Cruz vs.

Paras
123 SCRA 569 (July 25, 1983)
Fernando, C. J.
FACTS:
The petitioners are operators of niht!lu"s in #o!aue, #ula!an$ They %le& prohi"ition suits, aainst
respon&ents herein 'uni!ipal Coun!il of #o!aue, #ula!an, to stop the sai& !oun!il fro( enfor!in )r&inan!e 8*
entitle&, +,-rohi"ition an& Closure )r&inan!e. of #o!aue, #ula!an$/ The sai& or&inan!e prohibits the (1) operation
of niht!lu"s, !a"arets, an& &an!e halls, (2) issuan!e of li!ense0per(it to any professional hostess, hospitality irls
an& professional &an!er for e(ploy(ent in the (uni!ipality, an& (3) rene1al of li!enses to operate the($ -etitioners,
at the sa(e ti(e, allee& that their rihts to &ue pro!ess an& e2ual prote!tion of the la1s 1ere 3iolate& as the
li!enses ha& "een pre3iously issue& for their niht !lu"s "y the 'uni!ipal 'ayor 'atias Ra(ire4$ They assaile& that
)r&inan!e 5o$ 8* is null an& 3oi& as a (uni!ipality has no authority to prohi"it a la1ful "usiness, o!!upation or
!allin "e!ause un&er -$6$ 5o$ 189, as a(en&e&, "y -$6$ 5o$ 259, the po1er to li!ense an& reulate tourist7oriente&
"usinesses in!lu&in niht !lu"s, has "een transferre& to the 6epart(ent of Touris($ 8o1er !ourt uphel&
!onstitutionality an& 3ali&ity of )r&inan!e 8* an& &is(isse& !ase9 hen!e the petitioners %le& a petition for certiorari$
The Court !onten&e& that the &e!ision no1 un&er re3ie1 refers to Repu"li! A!t 5o$ 938 as a(en&e&$ RA 938,
as a(en&e&, 1as oriinally ena!te& on June 2:, 1953$ ;t is entitle&< An Act Granting Municipal or City Boards
and Councils th Po!r to "gulat th #stablish$nts% Maintnanc and &pration o' Crtain Placs
o' A$us$nt !ithin Thir "spctiv Trritorial (urisdictions.) The %rst se!tion rea&s, =The (uni!ipal or
!ity "oar& or !oun!il of ea!h !hartere& !ity shall ha3e the po!r to rgulat "y or&inan!e the esta"lish(ent,
(aintenan!e an& operation of niht !lu"s, !a"arets, &an!in s!hools, pa3ilions, !o!>pits, "ars, saloons, "o1lin
alleys, "illiar& pools, an& other si(ilar pla!es of a(use(ent 1ithin its territorial ?uris&i!tion$ )n 'ay 21, 195*, the
%rst se!tion 1as a(en&e& to includ not $rly *th po!r to rgulat% but li+!is *Prohibit ... * The title,
ho1e3er, re(aine& the sa(e$ ;t is 1or&e& e@a!tly as RA 938$ As thus a(en&e&, if only the sai& portion of the A!t
1as !onsi&ere&, a (uni!ipal !oun!il (ay o as far as to prohi"it the operation of niht !lu"s$ The title 1as not in any
1ay altere&$
,SS-#.s:
/. 0o1 th Municipal Council o' Bulacan can prohibit% groundd on th a$ndd portion o'
Sction / o' th Act and not on th r$aind titl o' th Act% opration o' night clubs.
-ae / of 2
#A5ASA')R) 6;ABST AC;86 (ACD E J6 E 2:13)
3#45:
/. 1&. A $unicipal cannot prohibit th opration o' nightclubs. 1ightclubs $ay b
rgulatd but not prvntd 'ro$ carrying on thir businss. "A 627% as originally nactd%
grantd $unicipalitis th po!r to rgulat th stablish$nt% $aintnanc and opration
o' nightclubs and th li+. 0hil it is tru that on May 8/% /69:% th la! !as a$ndd
!hich purportd to giv $unicipalitis th po!r not only to rgulat but li+!is to
prohibit th opration o' nightclubs% th 'act is that th titl o' th la! r$aind th sa$%
thus th po!r grantd to $unicipalitis r$ains that o' rgulation% not prohibition. To
constru th a$ndatory act% granting $unicipalitis th po!r to prohibit th opration o'
nightclubs% !ould b to constru it in a !ay that it violats th constitutional provision that
"Every bill shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in the title thereof."
,t undniably involvs a $asur not $bracd !ithin th rgulatory po!r but an
;rcis o' an assu$d po!r to prohibit. Sinc thr is no disput as th titl li$its th
po!r to rgulating% not prohibiting% it !ould rsult in th statut bing invalid i'% as !as
don by th Municipality o' Bocau% th opration o' a night club !as prohibitd. ,n
accordanc !ith th !ll<sttld principl o' constitutional construction that bt!n t!o
possibl intrprtations by on o' !hich it !ill b 'r 'ro$ constitutional in=r$ity and by
th othr taintd by such grav d'ct% th 'or$r is to b pr'rrd. A construction that
!ould sav rathr than on that !ould a>; th sal o' doo$ crtainly co$$nds itsl'.
Morovr% th 4ocal Govrn$nt Cod ?BP 22@A spa+s si$ply o' th po!r to
rgulat th stablish$nt% and opration o' billiard pools% thatrical pr'or$ancs%
circuss and othr 'or$s o' ntrtain$nt.
Final "uling: Th !rit o' crtiorari is grantd and th dcision o' th lo!r court rvrsd% st
asid% and nulli=d. &rdinanc 1o. 7:% Sris o' /6@9 o' th Municipality o' Bocau is
dclard void and unconstitutional.
-ae 8 of 2
#A5ASA')R) 6;ABST AC;86 (ACD E J6 E 2:13)
By:
Yeen, Katrina Anne, L.
-ae 2 of 2
#A5ASA')R) 6;ABST AC;86 (ACD E J6 E 2:13)