Practice question
A city adopts a facially general permit rule for public rallies. In practice, officials approve supporters' gatherings while rejecting otherwise identical critics' gatherings because their speeches oppose the mayor. The city insists that the neutral wording forecloses any content-based analysis. Which assessment is best?
- Neutral wording conclusively controls every application.
- All permit systems are exempt from the Constitution.
- Identical physical conditions require denial of both events without review.
- The discriminatory application targets viewpoint despite facially neutral wording.
- Criticism of an incumbent has no expressive protection.
Legal references
- 1987 Constitution, Article III, section 4, https://lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html
- Chavez v. Gonzales, G.R. No. 168338, February 15, 2008, content-based and content-neutral restraints discussion, https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2008/feb2008/gr_168338_2008.html
- Diocese of Bacolod v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 205728, January 21, 2015, content regulation discussion, https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2015/jan2015/gr_205728_2015.html
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