Corona (C.J., Chairperson), Velasco, JR., Leonardo-De Castro Petition Granted, Orders Set Aside

7/20/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 640
WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED. The Orders

dated July 21 and September 20, 2004 of the Regional Trial
Court of Allen, Northern Samar, Branch 23 in Special Civil
Action No. A-927 are hereby SET ASIDE. The Municipal
Trial Court of San Isidro, Northern Samar is DIRECTED
to dismiss Civil Case No. 104 for lack of jurisdiction.
SO ORDERED.
Corona (C.J., Chairperson), Velasco, Jr., Leonardo-De

Castro and Perez, JJ., concur.
Petition granted, orders set aside.
Note.—Jurisdiction in ejectment cases is determined by

the allegations pleaded in the complaint. (Aquino vs. Aure,
546 SCRA 71 [2008])
——o0o——
G.R. No. 168757. January 19, 2011.*
RENATO REAL, petitioner, vs. SANGU PHILIPPINES,

INC. and/or KIICHI ABE, respondents.
Corporation Law; Intra-Corporate Controversies; Jurisdiction;

The fact that the parties involved are the stockholders and the
corporation does not necessarily place the dispute within the ambit
of the jurisdiction of the SEC (now the Regional Trial Court); The
better policy to be followed in determining jurisdiction over a case
should be to consider concurrent factors such as the status or
relationship of the parties or the nature of the question that is
subject of their controversy.—It is worthy to note, however, that
before the promulgation of the Tabang case, the Court provided in
Mainland Construction Co., Inc. v. Movilla, 250 SCRA 290 (1995),
a “better policy” in determin-
_______________
* FIRST DIVISION.
68
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/00000164b69a4423e3774315003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 1/24
68 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED
Real vs. Sangu Philippines, Inc.
ing which between the Securities and Exchange Commission

(SEC) and the Labor Arbiter has jurisdiction over termination
disputes, or similarly, whether they are intra-corporate or not,
viz.: The fact that the parties involved in the controversy are all
stockholders or that the parties involved are the stockholders and
the corporation does not necessarily place the dispute within the
ambit of the jurisdiction of the SEC (now the Regional Trial
Court). The better policy to be followed in determining
jurisdiction over a case should be to consider concurrent
factors such as the status or relationship of the parties or
the nature of the question that is subject of their
controversy. In the absence of any one of these factors, the SEC
will not have jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not necessarily
follow that every conflict between the corporation and its
stockholders would involve such corporate matters as only SEC
(now the Regional Trial Court) can resolve in the exercise of its
adjudicatory or quasi-judicial powers.
Same; Same; Same; Not all conflicts between the stockholders
and the corporation are classified as intra-corporate.—Guided by
this recent jurisprudence, we thus find no merit in respondents’
contention that the fact alone that petitioner is a stockholder and
director of respondent corporation automatically classifies this
case as an intra-corporate controversy. To reiterate, not all
conflicts between the stockholders and the corporation are
classified as intra-corporate. There are other factors to consider in
determining whether the dispute involves corporate matters as to
consider them as intra-corporate controversies.
Same; Same; Same; Words and Phrases; ‘Corporate Officers’
in the context of Presidential Decree No. 902-A are those officers of
the corporation who are given that character by the Corporation
Code or by the corporation’s by-laws; A corporation may have such
other officers as may be provided for by its by-laws like, but not
limited to, the vice-president, cashier, auditor or general manager.
—“ ‘Corporate officers’ in the context of Presidential Decree No.
902-A are those officers of the corporation who are given that
character by the Corporation Code or by the corporation’s by-laws.
There are three specific officers whom a corporation must have
under Section 25 of the Corporation Code. These are the
president, secretary and the treasurer. The number of officers is
not limited to these three. A corporation may have such other
officers as may be provided for by its by-laws
69
, JANUARY 19, 2011 69
like, but not limited to, the vice-president, cashier, auditor or

general manager. The number of corporate officers is thus limited
by law and by the corporation’s by-laws.”
Same; Same; Same; This case is not intra-corporate but
rather, it is a termination dispute and, consequently, falls under
the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter pursuant to Section 217 of the
Labor Code.—With the elements of intra-corporate controversy
being absent in this case, we thus hold that petitioner’s complaint
for illegal dismissal against respondents is not intra-corporate.
Rather, it is a termination dispute and, consequently, falls under
the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter pursuant to Section 217 of
the Labor Code.
Same; Illegal Dismissals; In an illegal dismissal case, the
onus probandi rests on the employer to prove that the dismissal of
an employee is for a valid cause.—“In an illegal dismissal case, the
onus probandi rests on the employer to prove that [the] dismissal
of an employee is for a valid cause.” Here, as correctly observed by
the Labor Arbiter, respondents failed to produce any convincing
proof to support the grounds for which they terminated petitioner.
Same; Same; Due Process; The twin requirements of notice
and hearing constitute the essential elements of due process; The
law requires the employer to furnish the employee sought to be
dismissed with two written notices before termination of
employment can be legally effected; This procedure is mandatory
and its absence taints the dismissal with illegality.—Petitioner’s
dismissal was effected without due process of law. “The twin
requirements of notice and hearing constitute the essential
elements of due process. The law requires the employer to furnish
the employee sought to be dismissed with two written notices
before termination of employment can be legally effected: (1) a
written notice apprising the employee of the particular acts or
omissions for which his dismissal is sought in order to afford him
an opportunity to be heard and to defend himself with the
assistance of counsel, if he desires, and (2) a subsequent notice
informing the employee of the employer’s decision to dismiss him.
This procedure is mandatory and its absence taints the dismissal
with illegality.” Since in this case, petitioner’s dismissal was
effected through a board resolution and all that petitioner
received was a letter informing him of the board’s decision to
terminate him, the abovementioned procedure was clearly not
complied with.
70

