Petitioner accepts SC ruling, won’t seek reconsideration on Manila garbage fee case

A public school teacher who challenged a Manila ordinance that increased garbage collection fees said he will no longer seek reconsideration of the Supreme Court of the Philippines' ruling dismissing his petition.

Petitioner John Barry Tayam said he respects the high court’s decision, which earlier ruled that he lacked legal standing to question the measure.

“While this is a disappointing outcome for Manila’s business owners, I fully respect the Court’s decision,” Tayam said. 

Tayam also confirmed that he will not file a motion for reconsideration of the ruling.

“I have decided against a Motion for Reconsideration due to the residency technicality cited by the Court,” he said.

Instead, Tayam suggested that any future legal challenge against the ordinance should be initiated by someone directly affected by it, such as a resident of Manila or a business owner operating in the city.

“If this matter is brought to the Regional Trial Court, I recommend that a Manila resident or business owner lead the filing to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision,” he added.

Earlier, the high tribunal sitting en banc dismissed Tayam’s petition questioning Manila City Ordinance No. 9151, which revised the schedule of garbage collection fees in the city.

The Manila City Council approved the ordinance in November 2025, and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso signed it the following month.

It updated garbage collection fees that had remained unchanged since 2013.

In his petition, Tayam argued that the ordinance was invalid because it was allegedly approved without proper publication, which he said violated provisions of the Civil Code of the Philippines and the Local Government Code of 1991.

He also claimed that the increase in garbage collection fees exceeded the actual cost of waste regulation and was inconsistent with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.