Oral arguments on Manila Bay pollution case set

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) will conduct oral arguments nearly two decades after ruling in favor of residents living near Manila Bay who filed a case against 13 government agencies, calling for the cleanup and rehabilitation of the harbor.

In 2008, the SC issued a writ of continuing mandamus, ordering the government to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay after residents filed a complaint in 1999.

Government agencies named in the case are required to present to the high court by Sept. 30 their strategies to comply with the mandate to make Manila Bay “fit for swimming, diving and other recreational activities.”

“They must present their measurement benchmarks of the pollution in Manila Bay. Their realistic targets for the next five years, ongoing reclamations and their effect on pollution,” the SC stated in an advisory issued on Wednesday.

Parties to the action include the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority; Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Education, Health, Agriculture, Public Works and Highways, and Budget; Philippine Coast Guard; Philippine National Police Maritime Group; Department of the Interior and Local Government; Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.