Booc vs. Bantuas 354 SCRA 279
Booc vs. Bantuas 354 SCRA 279
Booc vs. Bantuas 354 SCRA 279
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Respondent sheriff said that while complainant Salvador Booc made a demand for the
cancellation of levy made, the former deemed it wise to have the judgment satisfied in accordance
with Section 39 of the Rules of Court Respondent sheriff added that the trial court where the case for
Quieting of Title filed by the corporation was pending ordered the auction sale of the shares of stock
of Rufino Booc. The corporation allegedly never questioned said order of the RTC.
Finally, respondent sheriff averred that the corporation is merely a dummy of Rufino Booc and
his brother Sheikding Booc. Respondent sheriff submitted as an exhibit an affidavit executed by
Sheikding Booc wherein the latter admitted that when Judge Felipe Javier won in the civil case
against Rufino Booc, the latter simulated a transfer of his shares of stock in Five Star Marketing
Corporation so that the property may not be levied upon. 1
Complainant, in his reply to respondent sheriffs comment belied the latter's allegation that the
corporation never questioned the auction sale. Complainant averred that contrary to the respondent
sheriff's assertion, the trial court in fact issued a restraining order which was withdrawn after plaintiff's
counsel manifested that the respondent sheriff would only auction Rufino Booc's shares of stock in the
corporation and not the subject property.
The OCA found respondent sheriff liable for the charges filed against him, stating that
respondent sheriff acted in bad faith when he auctioned the subject property inasmuch as Judge
Mangotara had already warned him that the public auction should pertain only to shares of stock
owned by Rufino Booc in Five Star Marketing Corporation. Respondent sheriff, however, in violation
of the order issued by Judge Mangotara and in disregard of the manifestation filed by plaintiffs
counsel that the sale should involve only the shares of stock, proceeded to auction the subject
property. The OCA, thus, made the recommendation that:
1) The instant case be RE-DOCKETED as a regular administrative matter; and
2) Respondent Sheriff Malayo B. Bantuas be FINED in the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos
(P10,000.00) for conducting the auction sale in violation of the terms of the order issued by
Acting Presiding Judge Mamindiara P. Mangotara with a STERN WARNING that a
commission of the same or similar acts in the future shall be dealt with more severely.
A careful scrutiny of the records shows that respondent sheriff, in filing a notice of levy on the
subject property as well as in the certificate of sale, did not fail to mention that what was being levied
upon and sold was whatever shares, rights, interests and participation Rufino Booc, as president and
stockholder in Five Star Marketing Corporation may have on subject property. Respondent sheriff,
however, overstepped his authority when he disregarded the distinct and separate personality of the
corporation from that of Rufino Booc as stockholder of the corporation by levying on the property of
the corporation. Respondent sheriff should not have made the levy based on mere conjecture that
since Rufino Booc is a stockholder and officer of the corporation, then he might have an interest or
share in the subject property.
It is settled that a corporation is clothed with a personality separate and distinct from that of its
stockholders. It may not be held liable for the personal indebtedness of its stockholders. In the case
of Del Rosario vs. Bascar, Jr, 2 we imposed the fine of P5,000.00 on respondent sheriff Bascar for
"allocating unto himself the power of the court to 'pierce the veil of corporate entity' and improvidently
assuming that since complainant Esperanza del Rosario is the treasurer of Miradel Development
Corporation, they are one and the same." In the said case we reiterated the principle that the mere
fact that one is a president of the corporation does not render the property he owns or possesses the
property of the corporation since the president, as an individual, and the corporation are separate
entities.
Based on the foregoing, respondent Sheriff Bantuas has clearly acted beyond his authority
when he levied the property of Five Star Marketing Corporation. The fact, however, that respondent
sheriff, in levying said property, had stated in the notice of levy as well as in the certificate of sale that
what was being levied upon and sold was whatever rights, shares interest and/or participation Rufino
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Booc, as stockholder and president in the corporation, may have on the subject property, shows that
respondent sheriff's conduct was impelled partly by ignorance of Corporation Law and partly by mere
overzealousness to comply with his duties and not by bad faith or blatant disregard of the trial court's
order. Hence, we deem that the penalty of a fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) to be imposed
on respondent sheriff would suffice.
WHEREFORE, respondent Malayo B. Bantuas, Sheriff IV of the RTC of Iligan City, Branch 3,
is hereby FINED in the sum of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) with the STERN WARNING that a
repetition of the same or similar acts in the future will be dealt with more severely. SO ORDERED.
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