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

Court of Appeals.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.
Reyes, Tayao & Molo for petitioner.
Malaya, Sanchez, Francisco, Añover & Añover Law
Offices for respondents.
DEL CASTILLO, J.:

The perennial question of whether a complaint for illegal
dismissal is intra-corporate and thus beyond the
jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter is the core issue up for
consideration in this case.
This Petition for Review on Certiorari assails the
Decision1 dated June 28, 2005 of the Court of Appeals (CA)
in CA-G.R. SP. No. 86017 which dismissed the petition for
certiorari filed before it.
Factual Antecedents
Petitioner Renato Real was the Manager of respondent
corporation Sangu Philippines, Inc., a corporation engaged
in the business of providing manpower for general services,
like janitors, janitresses and other maintenance personnel,
to various clients. In 2001, petitioner, together with 29
others who were either janitors, janitresses, leadmen and
maintenance men, all employed by respondent corporation,
filed their respective Complaints2 for illegal dismissal
against the latter and respondent Kiichi Abe, the
corporation’s Vice-President and General Manager. These
complaints were later on consolidated.
_______________
1 CA Rollo, pp. 370-394; penned by Associate Justice Perlita J. Tria-

Tirona and concurred in by Associate Justices Delilah Vidallon-Magtolis
and Jose C. Reyes, Jr.
2 Id., at pp. 51-71.
71
, JANUARY 19, 2011 71

With regard to petitioner, he was removed from his

position as Manager through Board Resolution 2001-033
adopted by respondent corporation’s Board of Directors.
Petitioner complained that he was neither notified of the

Board Meeting during which said board resolution was
passed nor formally charged with any infraction. He just
received from respondents a letter4 dated March 26, 2001
stating that he has been terminated from service effective
March 25, 2001 for the following reasons: (1) continuous
absences at his post at Ogino Philippines Inc. for several
months which was detrimental to the corporation’s
operation; (2) loss of trust and confidence; and, (3) to cut
down operational expenses to reduce further losses being
experienced by respondent corporation.
Respondents, on the other hand, refuted petitioner’s
claim of illegal dismissal by alleging that after petitioner
was appointed Manager, he committed gross acts of
misconduct detrimental to the company since 2000.
According to them, petitioner would almost always absent
himself from work without informing the corporation of his
whereabouts and that he would come to the office only to
collect his salaries. As he was almost always absent,
petitioner neglected to supervise the employees resulting in
complaints from various clients about employees’
performance. In one instance, petitioner together with a
few others, while apparently drunk, went to the premises
of one of respondents’ clients, Epson Precision (Phils.) Inc.,
and engaged in a heated argument with the employees
therein. Because of this, respondent Abe allegedly received
a complaint from Epson’s Personnel Manager concerning
petitioner’s conduct. Respondents likewise averred that
petitioner established a company engaged in the same
business as respondent corporation’s and even submitted
proposals for janitorial services to two of the latter’s clients.
Because of all these, the Board of Directors of respondent
corporation met on March 24, 2001 and adopted Board
_______________
3 Id., at pp. 115-116.

4 Id., at p. 117.
72

Resolution No. 2001-03 removing petitioner as Manager.

Petitioner was thereafter informed of his removal through
a letter dated March 26, 2001 which he, however, refused
to receive.
Further, in what respondents believed to be an act of

retaliation, petitioner allegedly encouraged the employees
who had been placed in the manpower pool to file a
complaint for illegal dismissal against respondents. Worse,
he later incited those assigned in Epson Precision (Phils.)
Inc., Ogino Philippines Corporation, Hitachi Cable
Philippines Inc. and Philippine TRC Inc. to stage a strike
on April 10 to 16, 2001. Not satisfied, petitioner together
with other employees also barricaded the premises of
respondent corporation. Such acts respondents posited
constitute just cause for petitioner’s dismissal and that
same was validly effected.
Rulings of the Labor Arbiter and the National Labor
Relations Commission
The Labor Arbiter in a Decision5 dated June 5, 2003
declared petitioner and his co-complainants as having been
illegally dismissed and ordered respondents to reinstate
complainants to their former positions without loss of
seniority rights and other privileges and to pay their full
backwages from the time of their dismissal until actually
reinstated and furthermore, to pay them attorney’s fees.
The Labor Arbiter found no convincing proof of the causes
for which petitioner was terminated and noted that there
was complete absence of due process in the manner of his
termination.
Respondents thus appealed to the National Labor
Relations Commission (NLRC) and raised therein as one of
the issues the lack of jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter over
petitioner’s complaint. Respondents claimed that petitioner
is both a stockholder and a corporate officer of respondent
cor-
_______________
5 Id., at pp. 162-181.
73
, JANUARY 19, 2011 73

poration, hence, his action against respondents is an intra-

corporate controversy over which the Labor Arbiter has no
jurisdiction.
The NLRC found such contention of respondents to be
meritorious. Aside from petitioner’s own admission in the
pleadings that he is a stockholder and at the same time
occupying a managerial position, the NLRC also gave
weight to the corporation’s General Information Sheet6

(GIS) dated October 27, 1999 listing petitioner as one of its
stockholders, consequently his termination had to be
effected through a board resolution. These, the NLRC
opined, clearly established petitioner’s status as a
stockholder and as a corporate officer and hence, his action
against respondent corporation is an intra-corporate
controversy over which the Labor Arbiter has no
jurisdiction. As to the other complainants, the NLRC ruled
that there was no dismissal. The NLRC however, modified
the appealed decision of the Labor Arbiter in a Decision7
dated February 13, 2004, the dispositive portion of which
reads:
“WHEREFORE, all foregoing premises considered, the

appealed Decision dated June 5, 2003 is hereby MODIFIED.
Accordingly, judgment is hereby rendered DISMISSING the
complaint of Renato Real for lack of jurisdiction. As to the rest of
the complainants, they are hereby ordered to immediately report
back to work but without the payment of backwages.
All other claims against respondents including attorney’s fees
are DISMISSED for lack of merit.
SO ORDERED.”
Still joined by his co-complainants, petitioner brought

the case to the CA by way of petition for certiorari.
_______________
6 Id., at pp. 237-240.

