THE PHILIPPINE Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed three consolidated lawsuits questioning the legality of rules issued by the country’s pandemic task force.
In a statement on Thursday, the tribunal said the plaintiffs should have filed their petitions before a trial court.
“The court held that petitions were dismissible for violating the doctrine of hierarchy of courts,” it said. The lawsuits raised issues about extremely technical and scientific facts that only a full-blown proceeding by a lower could address, it added.
The petitions were filed by Jose C. Montemayor, Jr., a cardiologist who ran for president last year and lost, the Passengers and Riders Organization and COVID Call to Humanity. A copy of the ruling had not been uploaded to the High Court’s website.
The plaintiffs said the task force resolutions that required all public and private establishments to have their employees vaccinated against the coronavirus violated the right to due process.
The transport group said the regulations discriminated against those who were not vaccinated, especially in public transportation. — John Victor D. Ordoñez