Subic port chief loses court appeal

Subic port chief loses court appeal

MANILA (Reuters): The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously rejected an appeal by ousted Subic freeport chief Richard Gordon to stay on in his post, and the presidential palace indicated it might use force to evict him.

The court, by a 13-0 vote, threw out Gordon's petition to stop President Joseph Estrada from firing him, handing Estrada a major legal victory in his effort to oust a political foe from the post of administrator of the Philippines' premier investment haven.

"Now that the Supreme Court has spoken, the president believes that finally settles the matter," a presidential spokesman told reporters. "The president will have to fulfill his constitutional oath to see to it that the laws are faithfully executed."

Asked if that would include using force to remove Gordon from the freeport, the spokesman said: "It means exactly what you said it means." At the heart of the dispute is a long-standing battle between Gordon and Estrada over the future of Subic, dating back to 1991 when it was a U.S. naval base.