The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) commended the Angeles City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 114 for dismissing Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation’s (MCWMC) complaint seeking an automatic renewal of its 25-year contract for the 100-hectare Kalangitan sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac. The contract, originally agreed upon with Clark Development Corporation (CDC), was set to expire on October 5, 2024.
In a 30-page ruling dated October 21, 2024, Presiding Judge Rodrigo I. Del Rosario dismissed MCWMC’s complaint against CDC and BCDA “with prejudice,” citing failure to state a cause of action, prescription, and “willful and deliberate forum shopping.” The court’s decision supports the CDC and BCDA’s stance that the contract cannot be renewed or extended beyond its agreed term.
The court further noted that MCWMC engaged in forum shopping by filing an injunction case before the Capas RTC despite the same parties, issues, and reliefs involved. The contract had designated Angeles City as the proper venue for legal action, which MCWMC bypassed by filing in Capas.
Following the ruling, the trial court directed MCWMC and its legal counsel to explain within 10 days why they should not be held in direct contempt for forum shopping.
With the case dismissed, CDC and BCDA assured that they will work closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and local government units (LGUs) to ensure that solid waste management services remain uninterrupted in the affected areas.
CDC and BCDA reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the law and protecting the public and government’s interests.