PROVINCE OF RIZAL VS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY G.R. No. 129546 Dec 13 2!!5
Petit etitiioner oners s : Respondent : RES"URCES!
Muni unicipa cipallity ity of San San Mateo ateo and Conc oncerne erned d Citiz itizen ens s of Rizal zal et. Al EXECUTIVE SECRETAR! SECRETAR "# E$VIR"$ME$T % $ATURA URA& &A'U$A &A(E )EVE&"PME$T AUT*"RIT
SANITARY LANDFILL Principles •
•
:
T+e Reor,anization Reor,anization Act of t+e )E$R )e-nes and &iits Its Po/ers Po/ers o0er t+e Country1s$atural Resources T+e Adinistrati0e Adinistrati0e Code of 2345 and E6ecuti0e "rder $o. 237 entrust entrust t+e )E$R /it+ t+e ,uardians+ip and safe8eepin, of t+e Mari8ina 9aters+ed Reser0ation and our ot+er natural treasures. treasures. *o/e0er! alt+ou,+ alt+ou,+ t+e )E$R! an a,ency of t+e ,o0ernent! o/ns t+e
#acts: At t+e +ei,+t of t+e ,ara,e crisis pla,uin, Metro Manila and its en0irons! t+e ";ce of t+e Presi Presiden dent! t! t+rou, t+rou,+ + Procl Proclaa aatio tion n $o. $o. <=> dated dated 74 Au,ust Au,ust 233> 233> set set aside aside parts parts of t+e Mari8ina 9aters+ed Reser0ation for use as a sanitary land-ll and siilar /aste disposal applications. applications. T+e site e6tendin, to ore or less 24 +ectares! +ectares! +ad already already een in operation sinc since e 23 #eru eruar ary y 233? 233? for for t+e t+e soli solid d /ast /astes es of @uez @uezon on City City!! Mari Mari8i 8ina na!! San San uan uan!! Mandaluyon,! Pateros! Pasi,! and Ta,ui,.
"n 7B $o0e $o0eer er 233>! 233>! t+e petiti petitione oners rs Munic Municipa ipalit lity y of San Mateo and t+e resi residen dents ts of Pinton, ocaue! ocaue! represented represented y forer forer Senator o0ita Salon,a! Salon,a! sent a letter to President President #idel Raos reDuestin, reDuestin, +i to reconsider Proclaation Proclaation $o. <=>. Recei0in, Recei0in, no reply! t+ey sent anot+er letter on ?7 anuary anuary 233< reiteratin, reiteratin, t+eir pre0ious pre0ious reDuest. T+ey -led efore t+e Court of Appeals a ci0il action for certiorari! pro+iition and andaus /it+ application for a teporary restrainin, order/rit of preliinary inFunction. "n 23 uly uly 2333! 2333! Presi Presiden dentt osep+ osep+ E. Estra Estrada! da! ta8in, ta8in, co,niz co,nizan ance ce of t+e ,ra0ity ,ra0ity of t+e proles in t+e aGected areas and t+e li8eli+ood t+at 0iolence /ould erupt aon, t+e partie parties s in0ol0 in0ol0ed! ed! iss issued ued a Meora Meorandu ndu order orderin, in, t+e closur closure e of t+e dupsi dupsite te on =2 )eceer )eceer 7???. Accordi Accordin,ly n,ly!! on 7? uly 2333! t+e Presid Presidenti ential al Coittee Coittee on #la,s+ip #la,s+ip Pro,ras and ProFects and t+e Metro Manila )e0elopent Aut+ority HMM)A entered into a Meorandu of A,reeent HM"A /it+ t+e Pro0incial Pro0incial 'o0ernent of Rizal! t+e Municipality of San Mateo! and t+e City of Antipolo! /+erein t+e latter a,reed to furt+er e6tend t+e use of t+e dupsite until its peranent closure closure on =2 )eceer 7???.
