Junked petition vs PUVMP for ‘modernization,’ says LTFRB
The SC explained on Thursday that the petition was junked due to the petitioners’ lack of legal standing and violation of the hierarchy of courts.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the petition challenging the legality of the public utility vehicle modernization program.
LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III stressed that the SC’s move to junk the petition is a sign that the High Court recognizes the importance of mass transport modernization for the country’s progress.
“This makes the LTFRB and the entire leadership of the Department of Transportation very happy because from our point of view, the court recognizes the importance of the PUVMP in our advancement and modernization,” Guadiz said.
He added that the petition was junked by the High Court as the petitioner were not able to follow the proper rules in lodging petitions.
To recall, the SC en banc decision — penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh — denied the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by Bayyo Association, Incorporated and its president, Anselmo Perweg.
The petition for certiorari is a legal remedy used to ask a court to review a decision previously made by another body.
On Thursday, the SC explained on Thursday that the petition was junked due to the petitioners’ lack of legal standing and violation of the hierarchy of courts. The Philippine judiciary, like any other judicial system in the world, observes a hierarchy — the Supreme Court is on top being the court of last resort.
“The petition must first be brought to the lowest court with jurisdiction, followed by appeals, until the case reaches the High Court,” the SC said. “According to rules, as noted by the SC, non-compliance to this rule is a ground for dismissal,” the SC decision read.