7 Id., at pp. 32-46.
74

Ruling of the Court of Appeals

Before the CA, petitioner imputed upon the NLRC grave
abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction in declaring him a corporate officer and in
holding that his action against respondents is an intra-
corporate controversy and thus beyond the jurisdiction of
the Labor Arbiter.
While admitting that he is indeed a stockholder of
respondent corporation, petitioner nevertheless disputed
the declaration of the NLRC that he is a corporate officer
thereof. He posited that his being a stockholder and his
being a managerial employee do not ipso facto confer upon

him the status of a corporate officer. To support this
contention, petitioner called the CA’s attention to the same
GIS relied upon by the NLRC when it declared him to be a
corporate officer. He pointed out that although said
information sheet clearly indicates that he is a stockholder
of respondent corporation, he is not an officer thereof as
shown by the entry “N/A” or “not applicable” opposite his
name in the officer column. Said column requires that the
particular position be indicated if the person is an officer
and if not, the entry “N/A”. Petitioner further argued that
the fact that his dismissal was effected through a board
resolution does not likewise mean that he is a corporate
officer. Otherwise, all that an employer has to do in order
to avoid compliance with the requisites of a valid dismissal
under the Labor Code is to dismiss a managerial employee
through a board resolution. Moreover, he insisted that his
action for illegal dismissal is not an intra-corporate
controversy as same stemmed from employee-employer
relationship which is well within the jurisdiction of the
Labor Arbiter. This can be deduced and is bolstered by the
last paragraph of the termination letter sent to him by
respondents stating that he is entitled to benefits under the
Labor Code, to wit:
75
, JANUARY 19, 2011 75

“In this connection (his dismissal) you are entitled to

separation pay and other benefits provided for under the Labor
Code of the Philippines.”8 (Emphasis supplied)
In contrast, respondents stood firm that the action

against them is an intra-corporate controversy. It cited
Tabang v. National Labor Relations Commission9 wherein
this Court declared that “an intra-corporate controversy is
one which arises between a stockholder and the
corporation;” that “[t]here is no distinction, qualification,
nor any exemption whatsoever;” and that it is “broad and
covers all kinds of controversies between stockholders and
corporations.” In view of this ruling and since petitioner is
undisputedly a stockholder of the corporation, respondents
contended that the action instituted by petitioner against
them is an intra-corporate controversy cognizable only by
the appropriate regional trial court. Hence, the NLRC
correctly dismissed petitioner’s complaint for lack of

jurisdiction.
In the assailed Decision10 dated June 28, 2005, the CA
sided with respondents and affirmed the NLRC’s finding
that aside from being a stockholder of respondent
corporation, petitioner is also a corporate officer thereof
and consequently, his complaint is an intra-corporate
controversy over which the labor arbiter has no
jurisdiction. Said court opined that if it was true that
petitioner is a mere employee, the respondent corporation
would not have called a board meeting to pass a resolution
for petitioner’s dismissal considering that it was very
tedious for the Board of Directors to convene and to adopt a
resolution every time they decide to dismiss their
managerial employees. To support its finding, the CA
likewise cited Tabang. As to petitioner’s co-complainants,
the CA likewise affirmed the NLRC’S finding that they
were never dis-
_______________
8 Id., at p. 117.
9 334 Phil. 424, 430; 266 SCRA 462, 468 (1997).
10 CA Rollo, pp. 370-394.
76

missed from the service. The dispositive portion of the CA

Decision reads:
“WHEREFORE, the instant petition is hereby DISMISSED.

Accordingly, the assailed decision and resolution of the public
respondent National Labor Relations Commission in NLRC NCR
CA No. 036128-03 NLRC SRAB-IV-05-6618-01-B/05-6619-02-
B/05-6620-02-B/10-6637-01-B/10-6833-01-B, STANDS.
SO ORDERED.”
Now alone but still undeterred, petitioner elevated the

case to us through this Petition for Review on Certiorari.
The Parties’ Arguments
Petitioner continues to insist that he is not a corporate
officer. He argues that a corporate officer is one who holds
an elective position as provided in the Articles of
Incorporation or one who is appointed to such other
positions by the Board of Directors as specifically
authorized by its By-Laws. And, since he was neither

elected nor is there any showing that he was appointed by
the Board of Directors to his position as Manager,
petitioner maintains that he is not a corporate officer
contrary to the findings of the NLRC and the CA.
Petitioner likewise contends that his complaint for
illegal dismissal against respondents is not an intra-
corporate controversy. He avers that for an action or suit
between a stockholder and a corporation to be considered
an intra-corporate controversy, same must arise from intra-
corporate relations, i.e., an action involving the status of a
stockholder as such. He believes that his action against the
respondents does not arise from intra-corporate relations
but rather from employer-employee relations. This,
according to him, was even impliedly recognized by
respondents as shown by the earlier quoted portion of the
termination letter they sent to him.
For their part, respondents posit that what petitioner is
essentially assailing before this Court is the finding of the
77
, JANUARY 19, 2011 77

