CFI plans to take over Bantay Radyo operations
The Court of Appeals (CA) Cebu Station has issued a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO), mandating Judge Alexander Acosta of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 9 not to implement his earlier ruling that barred CFI from taking over Bantay Radyo’s three radio stations.
Associate Justice Edward Contreras of the appellate court’s 19th division said the TRO was issued to prevent further damage to the right of CFI.
“We find merit in the exigency of granting CFI the injunctive relief prayed for,” he said in a ruling approved by the two other magistrates in the division, Associate Justices Edgrado delos Santos and Pamela Ann Maxino.
The TRO takes effect after CFI paid a bond of P1.5 million to answer for any damage or loss caused by the order in case the court later rules that the cooperative was not entitled to it.
CFI lawyer Lito Astillero, in an interview, said the TRO has given them the right to take over and manage El Nuevo Bantay Radyo.
“Since the CA (a higher court) issued the TRO, the injunction and TRO earlier granted to Pafi Foundation by the RTC are no longer in effect,” he told CDN.
With the TRO from the CA, Astillero said CFI intends to start operating the radio stations.
Pafi Foundation president and Cebu Provincial Board Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero earlier filed a civil suit in court against franchise owner Sarraga Integrated and Management Group (SIAM) after the latter decided to end its contract with the company and let Cebu CFI take control of El Nuevo Bantay Radyo.
Zaballero, chief executive officer of Pafi, claimed that their family had already deposited an amount of P700,000 to SIAM’s account as initial payment for the renewal of the contract with the broadcast company.
Pafi lawyer Edgar Gica, however, described Astillero’s interpretation of the CA ruling as “narrow minded.”
“The TRO doesn’t grant legal basis to take over Bantay Radyo. It was granted just so the petitions they raised would not be rendered moot and academic,” he said in a separate interview.
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