The Supreme Court of the Philippines has dismissed a petition questioning the validity of a Manila ordinance that updated garbage collection fees in the city.

In a resolution, the high court rejected the petition filed by John Barry Tayam of Las Piñas City against Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso and the Manila City Council over Manila City Ordinance No. 9151.

The ordinance revised the city’s garbage collection charges, which had not been updated since 2013.

Tayam argued that the ordinance was unlawful, claiming it was not properly published and imposed excessive charges in violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

However, the Supreme Court ruled that Tayam had no legal standing to challenge the ordinance because he is neither a resident nor a business owner in Manila and therefore would not be directly affected by its implementation.

The court also said the petition could not be treated as a taxpayer’s suit, explaining that the ordinance is a regulatory measure and does not involve the imposition of a tax or the generation of government revenue.

The high tribunal further emphasized that questions regarding the publication of the ordinance or allegations of excessive fees are matters that cannot be directly resolved by the Supreme Court and should first be brought before the appropriate trial court.

According to the court, the petition also violated proper judicial procedure, noting that direct filings before the Supreme Court are allowed only in cases that involve purely legal questions.