Philippines orders status quo in Shell tax row

The Philippine government stepped into the tax dispute between the Bureau of Customs and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., ordering a status quo and for the parties to wait for the Supreme Court to issue a decision on the case. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that Customs has to await any legal recourse to be taken by Shell following the Court of Tax Appeals ruling, and any final court ruling on the matter. The Bureau of Customs had given Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. five days to cough up Php7.3 billion (US$156.37 million) or face the seizure of all its future product imports, but the foreign oil firm was able to secure a temporary restraining order from a Batangas court against the government agency. (February 10, 2010)