Professional Documents
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Gurrea Vs Lezama
Gurrea Vs Lezama
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
G.R. No. L-10556
construing statutes renting only to 'officers' of corporations. Generally the officers of a corporation are
enumerated in its charter or by-laws, and include a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and
sometimes others. The statutes in most of the states expressly provide for the election of a president,
secretary and treasurer, and then provide, that there shall be such other officers, agents and factors as the
corporation shall authorize for that purpose. If the charter expressly enumerates who shall be officers of the
company, a person whose position is not enumerated is not an officer as to members of the corporation,
since the charter is conclusive upon them" (Fletcher, Cyclopedia of the Law of Private Corporations, Vol. II,
p. 19). It has been likewise held "that the offices pertaining to a private corporation are defined in its charter
and by-laws, and that no other positions in the service of the corporation are offices" (Ann. 53 A.L.R., 599).
Indeed, there are authorities galore that hold that a general manager is not an officer of a corporation, even
if his powers and influence may be as great as those of any officer in said organization.
Officers Distinguished from Mere Employees. As already stated, both officers and employees are
agents of the corporation and the difference between them is largely one of degree; the officers are
the most important employees exercising greater authority or power in the management of the
business. Ordinarily, too, the principal offices are designated by statute, charter or by-law
provisions, and specific duties are imposed upon certain officers. Thus the state statute or a by-law
may provide that stock certificates shall be signed by the president and countersigned by the
secretary or treasurer. The general manager of a corporation is not ordinarily classed as an officer,
but his powers and influence may be quite as great as those of any person in the organization .
(Grange, Corporation Law for Officers and Directors, p. 432; Emphasis supplied.)
One distinction between officers and agents of a corporation lies in the manner of their creation. An
officer is created by the charter of the corporation, and the officer is elected by the directors or the
stockholders. An agency is usually created by the officers, or one or more of them, and the agent is
appointed by the same authority. It is clear that the two terms officers and agents are by no means
interchangeable. One, deriving its existence from the other, and being dependent upon that other
for its continuation, is necessarily restricted in its powers and duties, and such powers and duties,
are not necessarily the same as those pertaining to the authority creating it. The officers, as such,
are the corporation. An agent is an employee. "A mere employment, however liberally
compensated, does not rise to the dignity of an office."21 Am and Eng. Enc. Law (2d Ed.) 836. In
Wheeler and Wilson Mfg. Co. vs. Lawson, 57 Wis. 400, 15 N. W. 398, it was held that under a
statute requiring an affidavit to be made by an officer of a corporation, the general agent or
managing agent, within the state, of a foreign corporation is not an officer. In Farmers' Loan and
Trust Co. vs. Warring, 20 Wis. 305, service was made upon the "principal agent" of a corporation
holding in trust a railroad, when the statute required service upon a "principal officer." In answering
the question whether or not the agent was a principal officer the court said: "It is evident he was
not, and must be regarded only as an agent not an officer of any kind, much less a principal
officer." A ruling that a "general manager" of a corporation was not authorized to verify pleadings,
under a statute requiring verification by "an officer" was made in Meton vs. Isham Wagon Co. (Sup.)
4 N. Y. Supp. 215. In Raleigh, etc. R. Co. vs. Pullman Co., 122 Ga. 704, 5O S.E. 1008 (4), it was
held that the term "general manager." as applied to one representing a corporation, and especially
a railroad corporation, imported an agent of a very extensive authority; but it was not ruled that
even the term "general manager" would import that the person holding that position was
necessarily an officer of the company. One distinction between an officer and an agent suggested
in Commonwealth vs. Christian, 9 Phila. (Pa.) 558, is that on officer of a corporation, if illegally
excluded from his office, may by mandamus compel the corporation, to reinstate him; while an
agent may be dismissed without cause, and his only remedy would be compensation in damages. It
would not be contended that the "general agent of the defendant at Columbus," in the event of his
discharge, could be reinstated by mandamus. We do not think the general agent at Columbus was
an officer of the defendant company. Therefore his alleged waiver of a condition in the policy was
not binding upon the company. (Vardeman vs. Penn. Mut. Life Ins. Co. 125 Ga. 117, 54 S.E. P. 66;
Emphasis supplied.)
