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Good morning.
Our Manila Bay is a vast body of water with a surface area of about
1,800 square kilometers. Once brimming with marine life and a spot for
different contact sports, Manila Bay is now a polluted expanse. So the
question is: what has happened during the interim? From my perspective,
the causes of this unfortunate development are many and varied. Foremost
of these are years of deplorable neglect by, if not abject indifference of, the
citizenry and government institutions, when they could have minimized, if
not stopped the damage.
While several laws have been enacted therein defining the functions
and responsibilities of government agencies with respect to keeping a
wholesome environment, the Manila Bay waters have remained polluted.
Then came the Manila Bay case, a suit commenced against eleven (11)
executive government departments and agencies for their failure to perform
their tasks as exacted by the nature of their respective offices and statutory-
mandated duties. As main relief, the plaintiffs prayed that the defendant-
agencies be ordered to clean-up and rehabilitate the bay pursuant to a
concerted plan of action and restore its waters to class “B” level, meaning to
make it fit for swimming and other forms of contact recreation.
The trial court and later the Court of Appeals found for the plaintiffs,
the defendant-agencies being enjoined to clean up and rehabilitate the bay in
accordance with a consolidated and concerted action plan. The case reached
the Supreme Court on appeal on the issue, among others, of the propriety of
a mandamus to compel performance by government agencies of official
duties. By a unanimous Decision, the en banc Court not only upheld the
appealed decision, but also took further steps. These extra steps, some would
say, partook of an exercise of judicial activism, for they tend to encroach on
the prerogatives of the executive department as implementor of
environmental laws.
1
M.C. Metha v. Union of India, 4 SCC 463 (1987).
appropriate government agency. The nature of that case required the court to
continously monitor compliance with its orders.
2
MMDA v. Concrned Residents of Manila Bay, G.R. No. 171947-78,574 SCRA 661,670-671.
3
Ibid.
In practical terms, the writ of continuing mandamus is really a
convenient tool enabling the court to effectively exact, and keep track of,
compliance of its orders. In this regard, and for purpose of monitoring the
performance of the assigned tasks of defendant-agencies and to verify their
accomplishments, the Supreme Court has formed the Advisory Committee
on the implementation of the Manila Bay decision. As formed, the
committee’s recommendatory actions, if approved by the Supreme Court,
shall have the force and effect of the Court’s Resolution.
The Committee has since buckled down to work and has in fact
painstakingly gone over reports submitted by the agencies concerned. It has
held regular quarterly meetings to discuss with heads of agencies the
implementation of the Court’s decision. I am happy to share that the
Committee just received the revised Operational Plan for Manila Bay
Coastal Strategy from the Environment Department will soon meet with
different stakeholders to draw a road map for a more effective
implementation of the decision.
4
Former DENR Secretary Elisea Gozun, former DENR Undersecretary Dean Antonio La
Viña and former University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute Director Dr. Gil Jacinto
To digress a bit.
5
A case involving the enforcement or violation of environmental and related laws, rules
and regulations, listed in but not limited to those mentioned in Sec. 1 of the Rules.
6
Sec. 10, Rule 2.
Under the Rules, a continuing mandamus petition permits the court to
retain post judgment jurisdiction to ensure the successful implementation of
the reliefs decreed under its decision. Towards this end, the court may, by a
directive to be included in the judgment, compel the submission of periodic
reports from the responding government agencies as well as avail of other
medium to monitor compliance with its decision.
With that, I end my presentation and I hope I was able to impart some
inportant lessons learned from the issuance and implementation of a writ of
continuing mandamus, Philippine style.