NLRC and the CA that he is a corporate officer of

respondent corporation. To the respondents, the question of
whether petitioner is a corporate officer is a question of fact
which, as held in a long line of jurisprudence, cannot be the
subject of review under this Petition for Review on
Certiorari. At any rate, respondents insist that petitioner
who is undisputedly a stockholder of respondent
corporation is likewise a corporate officer and that his
action against them is an intra-corporate dispute beyond
the jurisdiction of the labor tribunals. To support this, they
cited several jurisprudence such as Pearson & George (S.E.
Asia), Inc. v. National Labor Relations Commission,11
Philippine School of Business Administration v. Leano,12
Fortune Cement Corporation v. National Labor Relations
Commission13 and again, Tabang v. National Labor
Relations Commission.14
Moreover, in an attempt to demolish petitioner’s claim
that the present controversy concerns employer-employee
relations, respondents enumerated the following facts and
circumstances: (1) Petitioner was an incorporator,
stockholder and manager of respondent company; (2) As an
incorporator, he was one of only seven incorporators of
respondent corporation and one of only four Filipino
members of the Board of Directors; (3) As stockholder, he

has One Thousand (1,000) of the Ten Thousand Eight
Hundred (10,800) common shares held by Filipino
stockholders, with a par-value of One Hundred Thousand
Pesos (P100,000.00); (4) His appointment as manager was
by virtue of Section 1, Article IV of respondent
corporation’s By-Laws; (5) As manager, he had direct
management and authority over all of respondent
corporation’s skilled employees; (6) Petitioner has shown
himself to be an incompetent manager, unable to properly
supervise the employees and even causing friction with the
corporation’s cli-
_______________
11 323 Phil. 166; 253 SCRA 136 (1996).

12 212 Phil. 716; 127 SCRA 778 (1984).
13 G.R. No. 79762, January 24, 1991, 193 SCRA 258.
14 Supra note 9.
78

ents by engaging in unruly behavior while in client’s

premises; (7) As if his incompetence was not enough, in a
blatant and palpable act of disloyalty, he established
another company engaged in the same line of business as
respondent corporation; (8) Because of these acts of
incompetence and disloyalty, respondent corporation
through a Resolution adopted by its Board of Directors was
finally constrained to remove petitioner as Manager and
declare his office vacant; (9) After his removal, petitioner
urged the employees under him to stage an unlawful strike
by leading them to believe that they have been illegally
dismissed from employment.15 Apparently, respondents
intended to show from this enumeration that petitioner’s
removal pertains to his relationship with respondent
corporation, that is, his utter failure to advance its interest
and the prejudice caused by his acts of disloyalty. For this
reason, respondents see the action against them not as a
case between an employer and an employee as what
petitioner alleges, but one by an officer and at same time a
major stockholder seeking to be reinstated to his former
office against the corporation that declared his position
vacant.
Finally, respondents state that the fact that petitioner is

being given benefits under the Labor Code as stated in his
termination letter does not mean that they are recognizing
the employer-employee relations between them. They
explain that the benefits provided under the Labor Code
were merely made by respondent corporation as the basis
in determining petitioner’s compensation package and that
same are merely part of the perquisites of petitioner’s office
as a director and manager. It does not and it cannot change
the intra-corporate nature of the controversy. Hence,
respondents pray that this petition be dismissed for lack of
merit.
_______________
15 Respondent’s Comment/Opposition (To the Petition for Review),

Rollo, pp. 89-100.
79
, JANUARY 19, 2011 79

Issues
From the foregoing and as earlier mentioned, the core
issue to be resolved in this case is whether petitioner’s
complaint for illegal dismissal constitutes an intra-
corporate controversy and thus, beyond the jurisdiction of
the Labor Arbiter.
Our Ruling
Two-tier test in determining the existence

of intra-corporate controversy
Respondents strongly rely on this Court’s
pronouncement in the 1997 case of Tabang v. National
Labor Relations Commission, to wit:
“[A]n intra-corporate controversy is one which arises between a

stockholder and the corporation. There is no distinction,
qualification nor any exemption whatsoever. The provision is
broad and covers all kinds of controversies between stockholders
and corporations.”16
In view of this, respondents contend that even if

petitioner challenges his being a corporate officer, the
present case still constitutes an intra-corporate controversy
as petitioner is undisputedly a stockholder and a director of
respondent corporation.
It is worthy to note, however, that before the

promulgation of the Tabang case, the Court provided in
Mainland Construction Co., Inc. v. Movilla17 a “better
policy” in determining which between the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Labor Arbiter has
jurisdiction over termination disputes,18 or similarly,
whether they are intra-corporate or not, viz.:
_______________
16 Supra note 9 at p. 430; p. 468.

17 320 Phil. 353, 359-360; 250 SCRA 290, 295 (1995).
18 See C.A. Azucena Jr.’s The Labor Code With Comments and Cases,
Volume II, 6th Edition (2007) pp. 46-49.
80

“The fact that the parties involved in the controversy are all
stockholders or that the parties involved are the stockholders and
the corporation does not necessarily place the dispute within the
ambit of the jurisdiction of the SEC (now the Regional Trial
Court19). The better policy to be followed in determining
jurisdiction over a case should be to consider concurrent
factors such as the status or relationship of the parties or
the nature of the question that is subject of their
controversy. In the absence of any one of these factors, the SEC
will not have jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not necessarily
follow that every conflict between the corporation and its
stockholders would involve such corporate matters as only SEC
(now the Regional Trial Court20) can resolve in the exercise of its
adjudicatory or quasi-judicial powers.” (Emphasis ours)
And, while Tabang was promulgated later than

