G.R. No.

L-7995             May 31, 1957

LAO H. ICHONG, in his own behalf and in behalf of other alien residents, corporations and
partnerships adversely affected. by Republic Act No. 1180, petitioner, 
vs.
JAIME HERNANDEZ, Secretary of Finance, and MARCELINO SARMIENTO, City Treasurer of
Manila,respondents.

FACTS:         
Petitioner, also in behalf of other alien residents’ corporations and partnerships, brought this action to
obtain a judicial declaration that RA 1180 is unconstitutional. Petitioner contends, among others, that
said act violate the equal protection of laws and that it violates the treaty of the Philippines with China.
Solicitor General contends that the act was a valid exercise of the police power and that not a single
treaty was infringed by said act.

ISSUE:
Whether or not RA 1180 violates the equal protection of laws

HELD:
The equal protection of the law clause is against undue favor and individual or class privilege, as well as
hostile discrimination on oppression of inequality. The real question at hand is whether or not the
exclusion in the future aliens for the retail trade unreasonable. The equal protection clause “is not
infringed by a specified class if it applies 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”. Aliens are under
no special constitutional protection which forbids a classification otherwise justified simply because the
limitation of the class falls along the lines of nationality. The difference in status between citizens and
aliens constitute a basis for reasonable classification in the exercise of police power.