REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

SUPREME COURT
MANILA

EN BANC

MOTEL ASSOCIATION OF
METRO MANILA,
represented by its president
TERISITA NATIVIDAD
CLEOFAS – DE
VILLASONOR,
Petitioner,
G. R. No. _______________
- versus -

CITY OF MANILA,
represented by MAYOR
JOSEPH EJERCITO
ESTRADA,
Respondent.

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JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR

The testimony of the witness, MS. LOLEY MURMUR, is

executed to serve as her direct testimony in the instant case.

This Judicial Affidavit is respectfully offered in order to prove

the following:

a. The personal circumstances of Ms. Loley

Murmur, her qualifications as the President of
Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila and
her knowledge on Standard Operating Procedure
for Front Office on Guest Registration in Hotel
Industry.
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 2
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

b. The Standard Operating Procedure for Front

Office on Guest Registration as adopted by the
Hotels in Metro Manila.

c. The acceptability of such Standard Operating

Procedure among the owners and managers of
Hotels in Metro Manila.

This Judicial affidavit was taken at the office of Atty. Jezreel

Zapanta at Unit 112 Ping-Ping Towers, Lechon St. City of
Manila.

Questions were propounded by Atty. Jezreel Zapanta and

these questions are numbered consecutively.

It is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Court admit this

Judicial Affidavit of Ms. Loley Murmur as the Direct
Examination of the witness in order to expedite the
proceedings.

With the kind permission of the Honorable Court.

(The Honorable Court declares “Proceed”)

Q1: Good day, Mme. Witness. Do you swear to tell the truth
and nothing but the truth?

A: I do.

Q2: Are you aware that you may face criminal liability for
false testimony or perjury if you will not tell the truth?

A: I am.

Q3: Mme. Witness, for the record, please state your name,
age, address, occupation and other personal circumstances.

A: I, Loley Murmur, Filipino, 45 years in age, residing at

Unit 221 Admiral Hotel, 2138 Roxas Boulevard, Malate, City of
Manila. I am the President and General Manager of Admiral
Hotel Corp. of which I own 60% of its issued capital stocks. I
also have ownership interests in other hotels all through out
the NCR like A. Venue Suites in Makati, and Heritage Hotel
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 3
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

Roxas Boulevard Manila, among others. Presently, I am the

President of the Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila.

Q4: Mme. Witness, you just mentioned that you are the
President of the Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila.
Do you recall if you have executed any document in relation to
this case in your capacity as such President?

A: Yes, I have. I executed a Judicial Affidavit in relation to

this case.

Q5: Do you have a copy of this document, Mme. Witness?

A: Yes, I do.

Your Honors, we respectfully manifest that the witness handed

a document entitled Judicial Affidavit.

Q6: Mme. Witness, what relation does this document have

with the document entitled Judicial Affidavit you mentioned
earlier?

A: It is the same one.

Q7: On the last page of this Judicial Affidavit there appears a

typewritten name LOLEY MURMUR, and above the said
typewritten name is a signature. Whose signature is this that
appears above the name Loley Murmur?

A: It is mine.

We also respectfully move that the Honorable Court mark the

Judicial Affidavit and the succeeding pages as Exhibits “A” to
“A-8” for the public respondents and the signature of the
Witness as Exhibit “A-9.”

(The Honorable Court states “Make the appropriate markings.”)

Q8: Mme. Witness, how long have you been the President of
the Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila?

A: I was elected President of the said Association in 2006,

2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014. I have also been election for
lower office previous to 2006.
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 4
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

Q9: In those years from 2006 to 2014 in which you were not
the President, were you also elected in some other office?

A: No, sir. For those years I have been away from the
Philippines.

Q10: I see. Do you know how many members your association

has?

A: Out of 55 hotels in Metro Manila, 55 are members of the

association.

Q11: Do you know of any other association of hotels in Metro

Manila?

A: The Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila is the

only association of hotel owners and hotel managers in Metro
Manila. I am not aware of any other hotel association in metro
manila aside from us.

Q12: Have you already heard of the name Motel Association of

Metro Manila?

A: Yes. That’s a different group.

Q13: Now, Mme. Witness, as President of the Association of

Hotel Owners in Metro Manila, can you tell as what you know
about the Standard Operating Procedures for Hotel Front
Office?

