republic of the philippines - Philippine Center for Investigative ...

from the University of the Philippines Law Center to present their
findings regarding the validity of the agreements. Public Respondents
were also invited to comment on said findings, but they refused to appear
on orders of the President, who earlier issued Executive Order No. 464,
prohibiting Cabinet officials from appearing in Senate investigations
without prior clearance from the Chief Executive. Thus, Petitioners are
compelled to air their grievances through this Petition, which is based
primarily on the findings of the University of the Philippines Law Center
that the Northrail Agreements are illegal, unconstitutional and void.
21. Meanwhile, Respondents have begun the implementation of
the Northrail Contract and Loan Agreement and have commenced the
Northrail Project, thereby opening the channels of illegal disbursements
in millions of pesos and threatening to immediately cause the demolition
of Petitioner Settlers’ homes. Hence, Petitioners have no other recourse in
law to prevent such illegal acts but to file the instant Petition.
JURISDICTION OF THE SUPREME COURT
22. Petitioners humbly beseech the Honorable Court to take
cognizance of the instant case, invoking the Court’s power to set aside
rules of procedure in assuming jurisdiction over matters of paramount
public interest and when issues presented are of transcendental
importance to the public. The Court, as the branch constitutionally
tasked “to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has
been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
9