Status quo ordered anew for Puguis communal forest

FOLLOWING the civil case filed by the heirs of the Evaristo Tiotioen against the local government of La Trinidad, a lower court ordered a status quo for Puguis Communal Forest.

“Pending the resolution of the application for preliminary injunction, the parties agreed to maintain status quo and agreed to maintain status quo and agreed the following rule of conduct to be observed respectively by them,” the order

from Regional Trial Court reads as the continuation of the proceeding on the preliminary injunction set on June 14.

On May 24, RTC Branch 62 Judge Danilo Camacho did not render any judgement on the application for preliminary injunction prior to the disagreement between the parties’ certain facts.

With the status quo, heirs of Tiotioen are prohibited from any improvements within the disputed area which are allegedly the metes and bounds of the Communal Forest as delineated in PSU No. 230646, Lots 1 and 2 and in PSU No. 223379.

The petitioners and representatives are not allowed to bring in any construction material and any equipment for construction.

Meanwhile, the respondents represented by Mayor Romeo Salda, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Arthur Pedro and Municipal Engineer Benedict Pineda are not allowed to conduct any demolition of any structures existing in the area.

Under the status quo, respondents cannot confiscate construction materials already inside the area but may stop any on-going construction and any violation of the following rule of conduct to be observed by both parties proven in court will result for the court to dismiss the case.

Moreover, if the violation is done by the respondents or their representative, the grant of application for preliminary injunction will be made.

Both the heirs of Tiotioen and representatives of the municipality also agreed to conduct an ocular inspection on June 6 in the disputed area with the representative of the court to document the existing improvements thereat.

During the hearing, Petitioner Pedro Isican manifested an on-going construction in the area being put up by the municipality were both admitted by Menro Officer and the counsel of the petitioner’s lawyer Mayor Wayagwag-Guibac.

The alleged on-going construction is one of the subject of the ocular inspection to be conducted.