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Pepsi-Cola v. Tanauan

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G.R. No.

L-31156 : February 27, 1976

PEPSI-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY OF THE PHILIPPINES,


INC., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. MUNICIPALITY OF TANAUAN, LEYTE,
THE MUNICIPAL MAYOR, ET AL., Defendant Appellees.

MARTIN, J.:

FACTS:

The Municipal Ordinance No. 23, of Tanauan, Leyte levies and collects from soft drinks producers
and manufacturers one-sixteenth (1/16) of a centavo for every bottle of soft drink corked.

On the other hand, Municipal Ordinance No. 27 levies and collects on soft drinks produced or
manufactured within the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of Tanauan, Leyte a tax of one
centavo (P0.01) on each gallon (128 fluid ounces, U.S.) of volume capacity.

Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of the Philippines, Inc. (Pepsi-Cola) filed a complaint with the Court
of First Instance (CFI) of Leyte to declare Section 2 of Republic Act No. 2264, otherwise known as
the Local Autonomy Act, unconstitutional as an undue delegation of taxing authority as well as
to declare Ordinances Nos. 23 and 27 of the Municipality of Tanauan, Leyte, null and void.

The CFI of Leyte dismissed the complaint and upheld the constitutionality of Section 2 of Republic
Act No. 2264. It also declared that Ordinance Nos. 23 and 27 are legal and constitutional.

ISSUES: Whether or not Section 2 of Republic Act No. 2264 is an undue delegation of power.
Whether or not Ordinances Nos. 23 and 27 constitute double taxation and impose percentage or
specific taxes.

HELD:

The power of taxation is purely legislative and cannot be delegated either to the executive or
judicial department of the government without infringing upon the theory of separation of
powers. The exception, however, lies in the case of municipal corporations, to which, said theory
does not apply. Legislative powers may be delegated to local governments in respect of matters
of local concern. Section 5, Article XI provides that “each local government unit shall have the
power to create its sources of revenue and to levy taxes, subject to such limitations as may be
provided by law.” Thus, legislative powers may be delegated to local governments in respect of
matters of local concern. By necessary implication, the legislative power to create political
corporations for purposes of local self-government carries with it the power to confer on such
local governmental agencies the power to tax.

Ordinances Nos. 23 and 27 do not constitute double taxation. The delegating authority specifies
the limitations and enumerates the taxes over which local taxation may not be exercised. Double
taxation, in general, is not forbidden by our fundamental law. It becomes obnoxious only where
the taxpayer is taxed twice for the benefit of the same governmental entity or by the same
jurisdiction for the same purpose, but not in a case where one tax is imposed by the State and
the other by the city or municipality. The tax is not a percentage tax as the volume capacity of
the taxpayer’s production of softdrinks is considered solely for purposes of determining the tax
rate on the products but there is no set ratio between volume of sales and amount of the tax.
Nor can the tax levied be treated as a specific tax. Softdrink is not one of those specified articles.

Ordinance Nos. 23 and 27 do not partake of the nature of a percentage tax on sales, or other
taxes in any form based thereon. The tax is levied on the produce (whether sold or not) and not
on the sales. The volume capacity of the taxpayer's production of soft drinks is considered solely
for purposes of determining the tax rate on the products, but there is not set ratio between the
volume of sales and the amount of the tax.

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