THE Regional Trial Court in Quezon City has stopped the Commission on Higher Education from closing down some course offered by the PMI Colleges, formerly known as the Philippine Maritime Institute.

The injunction became effective after the PMI filed a bond upon receiving the order. The CHED has likewise received a writ of execution of the said order.

In October 2011, CHED issued a resolution that effectively shut down two of PMI’s flagship degree programs—Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE).

CHED alleged that the school was noncompliant with “international standards.” This was strongly contested by PMI, which brought the matter to court.

Aside from claiming that the resolution was baseless, PMI questioned the timing of the closure, which was ordered in the middle of the school year. PMI lawyers pointed out that the closure order was a violation of the CHED’s own Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education (MoRPHE).

Students, faculty members and alumni of the PMI openly expressed support for the school as they attended the hearings of the case and staged peaceful protest activities outside the premises of the CHED offices in Quezon City. During a sit-down rally, however, violence erupted when CHED security personnel resorted to what the school officials referred to as “unnecessary and uncalled for strong-arm tactics” on the rally participants.

“We are very grateful for the issuance of the injunction as it has favorably considered our points of objection,” Rizabel Cloma-Santos, president and chief executive officer of the PMI said. “We are happy that our students and their parents will no longer be in a state of anxiety and inconvenience. We also hope for a final resolution of the case,” she added.