it has obtained a temporary permit to maintain and operate interactive pay television in Metro Manila and nearby provinces until February 2024.

But the court said the existence, due execution and authenticity of the NTC’s order was never questioned.

The court set the pre-trial hearing on the main case for injunction on Oct. 11.