Villavicencio vs.

Lukban
39 Phil 778
Facts:
At the night of October 25th, Manila Mayor Justo Lukban and Chief of Police Anton
Hohmann took custody of 170 women and thereafter, without consent and
knowledge, were transported from Manila to Davao. The said women who are
prostitutes in the district of Sampaloc, Manila became laborers in Davao. Hence, the
petition for habeas corpus.
Issue:
Whether or not the city mayor of Manila committed a crime of Expulsion (Article 127
RPC).
Ruling:
The Supreme Court held that the mayors act is illegal. His intent of exterminating vice was
commendable, but there was no law saying that he could force Filipino women to change
their domicile from Manila to another place. The court mentioned , although in a sense
"lepers of society" were still Filipino citizens and such they were entitled to the constitutional
enjoyed by all other Filipino citizens. The right to freedom of domicile was such a
fundamental right that its suppression could consider tantamount to slavery.
The Supreme Court upheld the right of Filipino citizens to freedom of domicile or the Liberty
of abode. "Ours is a government of laws and not of men."