PAB v. CA (G.R. No. 93891)

PROPERTY DIGESTS (2013 – 2014) G.R. No. 93891

ATTY. VIVENCIO ABANO wast wastew ewat ater er dire direct ctly ly into into a cana canal l lead leadin ing g to the the adja adjace cent nt Tullahan-TinejerosRiver.

March 11, 1991

PABv.CA SolarTextileFinishingCorporationwithplantand Respondent, SolarTextileFinishingCorporation withplantand  place of business at 999 General Pascual Avenue, Malabon, involved ed in bleac bleachi hing ng, , rinsin rinsing g and dyein dyeing g Metr Metro o Mani Manila la is involv textiles with with wast wastew ewat ater er of abou about t 30 gpm. gpm. bein being g dire direct ctly ly discharg dischargeduntrea eduntreated ted into the sewer. sewer. Basedon Basedon finding findings s inthe Inspectionsconducte Inspectionsconductedon05 don05 November1986and15November November1986and15November 1986, 1986, the volume volume of untreat untreated ed wastewa wastewater ter discharg discharged ed in the  finalo utfall outside ofthe plant'scompound waseven greater. The The resu result lt of insp inspec ecti tion on cond conduc ucte ted d on 06 Sept Septem embe ber r 1988 1988 showed that respondent's respondent's Wastewater Wastewater Treatmen Treatment t Plant Plant was notedunoperational notedunoperationalandthecombinedwastewa andthecombinedwastewatergenerated tergenerated  fromitsoperation wasabout30gallons perminuteand80 %of thewastewaterwasbeingdirectlydischargedintoadrainage canalleadingtotheTullahan-TinejerosRiver  bymeansofabyremaining g 20%was channell channelledinto edinto theplant's theplant's  pass and the remainin existi existing ng Wastew Wastewat ater er Treat Treatmen ment t Plant Plant (WTP). (WTP). Result Result of the the analysesof analysesof thesampletakenfrom theby-pass theby-pass showedthat showedthat thewastewaterishighlypollutiveintermsofColorunits,BOD thewastewaterishighlypollutive intermsofColorunits,BOD andSuspendedSolids,amongothers.Theseactsofrespondent inspiteofdirectivestocomplywiththerequirementsareclearly violation n of Section Section 8 of Presiden Presidential tial Decree Decree No. 984 and in violatio Section103ofitsImplementingRules Section103ofitsImple mentingRulesandRegulatio andRegulationsandthe nsandthe 1982EffluentRegulations .

Plaintiffs:POLLUTIONADJUDICATIONBOARD(PAB) Defe Defend ndan ant: t: COUR COURT T OF APPE APPEAL ALS S and and SOLA SOLAR R TEXT TEXTIL ILE E FINI FINISH SHIN ING G CORPORATION CASE: P.D. 984, provides s for the author authority ity of the Nationa National l 984, Sectio Section n 7 provide PollutionControlCommission–whichwassucceededbythePollution AdjudicationBoard AdjudicationBoard – to issuecease anddesist ordersagainst entities entities releasinghighlypollutivewatersintoPhilippinebodiesofwater. Section maximum permis permissibl sible e 5 ofthe Efflue EffluentRegul ntRegulati ations ons of1982 sets the maximum levelsforthewastes levelsforthewastestoberelease tobereleasedintowate dintowaters.ThePABiss rs.ThePABissuedacease uedacease anddesistorderagainstSolarTextileFinishingCorporationbasedon2 inves investig tigat atio ions ns show showin ing g that that they they were were rele releasi asing ng huge huge amou amount nts s of untreated untreated wasteinto Tullahan-Tinej Tullahan-Tinejeros eros River, with only 20% of such wastebeingdepositedtotheirWast wastebeingdepositedtotheirWastewater ewaterTreatmentPlan TreatmentPlantwhichwas twhichwas notevencompletelyoperational.SeeDOCTRINEforSCruling. DOCTRIN DOCTRINE: E: Public Public hearing hearing is not requir required ed prior prior to the issuance issuance of a ceasedanddesistorder,becausestoppingthecontinuousdischargeof pollutiveanduntreatedeffluentsintotheriversandotherinlandwaters ofthePhilippinescannotbemadetowaituntilprotractedlitigationover the ultimat ultimate e correct correctnes ness s or propri propriety ety of such orders orders has run its full full cour course se. . What hat is requ requir ired ed is the the oppo opporrtuni tunity ty for for publ public ic hear earing ing subs subseq eque uent nt to such such issu issuan ance ce if the the affe affect cted ed enti entity ty ques questi tion ons s the the correctnessofsuchorder. BACKGROUND:  September22,1988 àThePABissuedanOrderdirectingSolar immedia immediatel tely y toceaseand desist desist from from utilizin utilizing g itswastewat itswastewater er pollutionsourceinstall pollutionsourceinstallationswhich ationswhichweredischargin weredischarginguntreated guntreated