"n 22 anu anuar ary y 7??2! 7??2! Pres Presid iden entt Estr Estrad ada a dir directe ected d )epa )epart rte ent nt of Inte Interi rior or and and &oca &ocall 'o0ernent H)I&' Secretary Alfredo &i and MM)A C+airan inay to reopen t+e San Mateo dupsite Jin 0ie/ of t+e eer,ency situation of uncollected ,ara,e in Metro Manila! resultin, in a critical and iinent +ealt+ and sanitation epideic.J
Claiin, t+e ao0e e0ents constituted a Jclear and present dan,er of 0iolence eruptin, in t+e aGected areas!J t+e petitioners -led an Ur,ent Petition for Restrainin, "rder on 23 anuary 7??2.
"n 7B anuary 7??2! t+e Supree Court issued t+e Teporary Restrainin, Restrainin, "rder prayed for! JeGecti0e iediately and until furt+er orders.J Mean/+ile! on 7< anuary 7??2! President Estrada Estrada si,ned si,ned Repulic epulic Act $o. 3??=! ot+er/ise ot+er/ise 8no/n as JT+e Ecolo,ical Ecolo,ical Solid Solid 9aste Mana,eent Act of7???!J into la/.
&o/er Court1s Court1s Rulin,: Rulin,: T+e Court of Appeals Appeals ruled in in fa0or of E6ecuti0e E6ecuti0e Secretary! Secretary! et al. al. T+e CA denied! for lac8 of cause of action! t+e petition for certiorari! pro+iition and andaus /it+ application for a teporary restrainin, order/rit of preliinary inFunction assailin, t+e le,ality and constitutionality of Proclaation Proclaation $o. <=>. Issue: 9+et+er or not t+e consultation and appro0al of t+e Pro0ince of Rizal and unicipality of San Mateo is needed efore t+e ipleentation of t+e proFect..
*eld: es. es. Under t+e t+e &ocal 'o0er 'o0ernen nentt Code! t/o reDuis reDuisites ites ust ust e et efore efore a national national proFect t+at aGects t+e en0ironental and ecolo,ical alance of local counities can e ipleented: prior consultation /it+ t+e aGected local counities! and prior appro0al of t+e proFect y t+e appropriate san,,unian. • •
Asent eit+er of t+ese andatory reDuireents! t+e proFects ipleentation is ille,al. In &ina ! r. 0. Pao!KB3L /e +eld t+at Section 7 Hc! reDuirin, consultations /it+ t+e appropriate local local ,o0er ,o0erne nent nt units! units! s+ould s+ould apply apply to natio national nal ,o0er ,o0erne nent nt proFe proFects cts aGect aGectin, in, t+e en0ironental or ecolo,ical alance of t+e particular counity ipleentin, t+e proFect. ReFectin, ReFectin, t+e petitioners contention t+at Sections 7Hc and 75 of t+e &ocal 'o0ernent Code applied andatorily in t+e settin, up of lotto outlets around t+e country! /e +eld t+at: From a careful reading of said provisions, we nd that these apply only to national programs and/or projects which are to be implemented in a particular local community. Lotto is neither a program nor a project of the national government, but of a charitable institution, the PC!. "hough sanctioned by the national government, it is far fetched to say that lotto falls within the contemplation of ections # $c% and #& of the Local 'overnment Code. In t+e recent case of an,us #ry #is+erfol8 0. &anzanas!K>?L /+ere /e +eld t+at t+ere /as no stat statut utor ory y reDui eDuirreen eentt for for t+e t+e san, san,,u ,uni nian an, , aya ayan n of Puer Puerto to 'ale 'alera ra to appr appro0 o0e e t+e t+e construction of a oorin, facility! as Sections 7< and 75 are inapplicale to proFects /+ic+ are not en0ironentally critical. Mor Moreo0e eo0er! r! Sect Sectio ion n BB5! BB5! /+ic /+ic+ + enu enuer erat ates es t+e t+e po/e po/ers rs!! duti