[G.R. No. L-11442. May 23, 1958.] and at their own risk.

and at their own risk. And as it is an elementary principle of law that a person who acts as an
agent without authority or without a principal is himself regarded as the principal, possessed
MANUELA T. VDA. DE SALVATIERRA, Petitioner, v. HON. LORENZO C. GARLITOS, in his of all the right and subject to all the liabilities of a principal, a person acting or purporting to act
capacity as Judge of the Court of First Instance of Leyte, Branch II, and SEGUNDINO on behalf of a corporation which has no valid existence assumes such privileges and obligations
REFUERZO, Respondents. and becomes personally liable for contracts entered into or for other acts performed as such
agent (Fay v. Noble, 7 Cushing [Mass. ] 188. Cited in II Tolentino’s Commercial Laws of the
Philippines, Fifth Ed., p. 689-690).
SYLLABUS
DECISION
1. PLEADING AND PRACTICE; PETITION FOR RELIEF; WHEN TO FILE PETITION. — Rule 38,
Section 3, of the Rules of Court treats of 2 periods within which a petition for relief may be This is a petition for certiorari filed by Manuela T. Vda. de Salvatierra seeking to nullify the
filed. The petition must be filed within 60 days after the petitioner learns of the judgment and order of the Court of First Instance of Leyte in Civil Case No. 1912, dated March 21, 1956,
not more than 6 months after the judgment or order was rendered, both of which must be relieving Segundino Refuerzo of liability for the contract entered into between the former and
satisfied. the Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc., of which Refuerzo is the president. The facts of the
case are as follows:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
2. CORPORATION LAW; LIABILITY OF PERSON DEALING WITH ASSOCIATION AS A CORPORATE
BODY; WHEN ESTOPPEL MAY NOT BE INVOKED. — While as a general rule, a person who deals Manuela T. Vda. de Salvatierra appeared to be the owner of a parcel of land located at
with an association in such a way to recognize its existence as a corporate body is estopped Maghobas, Población, Burauen, Leyte. On March 7, 1954, said landholder entered into a
from denying the same in an action arising out of such transaction, yet this doctrine may not contract of lease with the Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc., allegedly a corporation "duly
be held to be applicable where fraud takes a part in the said transaction. In the instant case, on organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, domiciled at Burauen, Leyte,
plaintiff’s charge that she was unaware of the fact that the defendant corporation had no Philippines, and with business address therein, represented in this instance by Mr. Segundino
juridical personality, its president gave no confirmation or denial of the same and the Q. Refuerzo, the President." It was provided in said contract, among other things, that the
circumstance surrounding the execution of the contract lead to the inescapable conclusion lifetime of the lease would be for a period of 10 years; that the land would be planted to kenaf,
that plaintiff was really made to believe that such corporation was duly organized in ramie or other crops suitable to the soil; that the lessor would be entitled to 30 per cent of the
accordance with law. net income accruing from the harvest of any crop without being responsible for the cost of
production thereof; and that after every harvest, the lessee was bound to declare at the
3. ID.; LIABILITY OF MEMBERS WHO ACT AS AGENTS OF AN UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION. earliest possible time the income derived therefrom and to deliver the corresponding share
— A corporation when registered has a juridical personality separate and distinct from its due the lessor.
