Uber Technologies Inc resumed its services in the Philippines this week, defying a regulator’s order that had suspended the ride-hailing firm’s services for a month in the Southeast Asian nation.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board late on Monday halted the service over what it said was Uber’s violation of a directive to cease accepting new driver applications.

In an appeal against the order, Uber said it had the right to due process and wanted a stay on the implementation of the suspension.

“This means that Uber’s operations will continue until the motion is resolved,” Uber said in a Facebook posting.

The Philippines suspension is the latest setback this year to Uber, one of the most valuable startups in the world with a valuation upwards of $60 billion, which is struggling to recover from a series of scandals.

Uber is already facing regulatory scrutiny in several Asian markets, including in South Korea and Japan.

The Philippines regulator is currently meeting to decide its next step, lawyer Aileen Lizada, a member of the transportation board, told Reuters in a text message.

But the board’s Chairman Martin Delgra earlier said Uber’s suspension stands.

“All these cases involving Uber and for that matter anyone involved in public transportation system has to understand that we need to be in some level of regulation,” Delgra said.

The suspension led to an outpouring of anger by Filipinos on social media. Uber issued an email to users informing them of the suspension, entitled “we’ll be serving you again soon”.

A five-page suspension order of the regulator made available on Tuesday said the suspension was due to the “irresponsible” behaviour of Uber in “unduly challenging the limit of fair regulation” by continuing to accept driver applications.

At a congressional hearing earlier this month, Uber told lawmakers there were nearly 67,000 drivers registered with Uber in the Philippines.

Grace Poe, a senator and prominent advocate for improving the Philippines’ notoriously shoddy transport services, said the regulator’s order was “cruel and absurd”.