CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
2. Recourse through the Ombudsman invoking the Code of Conduct and Ethical
Section 4 (A) of the above law provides that every public official and employee shall observe the following as standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties: 1) Commitment to public interest; 2) Professionalism; 3) Justness and sincerity; and 4) Responsiveness to the public.
The neglect to implement the Ordinance violates the standards of personal conduct expected, and it is within the scope of the ombudsman’s duties to hold the erring public officers accountable.127
Court may still resolve substantive issues despite supervening events
Supervening events pose no threat or rendering a case moot should an issue be submitted for judicial determination. Supervening events, whether intended or accidental, cannot prevent the Court from rendering a decision. The Court does not hesitate to resolve the legal or constitutional issues raised to formulate controlling principles to guide the bench, bar and public.128
Another reason justifying this action by the Court is the rule that courts will decide a question otherwise moot and academic if it is “capable of repetition, yet evading review.”129
Should the issues in the Ordinance be presented to the Court, it may still take
cognizance of the same despite supervening events that might change certain circumstances
122 Sanchez v. Vestil, 298 SCRA 1 (1998). 123
Fajardo v. Quitalig, 400 SCRA 25 (2003).
124
R.A. 7610, Local Government Code of 1991, § 60.
125 R.A. 7610, Local Government Code of 1991, § 61 (a). 126
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, R.A. 6713, 1989.
127
1987PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION, Article XI, § 13 (1), (2), (7).
128
Chavez v. Public Estates Authority, 384 SCRA 152 (2002) citing Salonga v. Paño, 134 SCRA 438 (1995); Province of Batangas v. Romulo, 429 SCRA 736 (2004); Roble Arrastre, Inc. v. Villaflor, 499 SCRA 434 (2006).
129
Province of Batangas v. Romulo, 429 SCRA 736 (2004); Roble Arrastre, Inc. v. Villaflor, 499 SCRA 434 (2006).
in the case. Supervening events, or the possibility thereof, should not be a hindrance to judicial action.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
LGUs are given autonomy in order to better act upon the specific needs and problems of their respective territories.130 They govern at a more direct and effective level.131 Because of this, LGUs have become the forum for environmental advocacy and policy formulation.132 It is believed that LGUs can better advance the interests of its constituents as it works at the core, addressing issues faster as they arise, compared to the overwhelming bureaucracy of central government.
The Dumaguete City Sangguniang Panlungsod shared in the responsibility with the central government to manage and maintain ecological balance through the Plastics Ordinance.133 It was passed to protect the environment and mitigate ecological imbalance.134 The initiative should not be undermined by the claims of a few when the environment, health and well-being of the greater population of the City are at stake.
The Plastics Ordinance is valid and enforceable.
Science and technology in the Philippines has not yet defined “biodegradable” plastic packaging because the technology has yet to exist in the country. Existing plastic packaging has yet to be officially certified as biodegradable by any government agency. There is no scientific warranty given, local or international, that those that claim to be “biodegradable” actually are.
This is evident in the disclaimer found on the Verification Statement issued by the Industrial Technology Development Institute,135 which said that the statements made and conclusions drawn in the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) report used by DDC’s plastic packaging suppliers to back up their claims of ‘biodegradability’ “do not amount
to and endorsement or approval of the product in general or for any particular application nor warranty to the performance of the technology that it will always operate as verified.”
The very reason why the test of biodegradability is stringent is because a mistake in the allowance of non-biodegradable plastic packaging as biodegradable would have a large impact on an environment already suffering from excess waste. What Section 12 (b), the
130
Subong, Rogelio E., Overbreadth: Unreasonable Ordinances, 452 SCRA 193 (2005).
131 Pimentel, Jr. v. Aguirre, 336 SCRA 201 (2000).
132 Social Justice Society v. Atienza, G.R. No. 156052 (2007), reconsidered 13 February 2008. 133 R.A. 7610, Local Government Code of 1991, § 3 (i).
134
Resolution No. 446, S. 2011, citing Section 458 (vi) of the Local Government Code of the Philippines, R.A. No. 7160 (1991).
alleged snag in the Ordinance, aims to do is to ensure that products advertised as “biodegradable” be scientifically certified to actually biodegrade without leaving any toxic residue behind.