component members or stockholders and officers, such that a corporation cannot be held
liable for the personal in indebtedness of a stockholder even if he should be its president Apparently, the aforementioned obligations imposed on the alleged corporation were not
(Walter A. Smith Co. v. Ford, SC-G. R. No. 42420) and conversely, a stockholder cannot be held complied with because on April 5, 1955, Manuela T. Vda. de Salvatierra filed with the Court of
personally liable for any financial obligation by the corporation in excess of his unpaid First Instance of Leyte a complaint against the Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc., and
subscription. But this rule is understood to refer merely to registered corporations and cannot Segundino Q. Refuerzo, for accounting, rescission and damages (Civil Case No. 1912). She
be made applicable to the liability of members of an unincorporated association. The reason averred that sometime in April, 1954, defendants planted kenaf on 3 hectares of the leased
behind this doctrine is obvious - an unincorporated association has no personality and would property which crop was, at the time of the commencement of the action, already harvested,
be incompetent to act and appropriate for itself the power and attributes of a corporation as processed and sold by defendants; that notwithstanding that fact, defendants refused to
provided by law, it cannot create agents or confer authority on another to act in its behalf; render an accounting of the income derived therefrom and to deliver the lessor’s share; that
thus, those who act or purport to act as its representatives or agents do so without authority the estimated gross income was P4,500, and the deductible expenses a mounted to P1,000;
that as defendants’ refusal to undertake such task was in violation of the terms of the SEC. 3. WHEN PETITION FILED; CONTENTS AND VERIFICATION. — A petition provided for in
covenant entered into between the plaintiff and defendant corporation, a rescission was but either of the preceding sections of this rule must be verified, filed within sixty days after the
proper. petitioner learns of the judgment, order, or other proceeding to be set aside, and not more
than six months after such judgment or order was entered, or such proceeding was taken; and
As defendants apparently failed to file their answer to the complaint, of which they were must be accompanied with affidavit showing the fraud, accident, mistake, or excusable
allegedly notified, the Court declared them in default and proceeded to receive plaintiff’s negligence relied upon, and the facts constituting the petitioner’s good and substantial cause
evidence. On June 8, 1955, the lower Court rendered judgment granting plaintiff’s prayer, and of action or defense, as the case may be, which he may prove if his petition be granted." (Rule
required defendants to render a complete accounting of the harvest of the land subject of the 33)
proceeding within 15 days from receipt of the decision and to deliver 30 per cent of the net
income realized from the last harvest to plaintiff, with legal interest from the date defendants The aforequoted provision treats of 2 periods, i.e., 60 days after petitioner learns of the
received payment for said crop. It was further provided that upon defendants’ failure to abide judgment, and not more than 6 months after the judgment or order was rendered, both of
by the said requirement, the gross income would be fixed at P4,200 or a net income of P3,200 which must be satisfied. As the decision in the case at bar was under date of June 8, 1955,
after deducting the expenses for productions, 30 per cent of which or P960 was held to be due whereas the motion filed by respondent Refuerzo was dated January 31, 1956, or after the
the plaintiff pursuant to the aforementioned contract of lease, which was declared rescinded. lapse of 7 months and 23 days, the filing of the aforementioned motion was clearly made
beyond the prescriptive period provided for by the rules. The remedy allowed by Rule 38 to a
No appeal therefrom having been perfected within the reglementary period, the Court, upon party adversely affected by a decision or order is certainly an act of grace or benevolence
motion of plaintiff, issued a writ of execution, in virtue of which the Provincial Sheriff of Leyte intended to afford said litigant a penultimate opportunity to protect his interest. Considering
caused the attachment of 3 parcels of land registered in the name of Segundino Refuerzo. No the nature of such relief and the purpose behind it, the periods fixed by said rule are non-
property of the Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc., was found available for attachment. extendible and never interrupted; nor could it be subjected to any condition or contingency
because it is of itself devised to meet a condition or contingency (Palomares v. Jimenez, * G. R.
On January 31, 1956, defendant Segundino Refuerzo filed a motion claiming that the decision No. L-4513, January 31, 1952). On this score alone, therefore, the petition for a writ
rendered in said Civil Case No. 1912 was null and void with respect to him, there being no of certiorari filed herein may be granted. However, taking note of the question presented by
allegation in the complaint pointing to his personal liability and thus prayed that an order be the motion for relief involved herein, We deem it wise to delve in and pass upon the merit of
issued limiting such liability to defendant corporation. Over plaintiff’s opposition, the Court a the same.
