A Quezon City court has barred ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. from airing allegedly defamatory statements against rival GMA Network Inc.

QC Regional Trial Court Branch 95 Judge Henri Paul Inting granted GMA Network’s request for a temporary restraining order against ABS-CBN, which has accused GMA Network as the brains behind alleged manipulation of television ratings in Bacolod City, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo.

“In order to protect the interests of both parties and prevent grave injustice and irreparable injury to the status of the plaintiff as a network should it be determined later that the plaintiff is not the manipulator or the cause of manipulation of TV ratings, the court hereby issues a temporary restraining order,” Judge Inting said in his 5-page order.

GMA Network requested the TRO to stop ABS-CBN from repeatedly airing statements it deemed defamatory. The statements were originally aired on various ABS-CBN programs on Jan. 5, 6, 7 and 12 .

The TRO was sought after GMA Network P15-million damage suit against ABS-CBN. -