Oppositors claim their plastic is not harmful because it has been certified by their suppliers as ‘biodegradable’. The Plastics Ordinance did not envision this unregulated free- for-all, where establishments could present individual certificates that would attempt to represent compliance with a provision still legally inoperative.136
Section 12 (b) of the Ordinance and the opposition of DDC is not a ground for non- implementation. The fact that the Ordinance remains paused shows that there simply is no political will to enforce it. By stalling execution, the City, headed by its chief executive, does an injustice to the unanimous legislation passed and the public who would have benefited from it. After all, laws have ends to be achieved and statutes should be construed so as not to defeat, but to carry out its ends and purposes.137
Recommendation
The City must enforce the Plastics Ordinance as there is no legal impediment to do so. The Ordinance is valid and enforceable for it has not violated the Constitution or any other statutes in the country. In fact, the Court has said, through the Environmental Rules, that the constitutional right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology shall be given the benefit of the doubt.138
The Dumaguete City LGU should not continue to shelve implementation of the Plastics Ordinance as action may be taken by the citizens themselves to hold the City accountable through the legal remedies previously discussed. In fact, the LGU must stand that the Plastics Ordinance has already been violated and penalize non-compliance. Oppositors may address their legal questions to the courts for judicial determination and resolution, if it so desires.
136
(Section 12 [b]) of the Ordinance.
137
Ruben E. Agpalo, Statutory Construction, 6th Ed. Rex Book Store Inc., Manila, p.108-109 (2009); Litex Employees Assn. v. Eduvala, G.R. No. 41106, 22 September 1977, 79 SCRA 88; Bocobo v. Estanislao, G.R. No. 30458, 31 August 1976, 72 SCRA 520; Republic Flour Mills, Inc. v. Commissioner of Customs, G.R. No. 28463, 31 May 1971, 39 SCRA 269; King v. Hernaez, 114 Phil. 730 (1962); Mejia v. Balalong, 81 Phil. 497 (1948); Yellow Taxi & Pasay Trans. Workers Union v. Manila Taxi Cab Co., 80 Phil. 833 (1948).
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CJH Development Corporation v. Bureau of Internal Revenue, et. al. 575 SCRA 467 (2008)
Cortez-Estrada v. Heirs of Domingo/Antonia Samut, G.R. No. 154407 (2005). De la Cruz v. Paras, 123 SCRA 569
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La Union Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Yaranon, G.R. No. 87001 (1989) Litex Employees Assn. v. Eduvala, G.R. No. 41106 (1977)
Limbona v. Mangelin, G.R. No. 80391 (1989)
Lucena Grand Central Terminal, Inc. v. JAC Liner, Inc., 452 SCRA 174 (2005) L.S. Moon & Co. v. Hamson, 43 Phil. 27 (1922)
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Republic Flour Mills, Inc. v. Commissioner of Customs, G.R. No. 28463 (1971) Republic v. Orbecido III, G.R. No. 154380 (2005)
Roble Arrastre, Inc. v. Villaflor, 499 SCRA 434 (2006) Salonga v. Paño, 134 SCRA 438 (1995)
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Smith, Bell & Co. v. Natividad, 40 Phil. 136, 145 (1919)
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NEWS ARTICLES
Alex Rey V. Pal, ‘Biodegradable’ plastics tested, DUMAGUETE METRO POST (23 September 2012), available at http://dumaguetemetropost.com/biodegradable- plastics-tested-p3102-459.htm
Dems Demecillo, City mayor prefers biodegradable plastic, THE NEGROS CHRONICLE (16 September 2012), available at http://www.negroschronicle.com/web- archives/frontpage/City%20Mayor%20prefers%20biodegradable%20plastic.html Esther C. Windler & Leo G. Mamicpic, ‘Biodegradable’ plastics not environment-friendly,
DUMAGUETE METRO POST (23 September 2012), available at http://dumaguetemetropost.com/biodegradable-plastics-not-
environmentfriendly-p3083-196.htm
Esther C. Windler & Leo G. Mamicpic, Are biodegradables environment-friendly?, THE NEGROS CHRONICLE (23 September 2012), available at http://www.negroschronicle.com/web-
