SC: No violation of mandamus in dolomite dumping on bay

The Supreme Court has junked the petition of the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party seeking to intervene in the Manila Bay case, with a plea to cite the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in contempt for dumping dolomite sand—said to be hazardous to health and the environment —on Manila Bay. In an En Banc resolution promulgated on November 17, 2020, the Court held that the case has been rendered final and executory and that its jurisdiction is limited only to the full implementation of the decision. Despite the dolomite sand controversy, the Court insisted that it has not found any violation of the continuing mandamus it issued more than 10 years ago mandating concerned government agencies to rehabilitate the Manila Bay.