Mainland Construction Co., Inc., the “better policy”
enunciated in the latter appears to have developed into a
standard approach in classifying what constitutes an intra-
corporate controversy. This is explained lengthily in Reyes
v. Regional Trial Court of Makati, Br. 142,21 to wit:
“Intra-Corporate Controversy
A review of relevant jurisprudence shows a development in the

Court’s approach in classifying what constitutes an intra-corporate
controversy. Initially, the main consideration in determining whether a
dispute constitutes an intra-corporate controversy was limited to a
consideration of the intra-corporate relationship existing between or
among the parties. The types of relationships embraced under Section

5(b) x x x were as follows:
a) between the corporation, partnership or association and the
public;
b) between the corporation, partnership or association and its
stockholders, partners, members or officers;
_______________
19 Pursuant to Section 5.2 of Republic Act No. 8799 otherwise known

as The Securities Regulation Code.
20 Id.
21 G.R. No. 165744, August 11, 2008, 561 SCRA 593, 609-612.
81
, JANUARY 19, 2011 81

c) between the corporation, partnership or association and the State

as far as its franchise, permit or license to operate is concerned;
and
d) among the stockholders, partners or associates themselves.
The existence of any of the above intra-corporate relations was
sufficient to confer jurisdiction to the SEC (now the RTC), regardless of
the subject matter of the dispute. This came to be known as the
relationship test.
However, in the 1984 case of DMRC Enterprises v. Esta del Sol
Mountain Reserve, Inc., the Court introduced the nature of the
controversy test. We declared in this case that it is not the mere
existence of an intra-corporate relationship that gives rise to an intra-
corporate controversy; to rely on the relationship test alone will divest
the regular courts of their jurisdiction for the sole reason that the dispute
involves a corporation, its directors, officers, or stockholders. We saw
that there is no legal sense in disregarding or minimizing the value of
the nature of the transactions which gives rise to the dispute.
Under the nature of the controversy test, the incidents of that
relationship must also be considered for the purpose of ascertaining
whether the controversy itself is intra-corporate. The controversy must
not only be rooted in the existence of an intra-corporate relationship, but
must as well pertain to the enforcement of the parties’ correlative rights
and obligations under the Corporation Code and the internal and intra-
corporate regulatory rules of the corporation. If the relationship and its
incidents are merely incidental to the controversy or if there will still be
conflict even if the relationship does not exist, then no intra-corporate
controversy exists.
The Court then combined the two tests and declared that jurisdiction
should be determined by considering not only the status or relationship
of the parties, but also the nature of the question under controversy. This
two-tier test was adopted in the recent case of Speed Distribution Inc. v.
Court of Appeals:
‘To determine whether a case involves an intra-corporate
controversy, and is to be heard and decided by the branches of the
RTC specifically designated by the Court to try and decide such
cases, two elements must concur: (a) the status or rela-
82

tionship of the parties, and (2) the nature of the question

that is the subject of their controversy.
The first element requires that the controversy must arise out
of intra-corporate or partnership relations between any or all of
the parties and the corporation, partnership, or association of
which they are not stockholders, members or associates, between
any or all of them and the corporation, partnership or association
of which they are stockholders, members or associates,
respectively; and between such corporation, partnership, or
association and the State insofar as it concerns the individual
franchises. The second element requires that the dispute among
the parties be intrinsically connected with the regulation of the
corporation. If the nature of the controversy involves matters that
are purely civil in character, necessarily, the case does not involve
an intra-corporate controversy.’ [Citations omitted.]
Guided by this recent jurisprudence, we thus find no

merit in respondents’ contention that the fact alone that
petitioner is a stockholder and director of respondent
corporation automatically classifies this case as an intra-
corporate controversy. To reiterate, not all conflicts
between the stockholders and the corporation are classified
as intra-corporate. There are other factors to consider in
determining whether the dispute involves corporate
matters as to consider them as intra-corporate
controversies.
What then is the nature of petitioner’s Complaint for
Illegal Dismissal? Is it intra-corporate and thus beyond the
jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter? We shall answer this
question by using the standards set forth in the Reyes case.
No intra-corporate relationship between the parties
As earlier stated, petitioner’s status as a stockholder
and director of respondent corporation is not disputed.
What the parties disagree on is the finding of the NLRC
and the CA that petitioner is a corporate officer. An
examination of the complaint for illegal dismissal, however,

reveals that the root of the controversy is petitioner’s
dismissal as Manager of
83
, JANUARY 19, 2011 83

respondent corporation, a position which respondents claim

to be a corporate office. Hence, petitioner is involved in this
case not in his capacity as a stockholder or director, but as
an alleged corporate officer. In applying the relationship
test, therefore, it is necessary to determine if petitioner is a
corporate officer of respondent corporation so as to
establish the intra-corporate relationship between the
parties. And albeit respondents claim that the
determination of whether petitioner is a corporate officer is
a question of fact which this Court cannot pass upon in this
petition for review on certiorari, we shall nonetheless
proceed to consider the same because such question is not
the main issue to be resolved in this case but is merely
collateral to the core issue earlier mentioned.
Petitioner negates his status as a corporate officer by
pointing out that although he was removed as Manager
through a board resolution, he was never elected to said
position nor was he appointed thereto by the Board of
Directors. While the By-Laws of respondent corporation
provides that the Board may from time to time appoint
such officers as it may deem necessary or proper, he avers
that respondents failed to present any board resolution
that he was appointed pursuant to said By-Laws. He
instead alleges that he was hired as Manager of respondent
corporation solely by respondent Abe. For these reasons,
petitioner claims to be a mere employee of respondent
corporation rather than as a corporate officer.
We find merit in petitioner’s contention.
“ ‘Corporate officers’ in the context of Presidential
Decree No. 902-A are those officers of the corporation who
are given that character by the Corporation Code or by the
corporation’s by-laws. There are three specific officers
whom a corporation must have under Section 25 of the
Corporation Code. These are the president, secretary and
the treasurer. The number of officers is not limited to these
three. A corporation may have such other officers as may
be provided for by its by-laws like, but not limited to, the
vice-president, cashier, auditor or gen-
84