A: The front office is the heart of a hotel. Its function

includes reservations, check-in and check-out, guest and
concierge services, as well as accounting component.
Standard operating procedures are routinely followed and
serve as a guide to maintaining adequate revenue and
consistency in service levels in an effort to create repeat
business. These procedures are crucial to a hotel’s continued
financial viability.

Q14: Mme. Witness, you mentioned check-in and check-out of

guest. Could you elaborate more on this focusing on the
standard operating procedure especially on the check-in of
guest?
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 5
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

A: Okay. After a guest arrives at the hotel, the front desk

officer should, in a very friendly manner, give the guest
registration sheet which contains the basic personal
information of the guest. For a guest who has already availed
of our services in the past, we let them fill-out a registration
card which asks for additional contact information, in effort of
making repeat business with them.

Q15: How do you verify the information written by the guest on

the information sheet?

A: The front desk officer asks for the guest’s valid

identification card.

Q16: You mean to say, Mme. Witness, that asking for the
guest’s valid identification card is part of the Standard
Operating Procedure?

A: Yes.

Q17: Mme. Witness, supposing a guest doesn’t have any valid

identification card with him, what will happen?

A: Very seldom that happens, sir.

Q18: But supposing it happens, what will the front desk officer
do?

A: The front desk officer should follow what is in the

Manual. He should deny further services to the guest. He
should advise the guest to seek accommodations on other
Hotels or Inns.

Q19: Mme. Witness, don’t you think it’s too harsh for the guest
to be refused services just because he doesn’t have a valid
identification card?

A: With the kind of business we are in, we always deal with

strangers, and that is very risky for us - to entrust our
property to complete strangers called “customers or clients or
guest.” To minimize, if not to control, the risk, we should have
some valid proof or document that would reveal or link the
identity of our guest. Today, it is a norm for a person to have
with him a valid identification card wherever he goes. You
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 6
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

cannot enter a commercial building in Manila without leaving

your ID to the guard or to the desk front officer. You cannot
get inside the premises of a school without surrendering your
ID to the guard or receptionist. Even in entering to some
public buildings and government offices you will need an
identification card.

Q20: Mme. Witness, you mentioned “Manual” earlier. What is

this Manual you are talking about?

A: The Hotel Manual for Admiral Hotel of which I am the

President and General Manager. Our hotel manual is
patterned and follows the Standard Operating Procedure for
Hotel Operations issued by the Association of Hotel Owners in
Metro Manila.

Q21: Mme. Witness, how is Standard Operating Procedure for

Hotel Operations you have stated a while ago related to the
Summary Report on Standard Operating Procedure issued
also by the Association of Hotel Owners in Metro Manila?

A: The Summary Report is actually the evaluation report on

the compliance of the hotel members on the standard
operating procedures set by the Association. The Summary
Report shows from the time we have adopted the Standard
Operating Procedure in 2009 up to 2013 the progress of the
hotel owners in adopting the procedure. We have adopted the
Standard Operating Procedure in 2009 to improve the quality
of our services, and ensure customer satisfaction.

Q22: Mme. Witness, do you have a copy of the Standard

Operating Procedure for Hotel Operations?

A: Yes, I do.

Q23: Do you also have a copy of the Summary Report on

Standard Operating Procedure issued by the Association of
Hotel Owners in Metro Manila on 2013?

A: Yes, I do.

Your Honors, we respectfully manifest that the witness handed

documents entitled Standard Operating Procedure for Hotel
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 7
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

Operations and Summary Report on Standard Operating

Procedure, respectively.

Q24: Mme. Witness, what relation do these documents have

with the documents entitled Standard Operating Procedure for
Hotel Operation and Summary Report on Standard Operating
Procedure you mentioned earlier?

A: They are the same.

We also respectfully move, Your Honors, that the Honorable

Court mark the documents entitled Standard Operating
Procedure for Hotel Operation and Summary Report on
Standard Operating Procedure as Exhibits “A-10” and “A-11”
respectively, for the public respondents.

(The Honorable Court states “Make the appropriate markings.”)

Q25: Mme. Witness, were there any oppositions whatsoever on

the implementation of the adopted Standard Operating
Procedures for Hotel Operations?

A: There were several suggestions at the start, some of it we

have already incorporated in the Standard Operating
Procedures, some were abandoned even by the person who
suggested. But I do not really call it oppositions since those
suggestions are not in contrary to the objective.

Q26: If there were no oppositions or critical comments on the

implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure, Mme.
Witness, would you say that the procedure was generally
accepted by the members of the Association?

A: The members welcomed it.

Q27: Mme. Witness, let me ask you again since when was the
Standard Operating Procedure for Hotel Operations
implemented by the Association to its members?

A: We adopted and implemented the Standard Operating

Procedure for Hotel Operations on the year 2009, month of
July to be exact.
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 8
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

Q28: And that includes the Standard Operating Procedure for

Hotel Front Office on Guest Registration?

A: Yes, that is one part of the Standard Operating Procedure

for Hotel Operations.

Q29: I have a few more questions, Mme. Witness. Would you

know who authored the Standard Operating Procedure for
Hotel Operations?

A: The Standard Operating Procedure for Hotel Operations

was my project. It was a product of the committee I organized
in 2009 which I also headed.

Q30: I see Mme. Witness. How about the Summary Report on

Standard Operating Procedure? Who was responsible for all
the data reported?

A: The Summary Report was also made and published

under my leadership. I initiated to summarize and compile the
results of the yearly evaluation reports submitted by the
members of the Association.

Q31: Lastly, since you own 60% of the stocks of Admiral Hotel
Corp., being an owner and general manager of hotel, do you
feel or think, in any way, that you are being deprived of any of
your rights over your hotel property by following your
Standard Operating Procedure for Front Office on Guest
Registration?

A: Certainly not. On the contrary, I feel I have to protect my

property from complete strangers, and I would have to know
their identity first before I let them enjoy my property, my
services.

No further questions, Your Honors.

(The Honorable Court affirms, “The witness is excused.”)

JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 9
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day

of March 2015 at City of Manila.

LOLEY MURMUR
Affiant

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of March

2015 in City of Manila. Affiant exhibiting to me her Passport
bearing No. XX8686868 issued on March 10, 2012 and
expiring on March 9, 2017.

Doc No. _________

Page No. ________
Book No. ________
Series of 2015

ATTESTATION

I hereby state, under oath, that I faithfully recorded the

questions I asked and the corresponding answers that the
witness gave and that neither I nor other person present or
assisting me has coached the witness regarding the latter’s
statement.

ATTY. JEZREEL E. ZAPANTA

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of March

2015 in City of Manila. Affiant exhibiting to me his Drivers
License bearing No. N12-21-22111 expiring on August 09,
2016.

Doc No. _________

Page No. ________
Book No. ________
Series of 2015
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 10
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
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COPY FURNISHED:

ATTY. DANIEL JOSE E. EMPLEO

Head Counsel for Petitioner Motel Association of Metro Manila
V.E.N. and Associates Law Offices
7F Fr. Francis Building
0808 Bukang Liwayway St.
Malate, Manila

EXPLANATION
(Pursuant to Section 11, Rule 13 of the
1997 Rules of Civil Procedure)

Service of this Judicial Affidavit of Loley Murmur is by

registered mail instead of personal service because of lack of
messengerial aide to make personal service.

JEZREEL E. ZAPANTA
Assistant City Prosecutor
JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT OF LOLEY MURMUR 11
Motel Association of Metro Manila vs. City of Manila
G. R. No. ________________
x-------------------------------------------x

AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE BY REGISTERED MAIL

I, Trudis Lagpas-Tao, of legal age and having been duly sworn

depose and say:

That I am the messenger of Attys. Edison Flores and Jezreel

Zapanta, counsels for public respondent in the case entitled “Motel
Association of Metro Manila vs City of Manila”, GR No. ______________,
and as such messenger I served upon the counsels of the adverse party,
the Judicial Affidavit of Loley Murmur brief filed in said case:

By depositing the copy in the post office in sealed

envelope, plainly addressed to the counsels at their office,
with postage fully prepaid, and with instruction to the
postmaster to return the mail to the sender after ten days if
undelivered, this 5th day of March 2015, as shown by
Registry No. 12346 dated 5 March 2015 of the post office of
City of Manila.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this affidavit this 5th day of

March at City of Manila.

(SGD.) TRUDIS LAGPAS-TAO

Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me on this 5th day of March 2015

at City of Manila, affiant exhibiting to me his Driver's License No.
11223344 which will expire on April 26, 2017.

(SGD.) MIKES JORDS

Notary Public
Metro Manila

Doc. No. _______;

Page No. _______;
Book No. _______;
Series of 2015.