By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
Several individuals have asked the Supreme Court to stop the closure of Boracay for its rehabilitation.
In their petition for writ and mandamus filed on Wednesday, April 25, Mark Anthony Zabal, Thiting Escoso Jacosalem and Odon Bandiola asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction “restraining and/or enjoining” President Rodrigo Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Interior department officer in charge Eduardo Año “and all persons acting under their command” from enforcing the six-month closure that was supposed to start on April 26.
The petitioners who were represented by the leftist National Union of People’s Lawyers cited a loss of income in seeking for the remedy.
In a statement, they said around 36,000 workers engaged in tourism-related occupations will be directly affected by the closure, with the Aklan Electric Cooperative facing losses of up to P17 million for every month of the closure.
They said this would likely lead to increases in electricity rates of up to P1.62 per kilowatt per hour in Aklan.
The municipality of Malay, they added, stands to lose “up to P400 million” per month, “part of which it uses to finance two public hospitals.”
The petitioners also asked the SC to issue a preliminary mandatory injunction “directing” them to enter or leave the island “unimpeded.”
If the closure is enforced before the petition was filed, the petitioners asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order instead.
“After proper proceedings (we pray that) a judgement be rendered permanently restraining and/or enjoining the respondents and all persons acting under their command, order and responsibility from enforcing a closure of Boracay..,” they said.
“The closure is too oppressive to all persons working and living in Boracay,” they added.
