SC asked to stop SLEX toll hike anew

A lawyer asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday to prevent the imminent increase of toll rates at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Lawyer Ernesto Francsico asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a status quo ante order to prevent the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and South Luzon Tollway Corporation (SLTC) from implementing the toll hike on SLEX's Alabang to Calamba segment by as much as 250 percent. The SC in October allowed the TRB and SLTC to increase the roll rates. However, on Wednesday, Francisco said TRB and SLTC are bent on implementing the toll hike even if the SC's October 19 decision is not yet final and executory and is still subject to appeal. "It is clear that the proponents of the toll hike, public respondent TRB and private respondent SLTC, will already be implementing the Honorable Court’s Decision dated 19 October 2010 despite the fact that it is still the subject of pending Motions for Reconsideration," said Francisco. Francisco and Albay Gov. Jose Salceda have strongly opposed the 250-percent toll rate increase at the SLEX. In August, the SC granted their separate petitions to stop the increase. However, on October 18, the Supreme Court lifted the TRO it issued in August. In November, the SC also junked Salceda's petition because he has not come up with new arguments to help the high court reconsider its decision. “Considering, however, that Gov. Salceda has not raised, in this recourse, any new issue, which has not been considered and passed upon in the earlier resolved petitions, [the SC] hereby resolves to dismiss his petition," the SC said. – VVP, GMANews.TV