white light corporation

7/25/2019 White Light Corporation

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WHITE LIGHT CORPORATION, TITANIUM CORPORATION and STA. MESA TOURIST &

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Petitioners,

s.

CIT! O" MANILA, re#resented $% DE CASTRO, MA!OR AL"REDO S. LIM, Res#ondent.

"ats'

On Dee($er ), *++, Cit% Ma%or A-redo S. Li( si/ned into -a0 Mani-a Cit%

Ordinane No. 1112 entit-ed 3An Ordinane Pro4i$itin/ S4ort5Ti(e Ad(ission, S4ort5

Ti(e Ad(ission Rates, and Was45U# Rate S4e(es in Hote-s, Mote-s, Inns, Lod/in/

Ho6ses, Pension Ho6ses, and Si(i-ar Esta$-is4(ents in t4e Cit% o Mani-a7 8t4e

Ordinane9.7 T4e ordinane santions an% #erson or or#oration 04o 0i-- a--o0 t4ead(ission and 4ar/in/ o roo( rates or -ess t4an * 4o6rs or t4e rentin/ o roo(s

(ore t4an t0ie a da%.

T4e #etitioners W4ite Li/4t Cor#oration 8WLC9, Titani6( Cor#oration 8TC9, and Sta.

Mesa To6rist and Dee-o#(ent Cor#oration 8STDC9, 04o o0n and o#erate seera-

4ote-s and (ote-s in Metro Mani-a, :-ed a (otion to interene and to ad(it atta4ed

o(#-aint5in5interention on t4e /ro6nd t4at t4e ordinane 0i-- a;et t4eir $6siness

interests as o#erators. T4e res#ondents, in t6rn, a--e/ed t4at t4e ordinane is a

-e/iti(ate eea-o6s-% /6arded $% t4e Constit6tion.7 Reerene

0as (ade to t4e #roisions o t4e Constit6tion eno6ra/in/ #riate enter#rises and

t4e inentie to needed inest(ent, as 0e-- as t4e ri/4t to o#erate eono(i

enter#rises. "ina--%, ro( t4e o$seration t4at t4e i--iit re-ations4i#s t4e Ordinane

so6/4t to diss6ade o6-d nonet4e-ess $e ons6((ated $% si(#-% #a%in/ or a *5

4o6r sta%,

W4en e-eated to CA, t4e res#ondents asserted t4at t4e ordinane is a a-id

e


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#ro#er or t4e sanitation and saet%, t4e 6rt4erane o t4e #ros#erit% and t4e

#ro(otion o t4e (ora-it%, #eae, /ood order, o(ort, oneniene and /enera-

0e-are o t4e it% and its in4a$itants and to :< #ena-ties or t4e io-ation o

ordinanes.

Petitioners ar/6ed t4at t4e ordinane is 6nonstit6tiona- and oid sine it io-ates

t4e ri/4t to #ria% and reedo( o (oe(ent it is an ina-id e


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enated 0it4 a ie0 o re/6-atin/ #6$-i (ora-s in-6din/ #arti6-ar i--iit atiit% in

transient -od/in/ esta$-is4(ents. T4is o6-d $e desri$ed as t4e (idd-e ase,

04erein t4ere is no 04o-esa-e $an on (ote-s and 4ote-s $6t t4e series o;ered $%

t4ese esta$-is4(ents 4ae $een seere-% restrited. At its ore, t4is is anot4er ase

a$o6t t4e e


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t4ose #ersons 04o 0o6-d $e de#ried o aai-in/ s4ort ti(e aess or 0as456#

rates to t4e -od/in/ esta$-is4(ents in F6estion. T4e ri/4ts at sta=e 4erein e-- 0it4in

t4e sa(e 6nda(enta- ri/4ts to -i$ert%. Li$ert% as /6aranteed $% t4e Constit6tion

0as de:ned $% 6stie Ma-o-( to in-6de 3t4e ri/4t to eo% t4e ai-ities 0it4 04i4 4e 4as $een endo0ed $% 4is Creator,

s6$>et on-% to s64 restraint as are neessar% or t4e o((on 0e-are,

Indeed, t4e ri/4t to #ria% as a onstit6tiona- ri/4t (6st $e reo/nied and t4e

inasion o it s4o6-d $e >6sti:ed $% a o(#e--in/ state interest. 6ris#r6dene

aorded reo/nition to t4e ri/4t to #ria% inde#endent-% o its identi:ation 0it4

-i$ert% in itse- it is 6--% deserin/ o onstit6tiona- #rotetion. Goern(enta-

#o0ers s4o6-d sto# s4ort o ertain intr6sions into t4e #ersona- -ie o t4e itien.

An ordinane 04i4 #reents t4e -a06- 6ses o a 0as4 rate de#riin/ #atrons o a

#rod6t and t4e #etitioners o -6ratie $6siness ties in 0it4 anot4er onstit6tiona-

reF6isite or t4e -e/iti(a% o t4e ordinane as a #o-ie #o0er (eas6re. It (6st

a##ear t4at t4e interests o t4e #6$-i /enera--%, as distin/6is4ed ro( t4ose o a

#arti6-ar -ass, reF6ire an intererene 0it4 #riate ri/4ts and t4e (eans (6st $e

reasona$-% neessar% or t4e ao(#-is4(ent o t4e #6r#ose and not 6nd6-%

o##ressie o #riate ri/4ts. It (6st a-so $e eident t4at no ot4er a-ternatie or t4e

ao(#-is4(ent o t4e #6r#ose -ess intr6sie o #riate ri/4ts an 0or=. More

i(#ortant-%, a reasona$-e re-ation (6st e


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#rostit6tes an in at o--et 30as4 rates7 ro( t4eir -iente-e $% 4ar/in/ t4eir

6sto(ers a #ortion o t4e rent or (ote- roo(s and een a#art(ents.

SC reiterated t4at indiid6a- ri/4ts (a% $e aderse-% a;eted on-% to t4e e6sti:ation. T4e ordinane ras4-% eF6ates 0as4 rates and rentin/ o6t a

roo( (ore t4an t0ie a da% 0it4 i((ora-it% 0it4o6t ao((odatin/ inno6o6s

intentions.

WHERE"ORE, t4e Petition is GRANTED. T4e Deision o t4e Co6rt o A##ea-s is

REVERSED, and t4e Deision o t4e Re/iona- Tria- Co6rt o Mani-a, ran4 +, is

REINSTATED. Ordinane No. 1112 is 4ere$% de-ared UNCONSTITUTIONAL. No

#rono6ne(ent as to osts.

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