duties es and and func functi tion ons s of t+e t+e unici unicipal pality ity!! ,rants ,rants t+e san,, san,,un unian ian, , ayan ayan t+e po/er po/er to! aon, aon, ot+er ot+er t+in,s t+in,s!! enact enact ordin ordinanc ances es!! appr appro0e o0e resol resoluti utions ons and appro appropr priat iate e funds funds for t+e ,enera ,enerall /elfa /elfare re of t+e unicipality and its in+aitants pursuant to Section 2< of t+He Code. T+ese include: H2 Appro0in, ordinances and passin, resolutions to protect t+e en0ironent and ipose appropriate penalties for acts /+ic+ endan,er t+e en0ironent! suc+ as dynaite -s+in, and ot+er fors of destructi0e -s+in,! ille,al lo,,in, and su,,lin, of lo,s! su,,lin, of natural resources products and of endan,ered species of ora and fauna! slas+ and urn
farin,! and suc+ ot+er acti0ities /+ic+ result in pollution! acceleration of eutrop+ication of ri0ers and la8es! or of ecolo,ical ialanceN KSection BB5 H2H0iL H7 Prescriin, reasonale reasonale liits and restraints restraints on t+e use of property /it+in t+e Furisdiction of t+e t+e uni unici cipa pali lity ty!! adop adopti tin, n, a cop coprre+en e+ensi si0e 0e land land use use plan plan for for t+e t+e uni unici cipa pali lity ty!! reclassifyin, reclassifyin, land /it+in t+e Furisdiction of t+e city! suFect to t+e pertinent pro0isions of t+is Code Code!! enac enacti tin, n, inte inte,r ,rat ated ed zoni zonin, n, ordi ordina nanc nces es in cons conson onan ance ce /it+ /it+ t+e t+e appr appro0 o0ed ed copre+ensi0e land use plan! suFect to e6istin, la/s! rules and re,ulationsN estalis+in, -re liits or zones! particularly in populous centersN and re,ulatin, t+e construction! repair or odi-cation of uildin,s /it+in said -re liits or zones in accordance /it+ t+e pro0isions of t+is CodeN KSection BB5 H7H0iOi6L H= Appro0in, ordinances /+ic+ s+all ensure t+e e;cient and eGecti0e deli0ery of t+e asic ser0ices and facilities as pro0ided for under Section 25 of t+is Code! and in addition to said ser0ices ser0ices and faciliti facilities! es! pro0idin pro0idin, , for t+e estalis estalis+ent +ent!! aintena aintenance! nce! protect protection! ion! and conser0ation of counal forests and /aters+eds! tree par8s! ,reenelts! an,ro0es! and ot+er siilar forest de0elopent proFects .and! suFect to e6istin, la/s! estalis+in, and pro0idin, for t+e aintenance! repair and operation of an e;cient /ater/or8s syste to supply /ater for t+e in+aitants and purifyin, t+e source of t+e /ater supplyN re,ulatin, t+e construct construction! ion! aintenan aintenance! ce! repair repair and use of +ydrants! +ydrants! pups! pups! cistern cisterns s and reser0oi reser0oirsN rsN protectin, t+e purity and Duantity of t+e /ater supply of t+e unicipality and! for t+is purpose! purpose! e6tendin, e6tendin, t+e co0era,e co0era,e of appropri appropriate ate ordinanc ordinances es o0er all territor territory y /it+in /it+in t+e draina,e area of said /ater supply and /it+in one +undred H2?? eters of t+e reser0oir! conduit! canal! aDueduct! pupin, station! or /aters+ed used in connection /it+ t+e /ater ser0iceN and re,ulatin, t+e consuption! use or /asta,e of /ater. KSection BB5 H>Hi % H0iiL
T+e Supree Court ruled in fa0or of t+e Pro0ince of Rizal! et al. and re0ersed and set aside t+e decision of t+e Court of Appeals. T+e San Mateo &and-ll /ill reain reain peranently peranently closed.
