FLORIDABLANCA -- The Regional Trial Court Branch 53 in Guagua, Pampanga has junked a motion by representatives of a hog farm operating in this town under Civil Case No. G-20-5401, which sought to nullify the cease and desist order (CDO) issued against them by the local government here.
In the 14-page decision signed by Presiding Judge Maria Concepcion Yumang on August 14, a copy of which was obtained by SunStar Pampanga, it denied Evergreen Bioscience Technologies Inc.'s (EBTI) prayer for the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction pending the final decision of the court.
The hog farm's motion stemmed from the local government's issuance of a cease and desist order implemented, citing the alleged lack of a business permit and violation of health and environmental laws, among others.
Prior to the issuance of the cease and desist order, EBTI allegedly has been a subject of complaint of residents of Barangay Gutad, where it is located, for alleged unpleasant odor.
But EBTI stated that the hog farm maintains a state of the art "tunnel ventilated technology" which ensures that the air and wind that enters the building are effectively controlled.
The Court has now given the hog farm a period of 60 days from the receipt of the order to comply with the cease and desist order.
The local government is also directed to inform the court within the same period of the concrete plan of action on how EBTI will remove all animals, machines and equipment used in the operation of its farm to avoid any further violation of any existing laws and the Animal Welfare Act.