archives/news/Are%20biodegradables%20environment-friendly.htm
Juancho Gallarde, Anti-plastic bags ordinance to take effect August 28, THE VISAYAN DAILY STAR (4 August 2012), available at http://visayandailystar.com/2012/August/04/negor2.htm
Juancho Gallarde, Business firms ask: clarify the Plastic ban ordinance, THE NEGROS CHRONICLE (16 September 2012), available at http://www.negroschronicle.com/web-archives/top-
oftheweek/Business%20firms%20ask%20%20clarify%20Plastic%20ban%20ordin ance.htm
Judy Flores Patlow, Environmentalists want anti-plastics law enforced, THE PHILIPPINE
STAR (21 September 2012), available at
http://www.philstar.com/region/2012/09/21/851329/environmentalists-want- anti-plastics-law-enforced
Karl John Reyes, Sen. Miriam files bill banning plastic bags in all retail stores, INTERAKSYON (6 August 2012), available at http://www.interaksyon.com/article/39586/sen--miriam-files-bill-banning- plastic-bags-in-all-retail-stores
Nina Calleja, Muntinlupa execs to tweak ordinance on plastic ban, PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER (10 September 2012), available at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/267864/muntinlupa-execs-to-tweak-ordinance-on- plastic-ban
MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS
Atty. Richard R. Enojo, Provincial Legal Officer, Indorsement dated 6 June 2012
BASF, The Chemical Company, FAQs, available at
http://www.bioplastics.basf.com/faq.html
BASF, The Chemical Company, Introduction to biodegradable plastics, available at http://www.bioplastics.basf.com/
Biodegradable Products Institute, Science of Biodegradation, available at http://www.bpiworld.org/BPI_Position_on_Degradable_Additives
CNN Business 360, available at http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/13/worlds- first-100-biodegradable-plastic-bag/
Danilo C. Mendez, Provincial Treasurer, Indorsement dated 4 May 2012
Dynamic Development Corporation, Position Paper titled: In The Matter of Using Biodegradable Plastic Bags Pursuant to City Ordinance 231, Series of 2011, submitted 1 September 2012 by Atty. Raymund J.A. Mercado
Elizabeth Royte, Corn Plastic to the Rescue (August 2006), The Smithsonian Magazine,
available at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/plastic.html
Environmental Technology Verification, Verification Statement (Part II: Biodegradation), Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology
Giovanni C. Nessia, Publisher of Dumaguete Star Informer, affidavit dated 2 November 2011
Greenpeace, Greenwash, available at http://www.stopgreenwash.org/
Justice Oswaldo Agcaoili, Role of the Philippine Judicial Academy in Environmental Law
Dissemination, Enforcement and Adjudication, delivered at The Forum on
Environmental Justice: Upholding the Right to a Balanced and Healthful Ecology (2009).
Justice Reynato S. Puno, Philippine Environmental Law Practice and the Role of the Courts,
at Judges’ Forum on Environmental Protection: Philippine Environmental Law,
Practice, and Role of the Courts (2003).
Lester A. Lao, Managing Director, First in Colours, Incorporated, Letter of Certification dated 8 February 2012
Loren Legarda, Senate Bills, available at http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/senate-bill-no- 2759-total-plastic-bag-ban/
Mercy S. Teves, ENRD Chief, Indorsement dated 12 October 2011, and a subsequent one dated 18 April 2012
Paxton C. Yu, Director, Milky Way Manufacturing Corporation, Certification dated 1 September 2012
Ramon A. Villarosa, Secretary to the Sanggunian Panlungsod thru the Provincial Secretary, dated 1 September 2011.
Ramon A. Villarosa, Secretary to the Sanggunian Panlungsod, Certification dated 1 September 2011.
Rogelio E. Subong, Overbreadth: Unreasonable Ordinances, 452 SCRA 193 (2005) Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 481, 26 June 2012
Ted Duboise, Philippines House of Representatives Vote to Regulate Plastic Bags (31 August 2011), available at http://plasticbagbanreport.com/philippines-house-of- representatives-vote-to-regulate-plastic-bag
RECENT JURISPRUDENCE
Atty. Karissa Faye Tolentino Law Lecturer, Silliman University
December 2014