TheOrderwasbasedon2investigations:November5& 121986andSeptember6,1988(asstatedintheletter) o TheOrderwasreceivedbySolaronSeptember26,and aWritofExecutionwasissuedonMarch31,1989. April21,1989 àSolarfiledapetitionforcertiorariattheRTC. à April 24, 1989 Based on Solar's motion reconsideratio reconsideration/appe n/appealwithprayerforstayofexecuti alwithprayerforstayofexecutiontothe ontothe Boar Board, d, the the Boar Board d allow allowed ed Solar Solar to oper operat ate e temp tempor orar arily ily, , to o

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RACHELLEANNEGUTIERREZ

PROPERTY DIGESTS (2013 – 2014)

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ATTY. VIVENCIO ABANO

enabletheBoardtoconduct enabletheBoardtoconductanotherinspe anotherinspectionandevalu ctionandevaluation ation ofSolar'swastewatertreatmentfacilities. July21,1989 àTheRegionalTrialCourtdismissed TheRegionalTrialCourtdismissedthepetition thepetition because (1)appeal andnot certiorariwas certiorariwas theproper remedy, remedy, and(2)theBoard’sOrderallowingSolartotemporarilyoperate renderedthispetitionmootandacademic. Courtof Appeals Appeals à heldthatcertio heldthatcertiorar rari i was a proper proper remedy remedy since since the Ordersof Ordersof petitio petitioner ner Board Board mayresult in great great and irreparableinjurytoSolar.

ISSUESTOBERESOLVED: 1. WhetherornottheCou WhetherornottheCourtofAppeal rtofAppealserredinreve serredinreversingthetr rsingthetrial ial courtonthegroundthat courtonthegroundthatSolarhadbeen Solarhadbeendeniedduepro denieddueprocessby cessby theBoard. IMPORTANTPROVISIONSOFLAW P.D.984,Section7 ,paragraph(a),provides: (a)PublicHearing....Provided,ThatwhenevertheCommission findsprimafacieevidencethatthedischargedsewageorwastes areofimmediatethreattolife, areofimmediatethreattolife,publichealth, publichealth,safetyorwelfare safetyorwelfare, , ortoanimalorplantlife,orexceedstheallowablestandardsset by the Commissi Commission, on, the Commiss Commission ioner er may issue issue an ex-par ex-parte te orde order r dire direct ctin ing g the the disc discon onti tinu nuan ance ce of the the same same or the the temp tempor orar ary y susp suspen ensi sion on or cess cessat atio ion n of oper operat atio ion n of the the estab establis lishm hmen ent t or pers person on gener generat ating ing such such sewag sewage e or wast wastes es withoutthenecessityofapriorpublichearing.Thesaidex-parte ordershallbeimmediatelyexecutoryandshallremaininforce untilsaidestablishmentorpersonpreventsorabatesthesaid pollutionwithintheallowablestandardsormodifiedornullified byacompetentcourt.

sets out themaximum themaximum Section Section 5 of theEffluentRegulatio theEffluentRegulations ns of 1982 sets permissiblelevelsofphysicalandchemicalsubstanceswhicheffluents fromdomesticwastewatertreatmentplantsandindustrialplants"must notexceed"whendischarged notexceed"whendischargedintobodiesofwaterclassifie intobodiesofwaterclassifiedasClassA, dasClassA,

1

B, C, D, SB and and SC in acco accord rdan ance ce with with the the 1978 1978 NPCC NPCC Rule Rules s and and Regulations." The waters of Tullahan-Tinej Tullahan-TinejerosRiver erosRiver are classified classified as inland watersClass watersClass D underSectio underSection n 68of the 1978 1978 NPCC Rules Rules and Regulations •

RESOLUTIONSANDARGUMENTS ISSUE1 WhetherornottheCourtofAppealserredinreversingthe trialcourtonthegroundthatSolarhadbeendenieddueprocessbythe Board. à NO. ThereBoar ThereBoardwasacting dwasacting within within itspowers, itspowers, asstatedby asstatedby law,inissuingtheceaseanddesistordersagainstSolar.

Majo Major r Poin Point t 1: It is not not esse essent ntia ial l that that the the Boar Board d prov prove e that that an "immediatethreattolife,publichealth,safetyorwelfare,ortoanimal orplantlife"exist orplantlife"existsbefore sbefore anexparte ceaseanddesist ceaseanddesist ordermaybe ordermaybe issued. issued. Itis enough enough if the Boardfindsthatthe Boardfindsthatthe wastesdischa wastesdischarge rged d do exceedtheallowablestandardssetbytheBoard. The November November 1986reportsshow thatthe previous previous ownerof theplant, FineTouch Finishing Finishing Corporation, Corporation, wasalso issueda ceaseanddesistorderuntilsuchtime ceaseanddesistorderuntilsuchtimeastheirwastetreatm astheirwastetreatment ent plantwasfunctional. Solar,thenewowner,informedtheNPCCoftheacquisitionof theplantonMarch1986.SolarwassummonedbytheNPCCto a hear hearing ing on 13 Octob October er 1986 1986 based based on the the resu result lts s of the the samp sampli ling ng test test cond conduc ucte ted d by the the NPCC NPCC on 8 Augu August st 1986 1986. . Petitioner Petitioner Boardrefrainedfrom issuingan ex partecease and desistorderuntilaftertheNovember1986andSeptember1988 re-inspectionswere re-inspectionswere conducted conducted and the violation violation of applicable applicable standardswasconfirmed. Basedonthereports(asstatedintheBoard'sletter),therewas atleastprimafacieevidencebeforetheBoardthattheeffluents emanatingfromSolar'splantexceededthemaximumallowable •

•

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 Natio Nationa nal l Poll Polluti ution on Cont Contro rol l Comm Commis issi sion on (the (the prede predece cess ssor or of the the Pollu Polluti tion on AdjudicationBoard) 1

RACHELLEANNEGUTIERREZ

PROPERTY DIGESTS (2013 – 2014)

ATTY. VIVENCIO ABANO

levelsofphysicalandchemicalsubstancessetbytheNPCCand that that accordi accordingl ngly y there there was adequa adequate te basis basis suppor supportin ting g the ex parteceaseanddesistorderissuedbytheBoard. MajorPoint2:Wheretheestablishmentaffectedbyanexpartecease anddesistorderconteststhecorrectnessoftheprimafaciefindingsof the Board, the  Board mus t hold a public  hearing where s uc uch establi establishme shment nt would would have have an opport opportunit unity y to controv controvert ert the basis basis of suchexparteorder. That That this this opport opportuni unity ty for hearin hearing g is subsequently availab available le is real really ly all all that that is requ requir ired ed by the the due due proc process ess claus clause e of the the Constitutioninsituationslikethatwehavehere. •

The deci decisi sion on of the the CA is reve revers rsed ed. . The The Orde Order r of FINAL VERDICT: VERDICT: The petitionerBoarddated22September1988andtheWritofExecution, aswellasthedecisionofthetrialcourtdated21July1989,arehereby REIN REINST STATE ATED, D, with withou out t prej prejud udice ice to the the right right of Solar Solar to cont contest est the the correctnessofthebasi correctnessofthebasisoftheBoard' softheBoard'sOrderandWrit sOrderandWritofExecutio ofExecutionata nata publichearingbeforetheBoard. NOSEPARATEOPINIONS

RACHELLEANNEGUTIERREZ