Jurisprudence on Public Corporations

EN BANC G.R. No. 91649 May 14, 1991ATTORNEYS HUMBERTO BASCO, EDILBERTO BALCE, SOCRATES MARANAN AND LORENZO SANCHEZ,petitioners, vs.PHILIPPINE AMUSEMENTS AND GAMING CORPORATION (PAGCOR), respondent.PARAS, J.:A TV ad proudly announces:"The new PAGC! " respondin# throu#h responsi$le #a%in#."But the petitioners thin& otherwise, that is why, they 'led the instant petition see&in# to annul the Philippine A%use%ent and Ga%in# Corporation (PAGC!) Charter " P* +,-., $ecause it is alle#edly contrary to %orals, pu$lic policy and order, and $ecause "A. /t constitutes a waiver o0 a ri#ht pre1udicial to a third person with a ri#ht reco#ni2ed $y law. /t waived the 3anila City #overn%ent4s ri#ht to i%pose ta5es and license 0ees, which is reco#ni2ed $y law6B. 7or the sa%e reason stated in the i%%ediately precedin# para#raph, the law has intruded into the local #overn%ent4s ri#ht to i%pose local ta5es and license 0ees. This, in contravention o0 the constitutionally enshrined principle o0 local autono%y6C. /t violates the e8ual protection clause o0 the constitution in that it le#ali2es PAGC! " conducted #a%$lin#, while %ost other 0or%s o0 #a%$lin# are outlawed, to#ether with prostitution, dru# tra9c&in# and other vices6*. /t violates the avowed trend o0 the Cory #overn%ent away 0ro% %onopolistic and crony econo%y, and toward 0ree enterprise and privati2ation. (p. :, A%ended Petition6 p. ;, Rollo)/n their