eral manager. The number of corporate officers is thus

limited by law and by the corporation’s by-laws.”22
Respondents claim that petitioner was appointed
Manager by virtue of Section 1, Article IV of respondent
corporation’s By-Laws which provides:
ARTICLE IV
OFFICER
“Section 1. Election/Appointment.—Immediately after their
election, the Board of Directors shall formally organize by electing
the President, Vice-President, the Secretary at said meeting.
The Board, may from time to time, appoint such other
officers as it may determine to be necessary or proper. Any
two (2) or more positions may be held concurrently by the same
person, except that no one shall act as President and Treasurer or
Secretary at the same time.
x x x x”23 (Emphasis ours)
We have however examined the records of this case and

we find nothing to prove that petitioner’s appointment was
made pursuant to the above-quoted provision of respondent
corporation’s By-Laws. No copy of board resolution
appointing petitioner as Manager or any other document
showing that he was appointed to said position by action of
the board was submitted by respondents. What we found
instead were mere allegations of respondents in their
various pleadings24 that petitioner was appointed as
Manager of respondent corpora-
_______________
22 Garcia v. Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc., G.R. Nos.

173115 and 173163-164, April 16, 2009, 585 SCRA 450, 468.
23 CA Rollo, pp. 266-273.
24 Respondents’ Position Paper filed with the Labor Arbiter, id., at pp.
94-113; Memorandum on Appeal and Rejoinder filed with the NLRC, id.,
at pp. 182-220 and 285-294; Comment filed with the CA, id., at pp. 302-
319; Comment/Opposition (To The Petition for Review) and Memorandum
filed before this Court, Rollo, pp. 89-100 and 169-187.
85
, JANUARY 19, 2011 85

tion and nothing more. “The Court has stressed time and
again that allegations must be proven by sufficient
evidence because mere allegation is definitely not
evidence.”25
It also does not escape our attention that respondents
made the following conflicting allegations in their
Memorandum on Appeal26 filed before the NLRC which
cast doubt on petitioner’s status as a corporate officer, to
wit:
“x x x x
24. Complainant-appellee Renato Real was appointed as the
manager of respondent-appellant Sangu on November 6, 1998.
Priorly [sic], he was working at Atlas Ltd. Co. at Mito-shi,
Ibaraki-ken Japan. He was staying in Japan as an illegal alien for
the past eleven (11) years. He had a problem with his family here
in the Philippines which prompted him to surrender himself to
Japan’s Bureau of Immigration and was deported back to the
Philippines. His former employer, Mr. Tsutomo Nogami requested
Mr. Masahiko Shibata, one of respondent-appellant Sangu’s
Board of Directors, if complainant-appellee Renato Real could
work as one of its employees here in the Philippines because he
had been blacklisted at Japan’s Immigration Office and could no
longer go back to Japan. And so it was arranged that he
would serve as respondent-appellant Sangu’s manager,
receiving a salary of P25,000.00. As such, he was tasked to
oversee the operations of the company. x x x (Emphasis ours)
x x x x
As earlier stated, complainant-appellee Renato Real was hired
as the manager of respondent-appellant Sangu. As such, his
position was reposed with full trust and confidence. x x x”
While respondents repeatedly claim that petitioner was

appointed as Manager pursuant to the corporation’s By-
Laws,
_______________
25 General Milling Corporation v. Casio, G.R. No. 149552, March 10,

2010, 615 SCRA 13 citing Rimbunan Hijau Group of Companies v.
Oriental Wood Processing Corporation, 507 Phil. 631, 648-649; 470 SCRA
650, 665 (2005).
26 CA Rollo, pp. 122-220 at 191 and 212.
86

the above-quoted inconsistencies in their allegations as to

how petitioner was placed in said position, coupled by the
fact that they failed to produce any documentary evidence
to prove that petitioner was appointed thereto by action or
with approval of the board, only leads this Court to believe
otherwise. It has been consistently held that “[a]n ‘office’ is
created by the charter of the corporation and the officer is
elected (or appointed) by the directors or stockholders.”27
Clearly here, respondents failed to prove that petitioner
was appointed by the board of directors. Thus, we cannot
subscribe to their claim that petitioner is a corporate
officer. Having said this, we find that there is no intra-
corporate relationship between the parties insofar as
petitioner’s complaint for illegal dismissal is concerned and
that same does not satisfy the relationship test.
Present controversy does not relate
to intra-corporate dispute
We now go to the nature of controversy test. As earlier
stated, respondents terminated the services of petitioner
for the following reasons: (1) his continuous absences at his
post at Ogino Philippines, Inc; (2) respondents’ loss of trust
and confidence on petitioner; and, (3) to cut down
operational expenses to reduce further losses being
experienced by the corporation. Hence, petitioner filed a
complaint for illegal dismissal and sought reinstatement,
backwages, moral damages and attorney’s fees. From
these, it is not difficult to see that the reasons given by
respondents for dismissing petitioner have something to do
with his being a Manager of respondent corporation and
nothing with his being a director or stockholder. For one,
petitioner’s continuous absences in his post in Ogino
relates to his performance as Manager. Second,
respondents’ loss of trust and confidence in petitioner
_______________
27 Easycall Communications Phils., Inc. v. King, G.R. No. 145901,