quo granted the same and ordered the Provincial Sheriff of Leyte to release all properties
belonging to the movant that might have already been attached, after finding that the Refuerzo, in praying for his exoneration from any liability resulting from the non-fulfillment of
evidence on record made no mention or referred to any fact which might hold movant the obligation imposed on defendant Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc, interposed the
personally liable therein. As plaintiff’s petition for relief from said order was denied, Manuela defense that the complaint filed with the lower court contained no allegation which would
T. Vda. de Salvatierra instituted the instant action asserting that the trial Judge in issuing the hold him liable personally, for while it was stated therein that he was a signatory to the lease
order complained of, acted with grave abuse of discretion and prayed that same be declared a contract, he did so in his capacity as president of the corporation. And this allegation was
nullity. found by the Court a quo to be supported by the records. Plaintiff on the other hand tried to
refute this averment by contending that her failure to specify defendant’s personal liability was
From the foregoing narration of facts, it is clear that the order sought to be nullified was issued due to the fact that all the time she was under the impression that the Philippine Fibers
by the respondent Judge upon motion of defendant Refuerzo, obviously pursuant to Rule 38 of Producers Co., Inc., represented by Refuerzo was a duly registered corporation as appearing in
the Rules of Court. Section 3 of said Rule, however, in providing for the period within which the contract, but a subsequent inquiry from the Securities & Exchange Commission yielded
such a motion may be filed, prescribes that:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library otherwise. While as a general rule a person who has contracted or dealt with an association in
such a way as to recognize its existence as a corporate body is estopped from denying the
same in an action arising out of such transaction or dealing, (Asia Banking Corporation v. movant therein which might have been attached in the execution of such judgment, is hereby
Standard Products Co., 46 Phil., 144; Compañia Agricola de Ultramar v. Reyes, 4 Phil., 1; Ohta set aside and nullified as if it had never been issued. With costs against respondent Segundino
Development Co. v. Steamship Pompey, 49 Phil., 117), yet this doctrine may not be held to be Refuerzo. It is so ordered.
applicable where fraud takes a part in the said transaction. In the instant case, on plaintiff’s
charge that she was unaware of the fact that the Philippine Fibers Producers Co., Inc., had no Paras, C.J., Bengzon, Montemayor, Reyes, A., Bautista Angelo, Labrador, Concepcion, Reyes, J.
juridical personality, defendant Refuerzo gave no confirmation or denial and the circumstances B. L., and Endencia, JJ., concur.
surrounding the execution of the contract lead to the inescapable conclusion that plaintiff
Manuela T. Vda. de Salvatierra was really made to believe that such corporation was duly
organized in accordance with law.

There can be no question that a corporation when registered has a juridical personality
separate and distinct from its component members or stockholders and officers such that a
corporation cannot be held liable for the personal indebtedness of a stockholder even if he
should be its president (Walter A. Smith Co. v. Ford, SC-G. R. No. 42420) and conversely, a
stockholder or member cannot be held personally liable for any financial obligation by the
corporation in excess of his unpaid subscription. But this rule is understood to refer merely to
registered corporations and cannot be made applicable to the liability of members of an
unincorporated association. The reason behind this doctrine is obvious — since an organization
which before the law is non-existent has no personality and would be incompetent to act and
appropriate for itself the powers and attribute of a corporation as provided by law; it cannot
create agents or confer authority on another to act in its behalf; thus, those who act or purport
to act as its representatives or agents do so without authority and at their own risk. And as it is
an elementary principle of law that a person who acts as an agent without authority or without
a principal is himself regarded as the principal, possessed of all the rights and subject to all the
liabilities of a principal, a person acting or purporting to act on behalf of a corporation which
has no valid existence assumes such privileges and obligations and becomes personally liable
for contracts entered into or for other acts performed as such agent (Fay v. Noble, 7 Cushing
[Mass. ] 188. Cited in II Tolentino’s Commercial Laws of the Philippines, Fifth Ed., p. 689-690).
Considering that defendant Refuerzo, as president of the unregistered corporation Philippine
Fibers Producers Co., Inc., was the moving spirit behind the consummation of the lease
agreement by acting as its representative, his liability cannot be limited or restricted to that
imposed upon corporate shareholders. In acting on behalf of a corporation which he knew to
be unregistered, he assumed the risk of reaping the consequential damages or resultant rights,
if any, arising out of such transaction.

Wherefore, the order of the lower Court of March 21, 1956, amending its previous decision on
this matter and ordering the Provincial Sheriff of Leyte to release any and all properties of