MANILA, Aug. 21 (PNA) — One of the magistrates of the Court of Appeals (CA) handling the complaint filed by businessman Reghis Romero and the Harbour Center Port Terminal Incorporated has inhibited himself from the case.
The case involves the petition filed by Romero seeking to stop the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Rolando Mislang in connection with the management dispute at the Harbour Center Port Terminal where Romero’s son, Michael himself is also involved.
In a four-page resolution dated Aug. 13, 2015, Associate Ramon Garcia declared a “voluntary inhibition” from the case.
This was prompted by the “urgent motion to inhibit” filed by Romero arguing that he doubts on the partiality of Garcia, a member of the CA Special 15th Division, in handling the case because he is a colleague in the Aquila Legis Fraternity of one of the private respondents, Atty. Cyrus Paul Valenzuela, the president of One Port Support Services Incorporated.
Although being a co-fraternity member of Valenzuela is not a sufficient basis, Garcia decided to recuse himself from the case in order to avoid the doubts on being “bias”.
Because of this, the CA has to designate again, through a raffle, a new member of the Special 15th Division to replace Garcia. (PNA)