December 15, 2005, 478 SCRA 102, 110.
87
, JANUARY 19, 2011 87

stemmed from his alleged acts of establishing a company

engaged in the same line of business as respondent
corporation’s and submitting proposals to the latter’s
clients while he was still serving as its Manager. While we
note that respondents also claim these acts as constituting
acts of disloyalty of petitioner as director and stockholder,
we, however, think that same is a mere afterthought on
their part to make it appear that the present case involves
an element of intra-corporate controversy. This is because
before the Labor Arbiter, respondents did not see such acts
to be disloyal acts of a director and stockholder but rather,
as constituting willful breach of the trust reposed upon
petitioner as Manager.28 It was only after respondents
invoked the Labor Arbiter’s lack of jurisdiction over
petitioner’s complaint in the Supplemental Memorandum
of Appeal29 filed before the NLRC that respondents started
considering said acts as such. Third, in saying that they
were dismissing petitioner to cut operational expenses,
respondents actually want to save on the salaries and other
remunerations being given to petitioner as its Manager.
Thus, when petitioner sought for reinstatement, he wanted
to recover his position as Manager, a position which we
have, however, earlier declared to be not a corporate
position. He is not trying to recover a seat in the board of
directors or to any appointive or elective corporate position
which has been declared vacant by the board. Certainly,
what we have here is a case of termination of employment
which is a labor controversy and not an intra-corporate
dispute. In sum, we hold that petitioner’s complaint
likewise does not satisfy the nature of controversy test.
With the elements of intra-corporate controversy being
absent in this case, we thus hold that petitioner’s complaint
for illegal dismissal against respondents is not intra-
corporate. Rather, it is a termination dispute and,
consequently, falls
_______________
28 Respondents’ Position Paper, CA Rollo, pp. 94-113 at 109-110.

29 Id., at pp. 221-236.
88

under the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter pursuant to

Section 21730 of the Labor Code.
We take note of the cases cited by respondents and find

them inapplicable to the case at bar. Fortune Cement
Corporation v. National Labor Relations Commission31
involves a member of the board of directors and at the
same time a corporate officer who claims he was illegally
dismissed after he was stripped of his corporate position of
Executive Vice-President because of loss of trust and
confidence. On the other hand, Philippine School of
Business Administration v. Leano32 and Pearson & George
v. National Labor Relations Commis-
_______________
30 ART. 217. Jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiters and the Commission.

(a) Except as otherwise provided under this Code, the Labor Arbiters shall
have original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within thirty
(30) calendar days after the submission of the case by the parties for
decision without extension, even in the absence of stenographic notes, the
following cases involving all workers, whether agricultural or non-
agricultural:
1. Unfair labor practice cases;
2. Termination disputes;
3. If accompanied with a claim for reinstatement, those cases that
workers may file involving wages, rates of pay, hours of work and other
terms and conditions of employment;
4. Claims for actual, moral, exemplary and other forms of damages
arising from the employer-employee relations;
5. Cases arising from any violation of Article 264 of this Code,
including questions involving the legality of strikes and lock-outs; and
6. Except claims for Employees Compensation, Social Security,
Medicare and Maternity benefits, all other claims arising from employer-
employee relations, including those of persons in domestic or household
service, involving an amount exceeding five thousand pesos (P5,000.00)
regardless of whether accompanied with a claim for reinstatement.
x x x x
31 Supra note 13.
32 Supra note 12.
89
, JANUARY 19, 2011 89

sion33 both concern a complaint for illegal dismissal by

corporate officers who were not re-elected to their
respective corporate positions. The Court declared all these
cases as involving intra-corporate controversies and thus
affirmed the jurisdiction of the SEC (now the RTC)34 over
them precisely because they all relate to corporate officers

and their removal or non-reelection to their respective
corporate positions. Said cases are by no means similar to
the present case because as discussed earlier, petitioner
here is not a corporate officer.
With the foregoing, it is clear that the CA erred in
affirming the decision of the NLRC which dismissed
petitioner’s complaint for lack of jurisdiction. In cases such
as this, the Court normally remands the case to the NLRC
and directs it to properly dispose of the case on the merits.
“However, when there is enough basis on which a proper
evaluation of the merits of petitioner’s case may be had, the
Court may dispense with the time-consuming procedure of
remand in order to prevent further delays in the
disposition of the case.”35 “It is already an accepted rule of
procedure for us to strive to settle the entire controversy in
a single proceeding, leaving no root or branch to bear the
seeds of litigation. If, based on the records, the pleadings,
and other evidence, the dispute can be resolved by us, we
will do so to serve the ends of justice instead of remanding
the case to the lower court for further proceedings.”36 We
have gone over the records before us and we are convinced
that we can now altogether resolve the issue
_______________
33 Supra note 11 at pp. 173-174.

34 Pursuant to Section 5.2 of Republic Act No. 8799 otherwise known
as The Securities Regulation Code.
35 Leandro M. Alcantara v. The Philippine Commercial and
International Bank, G.R. No. 151349, October 20, 2010, 634 SCRA 48
citing Somoso v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 78050, October 23, 1989, 178
SCRA 654, 663; Bach v. Ongkiko Kalaw Manhit & Acorda Law Offices,
G.R. No. 160334, September 11, 2006, 501 SCRA 419, 426.
36 Id., citing Apo Fruits Corporation v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
164195, February 6, 2007, 514 SCRA 537, 555.
90

of the validity of petitioner’s dismissal and hence, we shall

proceed to do so.
Petitioner’s dismissal not in accordance with law
“In an illegal dismissal case, the onus probandi rests on
the employer to prove that [the] dismissal of an employee is
for a valid cause.”37 Here, as correctly observed by the
Labor Arbiter, respondents failed to produce any

