Supreme Court junks petition vs inoculation facility

The Supreme Court building on Padre Faura Street in Manila. (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

For being insufficient in form and substance, a petition questioning the construction of a mega vaccination center on the vast grounds of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) property in Entertainment City in Parañaque City has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

In a four-page notice, the Supreme Court en banc dismissed the petition for writs of Kalikasan and Continuing Mandamus filed by former Boac, Marinduque, Mayor Pedrito Nepomuceno against the government’s COVID-19 task force.

“The petition is dismissed for insufficiency in form and substance,” read the order signed by clerk of court Marife Lomibao-Cuevas.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved in April the establishment of a temporary mega vaccination center on the Nayong Pilipino Foundation property amid concerns over the cutting of trees in the property to pave the way for the construction of the facility.

Nepomuceno claimed that the construction of the facility would destroy the environment and violate environmental laws.

Health of citizens or nature?

He also said the project did not undergo the mandatory Environmental Impact Analysis by the government and had no Environmental Compliance Certificate. He added that there was a lack of coordination with the concerned local governments over the project.

Nepomuceno urged the high court to bestow judgment whether the government should prefer the health and well-being of the Filipinos over environmental preservation.

The Supreme Court noted that petition for the issuance of Writs of Kalikasan and Continuing Mandamus must be verified and accompanied with certification of nonforum shopping.

“Here, Nepomuceno’s petition suffered from formal defects. Foremost, the petition was unsigned, unverified and unaccompanied by certification of nonforum shopping,” the court said.

“Worse, the petition lacks proof of service to the adverse parties, and payment for Sheriff’s Trust Fund,” it added. INQ