Politics · Philippines Bureau
Supreme Court Orders Mall to Award Car Prize to Security Guard's Wife
The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that a security guard's wife is eligible to receive a brand-new vehicle won through a mall raffle draw, settling a dispute over her husband's employment status at the venue.
LSN Philippines ·
The Supreme Court has affirmed the right of Nelly Galutera to claim a car offered as grand prize in a raffle conducted by SM City Cauayan, resolving a challenge to her eligibility based on her husband's employment.
The high court's decision upheld Galutera's qualification to receive the prize, determining that her husband's work as a security guard deployed at a bank branch located within the mall premises did not disqualify her from participation in the promotional raffle.
The ruling clarifies the scope of eligibility restrictions for mall-sponsored giveaways, addressing questions about whether employees of tenants within shopping centers fall under exclusionary categories. The court found that the security guard's employment arrangement did not warrant barring his spouse from the competition.
The decision represents a significant judgment in consumer protection matters involving promotional contests conducted by major commercial establishments in the Philippines. SM City Cauayan has been directed to honor the court's ruling and present the prize to the winner.