White Light Corporation vs. City of Manila

G.R. No.
122846 January 20, 2009

WHITE LIGHT CORPORATION, TITANIUM CORPORATION and STA. MESA
TOURIST & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Petitioners, vs. CITY OF
MANILA, represented by DE CASTRO, MAYOR ALFREDO S. LIM, Respondent.
Ponente: Tinga, J.
Facts of the Case

- Petition for review on certiorari of a decision of the Court of Appeals
- The petition at bar assails a similarly-motivated city ordinance that prohibits those
same establishments from offering short-time admission, as well as pro-rated or
"wash up" rates for such abbreviated stays.
- On December 3, 1992, City Mayor Alfredo S. Lim (Mayor Lim) signed into law
Manila City Ordinance No. 7774 entitled, "An Ordinance Prohibiting
Short-Time Admission, Short-Time Admission Rates, and Wash-Up Rate Schemes in
Hotels, Motels, Inns, Lodging Houses, Pension Houses, and Similar Establishments
in the City of Manila"
- The Ordinance prohibits: short-time admission and rate and wash up rate
- Short-time admission shall mean admittance and charging of room rate for less than
twelve (12) hours at any given time or the renting out of rooms more than twice a day
or any other term that may be concocted by owners or managers of said
establishments but would mean the same or would bear the same meaning.
- petitioners White Light Corporation (WLC), Titanium Corporation (TC) and Sta.
Mesa Tourist and Development Corporation (STDC) filed a motion to intervene and
to admit attached complaint-in-intervention on the ground that the Ordinance directly
affects their business interests as operators of drive-in-hotels and motels in Manila.
RTC
- On October 20, 1993, the RTC declared the Ordinance null and void for encroaching
on the personal liberty of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution
o the illicit relationships the Ordinance sought to dissuade could nonetheless be
consummated by simply paying for a 12-hour stay
Court of Appeals
- the City asserted that the Ordinance is a valid exercise of police power pursuant to
Section 458 (4)(iv) of the Local Government Code which confers on cities, among
other local government units, the power:
[To] regulate the establishment, operation and maintenance of cafes, restaurants,
beerhouses, hotels, motels, inns, pension houses, lodging houses and other similar
establishments, including tourist guides and transports
- Petitioners argued that the Ordinance is unconstitutional and void since it violates the
right to privacy and the freedom of movement; it is an invalid exercise of police
power; and it is an unreasonable and oppressive interference in their business.
- The Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the RTC and affirmed the
constitutionality of the Ordinance. It held:
o the Ordinance did not violate the right to privacy or the freedom of movement,
as it only penalizes the owners or operators of establishments that admit
individuals for short time stays.
o It falls under police power because it is obtaining a lawful object (to curb
immoral activities) through a lawful method
o the adverse effect on the establishments is justified by the well-being of its
constituents in general
Supreme Court
- TC, WLC and STDC file for petition for review on certiorari
o repeated the assertions they made before the Court of Appeals
ISSUES
i. WoN the petitioners have locus standi
ii. WoN the Ordinance is valid and constitutional
HELD
i. YES. The petitioners have standing/locus standi because the business interests of the
petitioners are injured by the Ordinance. They rely on the patronage of their customers
for their continued viability which appears to be threatened by the enforcement of the
Ordinance. They are also acting on behalf of their clients and their equal protection rights
via third party standing. The overbreadth doctrine is applicable to this case even
assuming that the petitioners do not have a relationship with their patrons for the former
to assert the rights of the latter In this case, the petitioners claim that the Ordinance
makes a sweeping intrusion into the right to liberty of their clients. Based on the
allegations in the petition, the Ordinance suffers from overbreadth.
ii. NO. The Ordinance makes no distinction between places frequented by patrons
engaged in illicit activities and patrons engaged in legitimate actions. Thus it prevents
legitimate use of places where illicit activities are rare or even unheard of. A plain
reading of section 3 of the Ordinance shows it makes no classification of places of
lodging, thus deems them all susceptible to illicit patronage and subject them without
exception to the unjustified and unreasonable prohibition. This Ordinance is not
reasonably necessary for the accomplishment of the goal and is unduly oppressive of
private rights. Other measures can be taken that would have minimal intrusion on the
businesses of the petitioners and other legitimate merchants. The Ordinance rashly
equates wash rates and renting out a room more than twice a day with immorality without
accommodating innocuous intentions.

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G.R. No.

122846 January 20, 2009

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