MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 101 has issued a temporary restraining order against the government's approval of genetically modified rice imports on the petition of environmentalists who cited the possible risks from the altered cereal.

Judge Evangeline Castillo-Marigomen granted the petition filed by the environmental group Greenpeace, which was joined by other personalities such actress Angel Aquino, models Amanda Claire Griffin and Angel Aquino, and beauty queen Anna Theresa Licaros, asking that the government be restrained from allowing Bayer Philippines Inc. to import Liberty Link Rice 62 (LLR62).

"The thrust of the instant application for a temporary restraining order is that this genetically modified LLR62 rice which is sought to be imported/introduced into the Philippines as direct food, animal feed, or for processing, being an unnatural organism, has not been thoroughly studied as to its real impact on health and the environment," Marigomen's decision said

"With the unfavorable publications and debates these genetically modified organisms have spawned, it is but prudent that the approval, not the study or evaluation, or the application of the private respondents be restrained in the meantime, considering that rice is a staple on the dining table of the Filipinos," she added.

The order temporarily prohibits the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Plant Industry from approving the application for importation of the genetically modified rice.

Greenpeace said public consultations should be conducted first before deciding whether importation of the altered rice should be allowed or not.

See related articles:
"Who's the willing puppet?" by Rina Jimenez-David, Philippine Daily Inquirer (Opinion Column), 18 Sept 2007

"Green but mean" by Patty Labrador, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 Sept 2007

"Eating toxins and technology" by Cito Beltran, The Philippine STAR (CTalk Column), 16 Sept 2007