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AMADO T. GURANGO v. IAC

FACTS:

In January 1977, Edward Ferreira sold one booklet of raffle tickets worth P500 to Amado Gurango. The raffle tickets were for a fundraising project sponsored by the Makati Jaycees. On April 14, 1977, one of the tickets in the name of Armando "Boyet" Gurango, a minor son of the petitioners, won a Toyota Corolla car. Amado Gurango claimed that he had issued a check for the payment of the raffle tickets and had instructed his cashier to fill up the ticket stubs with the names of his family members before surrendering them to Ferreira's messenger. However, when Gurango arrived at his office, his cashier gave him the claim stubs and informed him that everything had been given to Ferreira's messenger. The next day, Ferreira called Gurango to inform him that he had paid the remaining balance and requested the claim stubs. Gurango agreed, but Ferreira refused to accept a check and insisted on the claim stubs as proof of the expense. Gurango handed over the claim stubs, and they agreed to a written agreement stating that each party would own the prize corresponding to the stub numbers they held. On April 18, 1977, Gurango learned from a newspaper that the winning stub was among those taken by Ferreira.

ISSUES:

  1. Whether or not petitioner Amado Gurango has a valid claim to the Toyota Corolla car won in the raffle.

  2. Whether or not the written agreement between petitioner Amado Gurango and private respondent Edward Ferreira is binding.

RULING:

  1. Yes, petitioner Amado Gurango has a valid claim to the Toyota Corolla car won in the raffle. The evidence shows that petitioner purchased the raffle tickets and instructed his cashier to fill up the stubs with the names of his family members before surrendering them to private respondent's messenger. This transaction established that petitioner was the rightful owner of the winning stub.

  2. Yes, the written agreement between petitioner Amado Gurango and private respondent Edward Ferreira is binding. The agreement clearly states that if any of the stubs held by either party wins a prize, the owner of that stub shall be considered the sole winner and owner. The agreement was voluntarily entered into by both parties and should be honored.

PRINCIPLES:

  • The party who purchased the raffle tickets and held the winning stub is considered the rightful owner of the prize.

  • A written agreement voluntarily entered into by both parties is binding.

  • The terms and conditions of an agreement should be respected and honored.