SC Issues TRO Against QC Garbage Fees, Property Tax Hike

The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the collection of garbage fee and the ten percent hike on property tax on Quezon City residents.

Supreme Court Spokesman Theodore Te said that the highest court in the land issued a temporary restraining order in favor of a petition submitted by a certain Jose Ferrer, a resident of Kamias, Quezon City.

In his petition, Ferrer alleged that the garbage fee as well as the 10% increase on property tax for Quezon City residents, which will be used for socialized housing for the city’s informal settlers, is illegal, unconstitutional, and unjust.

He added that it is the local government units themselves who have the mandate to give such services to their residents.

According to Ferrer, the Quezon City government can get the needed fund from business tax collection as well as the allotment from the Internal Revenue to cover the expenses of garbage collection as well as to fund the socialized housing project.

Last December, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista approved an ordinance that imposes the collection of garbage fees worth Php 100 to Php 500.