SC junks petition vs Manila’s garbage collection fee

THE Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a petition challenging the legality of Manila City Ordinance No. 9151, which implements a revised schedule for city-wide garbage collection fees.

The Court ruled that John Barry T. Tayam, a resident of Las Piñas, failed to establish legal standing as he is not among the persons covered by the ordinance who would suffer direct injury.

“Undoubtedly, the Court is not a trier of facts,” the en banc said in its 5-page resolution. “Hence, the Court must dismiss petitions directly filed before it when they involve factual issues that must be resolved first for the case’s proper disposition.”

The tribunal added that the petitioner violated the doctrine of hierarchy of courts by failing to seek relief from the appropriate regional trial court before escalating the matter to the high court.

The dismissal effectively denies the prayer for a temporary restraining order, upholding the city’s right to regulate waste management fees for Manila-based businesses and residential units. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana