A Cebu City court rejected a bid to stop the Carbon Public Market redevelopment, letting the Cebu City–Megawide joint venture proceed while the main case moves forward.
A Cebu City court move is keeping the Carbon Public Market redevelopment on track, at least for now, after it denied an effort to stop the project.
In a resolution dated April 23, 2026, Regional Trial Court Branch 16, presided over by Judge Dante Corminal, dismissed the request for a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction.. The court said the plaintiffs did not satisfy the legal requirements needed for such emergency relief.
The case was brought by a vendor group, Misryoum reports, identified as Carbohanong Alyansa Alang sa Reporma ug Bahandianong Ogma sa mga Nanginabuhi (Carbon).. They asked the court to nullify the joint venture agreement and halt the redevelopment plan covering roughly seven to eight hectares in Barangay Ermita, including parts of the Carbon Market, Freedom Park, and nearby waterfront areas.
The group argued that the deal was unlawful and would lead to vendor displacement, higher costs, and impacts on urban poor communities. They also pointed to concerns over land ownership, the level of consultation, and what they viewed as problematic terms in the agreement.
Even so, the court ruled that the petitioners failed to show a clear legal right, an actual violation, or an irreparable injury that would justify stopping the project immediately. It noted that the redevelopment is being carried out in phases, and that relocation measures are part of the approach.
In this context, the decision also matters for how redevelopment disputes are handled in the courts, since injunction requests often hinge on whether the harm is immediate and cannot be repaired later.
The ruling further emphasized that alleged harms such as temporary business disruption may be addressed through compensation, rather than being grounds to issue injunctive relief. It added that the joint venture agreement’s validity will be decided in the main case.
That main case is set for pre-trial on June 24, 2026, meaning arguments on the underlying claims will still be heard, even as the redevelopment proceeds for now.
For vendors and residents watching the project, this is a reminder that stopping construction is not automatic, and that outcomes can depend on what the court considers legally urgent versus what can be remedied later.