SAYING he had no legal standing to file the taxpayer?s suit, the Supreme Court threw out the petition filed by former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez seeking to stop the importation of second-hand vehicles at Port Irene in Cagayan Valley.

The high tribunal?s Second Division ruled that Chavez violated the doctrine on the hierarchy of courts and belittled his claim that the issue was of ?transcendental importance? which warranted filing with the SC.

The court said direct filing to the high tribunal is allowed only if there are special and important reasons, ?clearly and specifically? set forth in the petition.

?We fail to see in the petition the compelling reason that would justify the disregard of the doctrine of hierarchy of courts; hence, the dismissal of the petition is in order,? the Court said.

Admitting in the petition that he had no legal standing to bring the case before the SC, Chavez argued that the enforcement of laws is a public right and duty which may justify his petition.

?The petitioner?s attempt to justify his direct resort to this Court by reason of the transcendental importance of the issue raised fails to convince us. The need for the enforcement of laws, without more, does not raise the petitioner?s issue to the level of transcendental importance,? the Court said in a three-page resolution.

The tribunal said the petition failed to justify how the inaction of several government departments and economic zone officials to implement the Executive Order 156 prohibiting the entry of used vehicles into Irene and other ports under the jurisdiction of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) will affect him and the general public.

In his petition for mandamus filed last year, the former Solicitor General prodded the tribunal to direct respondents?Ceza, Bureau of Customs, Finance Department, Land Transportation Office, Transportation Department, and the Automotive Rebuilding Industries of Cagayan?to faithfully enforce and comply with the executive order that provides policy directions for the motor vehicle development program. Rey Requejo