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TITLE: LAO H. ICHONG, petitioner VS. JAIME HERNANDEZ, respondents No.

30

CITATION: G.R. No. L-7995 May 31, 1957

Nature of the action:

Facts: The Congress of the Philippines enacted the act which nationalizes the retail trade
business, Republic Act No. 1180 entitled An Act to Regulate the Retail Business, prohibiting
aliens in general to engage in retail trade in our country.

Petitioner, for and in his own behalf and on behalf of other alien residents, corporations and
partnerships adversely affected by the provisions of RA No. 1180, brought this action to obtain a
judicial declaration that said Act is unconstitutional.

Issue: Whether or not a law may invalidate or supersede treaties or generally accepted
principles.

Ruling: Yes.

Ratio Decidendi:

A law may supersede a treaty or a generally accepted principle. In this case, the Supreme Court
saw no conflict between the raised generally accepted principle and with RA 1180. The equal
protection of the law clause does not demand absolute equality amongst residents; it merely
requires that all persons shall be treated alike, under like circumstances and conditions both as
to privileges conferred and liabilities enforced; and, that the equal protection clause is not
infringed by legislation which applies only to those persons falling within a specified class, if it
applies alike to all persons within such class, and reasonable grounds exist for making a
distinction between those who fall within such class and those who do not.

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