Law School Noob: [CASE DIGEST] REPUBLIC FLOUR MILLS v. CIR (G.R. No. L-28463, 31 SCRA 148)

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

[CASE DIGEST] REPUBLIC FLOUR MILLS v. CIR (G.R. No. L-28463, 31 SCRA 148)

May 31, 1971

Ponente: Fernando, J.

FACTS

Republic Flour Mills was a company engaged in manufacture of wheat flour, producing pollard and bran in the process of milling. It paid its wharfage dues for 1963 and 1964 under protest, claiming that it should not, under its construction of the Tariff and Customs Code, be liable for wharfage dues on its exportation of bran and pollard as these were not "products of the Philippines," coming as they did from wheat grain which were imported from abroad, and being "merely parts of the wheat grain milled to produce flour which had become waste."

The CTA denied the claim and ruled that the company was liable for the wharfage dues.

RULING

The Court ruled in favor of the CTA.

The language of Section 2802 appears to be quite explicit: "There shall be levied, collected and paid on all articles imported or brought into the Philippines, and on products of the Philippines ... exported from the Philippines, a charge of two pesos per gross metric ton as a fee for wharfage ...."

One category refers to what is imported; the other mentions products of the Philippines that are exported. Even without undue scrutiny, it does appear quite obvious that as long as the goods are produced in the country, they fall within the terms of this section.

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