Manila Jockey Club v Games and Amusement Board 107 Phil 151 (1960)

FACTS: RA 1502 increased the sweepstake draw and races to 12 but without specifying the days
on which they are to be run. Respondent GAB resolved to reduce the number of Sundays assigned
to private individuals and entities by 6. Petitioner Manila Jockey Club protested as they claim they
have the right to the unreserved Sundays stated in Sec 4. of RA 409, as later amended by RA 983.
The authorized racing days specifically designated and distributed in Section 4 of RA 309 the
basic law on horse racing in the Philippines amended by RA 983 are as follows: (1) Philippine
Anti-TB Society for 12 Sundays, (2) PCSO - 6 Sundays (3) White Cross - 4 Sundays (4) Grand
Derby Race of PATS - 1 Sunday (5) Private Individuals and entities - 29 Sundays. However, RA
1502 increased the sweepstakes draw and races of the PCSO from 6 to 12 Sundays, but without
specifying the days on which they are to be run. To accommodate these additional races, GAB
resolved to reduce the number of Sundays assigned to private individuals and entities by six.
Appellants protested that the said increase should be taken from the 12 Saturdays reserved to the
President, for charitable relief OR should be assigned to any day of the week besides Sunday,
Saturday and Legal Holiday.

ISSUE: Does the petitioner have a vested right to the unreserved Sundays?
(1) Whether or not the petitioner has a vested right to the unreserved Sundays. (2) Whether or not
the additional sweepstakes races must be inserted in club races as debated in the House of
Representatives in the voting of HB 5732/RA1502.

DECISION: No. The wordings of Sec 4 RA 309 as amended by RA 983 are merely permissive
since the GAB reserves the right to determine the holding of any event thus they have no vested
right to the unreserved Sundays. The claim by petitioner that RA 1502 is intended by Congress to
be run on the same Sunday cannot be supported by the Legislative debates since these debates are
only expressive of the views and motives of the individual members and not the whole Congress.
(1) No, the appellant has no vested right to the unreserved Sundays, or even to the 24 Saturdays
(except holidays) because their holding on races for these days are merely permissive, subject to
the licensing and determination by the GAB. When, therefore, RA 1502 was enacted increasing by
6 the sweepstakes draw and races but without specifying the days for holding them, the GAB had
no alternative except to make room for the additional races, as it did, form among the only
available racing days unreserved by any law - the Sundays on which the private individuals and
entities have been permitted to hold their races, subject to licensing and determination by GAB.
(2) No. There is nothing in Republic Act No. 1502, as it was finally enacted, which would indicate
that such an understanding on the part of these two members of the Lower House of Congress
were received the sanction or conformity of their colleagues, for the law is absolutely devoid of
any such indication. In the interpretation of a legal document, especially a statute, unlike in the
interpretation of an ordinary written document, it is not enough to obtain information to the
intention or meaning of the author or authors, but also to see whether the intention or meaning has

been expressed in such a way as to give it legal effect and validity. In short, the purpose of the
inquiry, is not only to know what the author meant by the language he used, but also to see that the
language used sufficiently expresses that meaning. The language of Republic Act No. 1502 in
authorizing the increase, clearly speaks of regular sweepstakes draws and races. If the intention of
Congress were to authorize additional sweepstakes draws only which could, admittedly, be
inserted in the club races, the law would not have included regular races; and since regular
sweepstakes races were specifically authorized, and it would be confusing, inconvenient, if not
impossible to mix these sweepstakes races with the regular club races all on the same day (and it
has never been done before), the conclusion seems inevitable that the additional sweepstakes
draws and races were intended to be held on a whole day, separate and apart from the club races.