convincing proof to support the grounds for which they
terminated petitioner. Respondents contend that petitioner
has been absent for several months, yet they failed to
present any proof that petitioner was indeed absent for
such a long time. Also, the fact that petitioner was still able
to collect his salaries after his alleged absences casts
doubts on the truthfulness of such charge. Respondents
likewise allege that petitioner engaged in a heated
argument with the employees of Epson, one of respondents’
clients. But just like in the charge of absenteeism, there is
no showing that an investigation on the matter was done
and that disciplinary action was imposed upon petitioner.
At any rate, we have reviewed the records of this case and
we agree with the Labor Arbiter that under the
circumstances, said charges are not sufficient bases for
petitioner’s termination. As to the charge of breach of trust
allegedly committed by petitioner when he established a
new company engaged in the same line of business as
respondent corporation’s and submitted proposals to two of
the latter’s clients while he was still a Manager, we again
observe that these are mere allegations without sufficient
proof. To reiterate, allegations must be proven by sufficient
evidence because mere allegation is definitely not
evidence.38
Moreover, petitioner’s dismissal was effected without
due process of law. “The twin requirements of notice and
hearing
_______________
37 Pepsi Cola Products Philippines, Inc. v. Santos, G.R. No. 165968,
April 14, 2008, 551 SCRA 245, 252.
38 Supra note 25.
91
, JANUARY 19, 2011 91

constitute the essential elements of due process. The law

requires the employer to furnish the employee sought to be
dismissed with two written notices before termination of
employment can be legally effected: (1) a written notice
apprising the employee of the particular acts or omissions
for which his dismissal is sought in order to afford him an
opportunity to be heard and to defend himself with the
assistance of counsel, if he desires, and (2) a subsequent
notice informing the employee of the employer’s decision to

dismiss him. This procedure is mandatory and its absence
taints the dismissal with illegality.”39 Since in this case,
petitioner’s dismissal was effected through a board
resolution and all that petitioner received was a letter
informing him of the board’s decision to terminate him, the
abovementioned procedure was clearly not complied with.
All told, we agree with the findings of the Labor Arbiter
that petitioner has been illegally dismissed. And, as an
illegally dismissed employee is entitled to the two reliefs of
backwages and reinstatement,40 we affirm the Labor
Arbiter’s judgment ordering petitioner’s reinstatement to
his former position without loss of seniority rights and
other privileges and awarding backwages from the time of
his dismissal until actually reinstated. Considering that
petitioner has to secure the services of counsel to protect
his interest and necessarily has to incur expenses, we
likewise affirm the award of attorney’s fees which is
equivalent to 10% of the total backwages that respondents
must pay petitioner in accordance with this Decision.
WHEREFORE, the petition is hereby GRANTED. The
assailed June 28, 2005 Decision of the Court of Appeals
insofar as it affirmed the National Labor Relations
Commission’s dismissal of petitioner’s complaint for lack of
jurisdiction, is hereby REVERSED and SET ASIDE. The
June 5, 2003 Decision of the Labor Arbiter with respect to
petitioner Renato
_______________
39 Supra note 27 at pp. 113-114.

40 Golden Ace Builders v. Jose Talde, G.R. No. 187200, May 5, 2010,
620 SCRA 283.
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7/20/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 640

WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED. The Orders

Corona (C.J., Chairperson), Velasco, Jr., Leonardo-De

Petition granted, orders set aside.

Note.—Jurisdiction in ejectment cases is determined by

G.R. No. 168757. January 19, 2011.*

RENATO REAL, petitioner, vs. SANGU PHILIPPINES,

Corporation Law; Intra-Corporate Controversies; Jurisdiction;

68 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Real vs. Sangu Philippines, Inc.

ing which between the Securities and Exchange Commission

, JANUARY 19, 2011 69

Real vs. Sangu Philippines, Inc.

like, but not limited to, the vice-president, cashier, auditor or

70 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

DEL CASTILLO, J.:

1 CA Rollo, pp. 370-394; penned by Associate Justice Perlita J. Tria-

, JANUARY 19, 2011 71

With regard to petitioner, he was removed from his

Petitioner complained that he was neither notified of the

3 Id., at pp. 115-116.

72 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Resolution No. 2001-03 removing petitioner as Manager.

Further, in what respondents believed to be an act of

5 Id., at pp. 162-181.

, JANUARY 19, 2011 73

poration, hence, his action against respondents is an intra-

weight to the corporation’s General Information Sheet6

“WHEREFORE, all foregoing premises considered, the

Still joined by his co-complainants, petitioner brought

6 Id., at pp. 237-240.

74 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Ruling of the Court of Appeals

being a managerial employee do not ipso facto confer upon

, JANUARY 19, 2011 75

“In this connection (his dismissal) you are entitled to

In contrast, respondents stood firm that the action

correctly dismissed petitioner’s complaint for lack of

76 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

missed from the service. The dispositive portion of the CA

“WHEREFORE, the instant petition is hereby DISMISSED.

Now alone but still undeterred, petitioner elevated the

authorized by its By-Laws. And, since he was neither

, JANUARY 19, 2011 77

NLRC and the CA that he is a corporate officer of

members of the Board of Directors; (3) As stockholder, he

11 323 Phil. 166; 253 SCRA 136 (1996).

78 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

ents by engaging in unruly behavior while in client’s

Finally, respondents state that the fact that petitioner is

15 Respondent’s Comment/Opposition (To the Petition for Review),

, JANUARY 19, 2011 79

Two-tier test in determining the existence

“[A]n intra-corporate controversy is one which arises between a

In view of this, respondents contend that even if

It is worthy to note, however, that before the

16 Supra note 9 at p. 430; p. 468.

80 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED