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Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) vs Bel Air Village Association

METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, petitioner, vs. BEL-AIR VILLAGE ASSOCIATION, INC., respondent.

G.R. No. 135962 | 2000-03-27

D E C I S I O N 
 
PUNO, J.: 
 
Not infrequently, the government is tempted to take legal shortcuts to solve urgent problems of the people. But even when government is armed with the best of intention, we cannot allow it to run roughshod over the rule of law. Again, we let the hammer fall and fall hard on the illegal attempt of the MMDA to open for public use a private road in a private subdivision. While we hold that the general welfare should be promoted, we stress that it should not be achieved at the expense of the rule of law. 
 
Petitioner MMDA is a government agency tasked with the delivery of basic services...