Grandfather Rule Defined and Delimited in Wilson Gamboa Versus Teves
Grandfather Rule Defined and Delimited in Wilson Gamboa Versus Teves
SOURCE: HEIRS OF WILSON P. GAMBOA, PETITIONERS, VS. FINANCE SECRETARY MARGARITO B. TEVES, FINANCE UNDERSECRETARY JOHN P. SEVILLA, AND COMMISSIONER RICARDO ABCEDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON GOOD GOVERNMENT (PCGG) IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS CHAIR AND MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE PRIVATIZATION COUNCIL, CHAIRMAN ANTHONI SALIM OF FIRST PACIFIC CO., LTD. IN HIS CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF METRO PACIFIC ASSET HOLDINGS INC., CHAIRMAN MANUEL V. PANGILINAN OF PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY (PLDT) IN HIS CAPACITY AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FIRST PACIFIC CO., LTD., PRESIDENT NAPOLEON L. NAZARENO OF PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY, CHAIR FE BARIN OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, AND PRESIDENT FRANCIS LIM OF THE PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, RESPONDENTS. (G.R. NO. 176579, 09 OCTOBER 2012, CARPIO, J.) SUBJECT/S: DEFINITION OF CAPITAL IN CORPORATION LAW; THE GODFATHER RULE (BRIEF TITLE: HEIRS OF GAMBOA VS. TEVES) ===================== SUBJECTS/DOCTRINES/DIGEST: WHAT IS THE GRANDFATHER RULE? COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATION(S) ON ENGAGING IN NATIONALIZED ACTIVITIES MUST BE DETERMINED BY ASCERTAINING IF 60% OF THE INVESTING CORPORATIONS OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK IS OWNED BY FILIPINO CITIZENS, OR AS INTERPRETED, BY NATURAL OR INDIVIDUAL FILIPINO CITIZENS. IF SUCH INVESTING CORPORATION IS IN TURN OWNED TO SOME EXTENT BY ANOTHER INVESTING CORPORATION, THE SAME PROCESS MUST BE OBSERVED. ONE MUST NOT STOP UNTIL THE CITIZENSHIPS OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR NATURAL STOCKHOLDERS OF LAYER AFTER LAYER OF INVESTING CORPORATIONS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX IS THE GRANDFATHER RULE APPLICABLE TO THIS CASE?
YES. EVEN SEC APPLIED IT. Significantly, the SEC en banc, which is the collegial body statutorily empowered to issue rules and opinions on behalf of the SEC, has adopted the 60-40 ownership requirement in favor of Filipino citizens mandated by the Constitution for certain economic activities. This prevailing SEC ruling, which the SEC correctly adopted to thwart any circumvention of the required Filipino ownership and control, is laid down in the 25 March 2010 SEC en banc ruling in Redmont Consolidated Mines, Corp. v. McArthur Mining, Inc., et al.,15 to wit: The avowed purpose of the Constitution is to place in the hands of Filipinos the exploitation of our natural resources. Necessarily, therefore, the Rule interpreting the constitutional provision should not diminish that right through the legal fiction of corporate ownership and control. But the constitutional
WHAT WAS THE MAIN RULING IN THE 28 JUNE 2011 DECISION OF THE SC REGARDING THIS CASE? THAT THAT THE 60-40 OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENT IN FAVOR OF FILIPINO CITIZENS IN THE CONSTITUTION TO ENGAGE IN CERTAIN ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES APPLIES NOT ONLY TO VOTING CONTROL OF THE CORPORATION, BUT ALSO TO THE BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF THE CORPORATION. MERE LEGAL TITLE IS INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE 60 PERCENT FILIPINO OWNED CAPITAL REQUIRED IN THE CONSTITUTION. FULL BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF 60 PERCENT OF THE OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK, COUPLED WITH 60 PERCENT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS, IS REQUIRED. THE LEGAL AND BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF 60 PERCENT OF THE OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK MUST REST IN THE HANDS OF FILIPINO NATIONALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE. OTHERWISE, THE CORPORATION IS CONSIDERED AS NON-PHILIPPINE NATIONAL[S]. BOTH THE VOTING CONTROL TEST AND THE BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP TEST MUST BE APPLIED TO DETERMINE WHETHER A CORPORATION IS A PHILIPPINE NATIONAL.
SUPPOSE A PETITION FOR REVIEW IS PROCEDURALLY DEFECTIVE. WILL THE SUPREME STILL ENTERTAIN THE PETITION?
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THE INTERPRETATION OF THE TERM CAPITAL IN SECTION 11, ARTICLE XII OF THE CONSTITUTION HAS FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. IN FACT, A RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER FILIPINOS ARE MASTERS, OR SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS, IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE IS WHETHER FILIPINOS OR FOREIGNERS WILL HAVE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ECONOMY. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PANGILINAN ET AL CONTEND THAT THE TERM CAPITAL IN SECTION 11, ARTICLE XII OF THE CONSTITUTION HAS LONG BEEN SETTLED AND DEFINED TO REFER TO THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING SHARES OF STOCK, WHETHER VOTING OR NON-VOTING. IS THEIR CONTENTION CORRECT?
WILSON P. GAMBOA, Petitioner, vs. FINANCE SECRETARY MARGARITO B. TEVES, FINANCE UNDERSECRETARY JOHN P. SEVILLA, AND COMMISSIONER RICARDO ABCEDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON GOOD GOVERNMENT (PCGG) IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS CHAIR AND MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE PRIVATIZATION COUNCIL, CHAIRMAN ANTHONI SALIM OF FIRST PACIFIC CO., LTD. IN HIS CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF METRO PACIFIC ASSET HOLDINGS INC., CHAIRMAN MANUEL V. PANGILINAN OF PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY (PLDT) IN HIS CAPACITY AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FIRST PACIFIC CO., LTD., PRESIDENT NAPOLEON L. NAZARENO OF PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY, CHAIR FE BARIN OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE COMMISSION, and PRESIDENT FRANCIS LIM OF THE PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, Respondents. PABLITO V. SANIDAD and ARNO V. SANIDAD, Petitioners-in-Intervention.
Section 11, Article XII (National Economy and Patrimony) of the 1987 Constitution mandates the Filipinization of public utilities, to wit: Section 11. No franchise, certificate, or any other form of authorization for the operation of a public utility shall be granted except to citizens of the Philippines or to corporations or associations organized under the laws of the Philippines, at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens; nor shall such franchise, certificate, or authorization be exclusive in character or for a longer period than fifty years. Neither shall any such franchise or right be granted except under the condition that it shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress when the common good so requires. The State shall encourage equity participation in public utilities by the general public. The participation of foreign investors in the governing body of any public utility enterprise shall be limited to their proportionate share in its capital, and all the executive and managing officers of such corporation or association must be citizens of the Philippines. (Emphasis supplied) The above provision substantially reiterates Section 5, Article XIV of the 1973 Constitution, thus: