University of the Philippines College of Law | Corporation Law | D2021
Topic
Case Name FRANCIS CHUA, v. CA and LYDIA C. HAO
Case No. & Date
Ponente
Petitioners Please input all petitioners/respondents here. Para immediately apparent kung ano yung role ng
parties kahit summary lang babasahin.
Respondents
Summary (recit- Lydia Hao, treasurer of Siena Realty Corporation, filed a complaint-affidavit charging
friendly) Francis Chua and his wife, of four counts of falsification of public documents for allegedly
falsifying the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders meeting of the BOD of the Siena Realty
by making it to appear that one LYDIA HAO CHUA participated. Hao claims that the suit
was brought under the concept of a derivative suit.
Chua avers that a derivative suit is peculiar only to intra-corporate proceedings and cannot
be made part of a criminal action. Chua asserts that the civil aspect of a criminal case
cannot be treated as a derivative suit, considering that Siena Realty was not the private
complainant.
The SC held that the civil case for corporate cause of action can be deemed instituted in
the criminal action, however since Hao never made an allegation that she filing the suit in
behalf and for the benefit of the corporation, the criminal complaint, including the civil
aspect thereof, could not be deemed in the nature of a derivative suit.
When a criminal action is instituted, the civil action for the recovery of civil liability arising
from the offense charged shall be deemed instituted with the criminal action, unless the
offended party waives the civil action, reserves the right to institute it separately or institutes
the civil action prior to the criminal action. The complaint was instituted by Hao against
Chua for falsifying corporate documents whose subject concerns corporate projects of
Siena. Clearly, Siena is an offended party and has a cause of action. And the civil case
for the corporate cause of action is deemed instituted in the criminal action.
However, the suit filed by Hao is not a derivative suit in behalf of the corporation. Not every
suit filed in behalf of the corporation is a derivative suit. For a derivative suit to
prosper, it is required that the minority stockholder suing for and on behalf of the
corporation must allege in his complaint that he is suing on a derivative cause of action on
behalf of the corporation and all other stockholders similarly situated who may wish to join
him in the suit.
It is a condition sine qua non that the corporation be impleaded as a party because not only
is the corporation an indispensable party, but it must be served with process. The judgment
must be made binding upon the corporation in order that the corporation may get the
benefit of the suit and may not bring subsequent suit against the same defendants for the
same cause of action. The corporation must be joined as party because it is its cause of
action that is being litigated and because judgment must be a res adjudicata against it.
In the criminal complaint, nowhere is it stated that Hao is filing the same in behalf and for
the benefit of the corporation. Thus, the criminal complaint including the civil aspect thereof
could not be deemed in the nature of a derivative suit.
Doctrine/s
A derivative action is a suit by a shareholder to enforce a corporate cause of action. The
corporation is a necessary party to the suit. And the relief which is granted is a judgment
University of the Philippines College of Law | Corporation Law | D2021
against a third person in favor of the corporation. Similarly, if a corporation has a defense to
an action against it and is not asserting it, a stockholder may intervene and defend on
behalf of the corporation.
Not every suit filed in behalf of the corporation is a derivative suit. For a derivative suit to
prosper, it is required that the minority stockholder suing for and on behalf of the
corporation must allege in his complaint that he is suing on a derivative cause of action on
behalf of the corporation and all other stockholders similarly situated who may wish to join
him in the suit.
RELEVANT FACTS
ISSUE AND RATIO DECIDENDI
Issue Ratio
RULING
WHEREFORE, …
NOTES
