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A penal statute provides that possession of illegal drugs carries a penalty of imprisonment for 8 to 12 years if the offender is engaged in informal sector employment (e.g., street vending, casual labor), and 4 to 8 years if the offender is engaged in formal sector employment (regular, documented work). The offender is a 34-year-old informal-sector street vendor who possessed illegal drugs in his province. (a) Identify the central equal protection issue presented. (b) State the governing rule and standard of review applicable to classifications based on labor-market status in penal statutes in the Philippines. (c) Apply the rule to these facts: decide whether the classification is valid or unconstitutional, and justify.