Manila: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday dismissed a petition by a Las Pi±as resident questioning Manila City ordinance, which increased garbage collection fee. In its resolution, the High Court said the petition filed by John Barry T. Tayam failed to meet the basic requirements of judicial review, saying the Las Pi±as resident has no legal standing to question Manila City's Ordinance No. 9151.

According to Philippines News Agency, the SC said the petition had breached the rule on the hierarchy of suits, which generally limits the High Court to rule on so-called purely questions of law, leaving "factual" questions to lower courts. The court also said the petition cannot be considered a taxpayer suit as it failed to claim an illegal disbursement of public funds or an unconstitutional tax measure, saying it is, in fact, a regulatory measure.

In November 2025, the Manila City Council enacted Ordinance 9151, imposing a revised schedule of garbage collection fees, which had not been updated since 2013. Tayam argued that the Ordinance was invalid because it was approved without publication, in violation of Article 2 of the Civil Code and Section 187 of the Local Government Code (LGC).

He also claimed that the Ordinance violated Section 13(b)(3) of the LGC because the increased fees exceed the cost of waste regulation in Manila. He further argued that the measure violated Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, by disregarding the role of barangays in waste management and the policy promoting waste reuse and recycling.

The SC ruled that the Ordinance applies only to businesses, service agencies, and residences in Manila.