The plaintiff-predicates this action on said contract, and claims that the same being signed by the
defendant through its "general manager" if admitted evidence, would show sufficient authority prima
facie to do any act which the directors could authorize or ratify. The instrument in question being
signed by James W. Codle, "General Manager" and no evidence in the trial being produced
showing the duties of said manager or what kind of an office he was general manager of, the
"general manager" without proof as to the nature of services performed by the persons called
"general manager", have no meaning in law, excepting that the persons bearing the title is an
employee who has been designated with a title. It does not make him an officer of the company
employing him. (Studerbaker Bros. Co. vs. R. M. Rose Co., 119 N.Y.S pp. 970, 97; Emphasis
supplied.)
We therefore hold that plaintiff has been properly removed when the board of directors of the instant
corporation approved its Resolution No. 65 on June 3, 1948.
We will now clarify some of the points raised by the distinguished dissenter in his dissenting opinion.
The fact that the "manager" of the corporation in the several statutes enacted by Congress is held
criminally liable for violation of any of the penal provisions therein prescribed does not make him an
"officer" of the corporation. This liability flows from the nature of his duties which are delegated to him by
the board of directors. He is paid for them. Hence, he has to answer for them should he use it in violation of
law. In the case of Robinson vs. Moark-Nemo Consol Mining Co., et al., 163 S. W. 889, in connection with
the liability of the manager, the court said:
Common justice and common sense demand that, where those in charge and control of the
management of a corporation direct it along paths of wrongdoing, they should be held accountable
by law. . . . This doctrine will prevent many wrongs, and have a salutary influence in bringing about
the lawful and orderly management of corporations.
It is claimed that the cases of Meton vs. Isham Wagon, 4 N.Y.S., 215 and State vs. Bergs, 217 N. W., 736,
supporting the theory that a manager is not necessarily an officer, are in illo tempore.1 It is submitted that
we do not adopt a rule just because it is new nor reject another just because it is old. We adopt a rule
because it is a good and sound rule. The fact however is that they are not the only authorities supporting
that theory. Additional cases are cited by Fletcher in support thereof, such as the cases of
Vardeman vs. Penn. Mut. Life Ins. Co., supraStudebaker Bros. Co. vs. R. M. Rose Co., supra.
The dissenting opinion quotes from Thompson and Fletcher to support the theory that the general manager
of a corporation may be considered as its principal officer even though not so mentioned in its charter or
bylaws. We have examined the cast cited in support of that theory but we have found that they are not in
point. Thus, we have found (1) that the parties involved are mostly outsiders who press their transactions
against the corporation; (2) that the point raised is whether the acts of the manager bind the corporation;
(3) that the tendency of the courts is to hold the corporation liable for the acts of the manager so long as
they are within the powers granted, hence, the courts emphasized the importance of the position of
manager; and (4) the position of manager was discussed from the point of view of an outsider and not from
the internal organization of the corporation, or in accordance with its charter or by-laws. In the present
case, however, the parties are the manager and the corporation. And the solution of the problem hinges on
the internal government of the corporation where the charter and the by-laws are necessarily involved in
the determination of the rights of the parties. Indeed, it has been held: "But it is urged that a corporation
may have officers not recognized by the charter and by-laws. It is possible this may be as to matters
arising between strangers and the corporation." [Com. vs. Christian, 9 Phila. (Pa.) 556; emphasis supplied].
The cases on all fours with the present are those of State ex rel Blackwood vs. Brast, et al., 127 S. E. 507
and Denton Milling Co. vs. Blewitt, 254 S. W. 236, 238, where the parties involved are the manager and the
corporation. The issue raised is the relation of the manager towards the corporation. The position of the
manager is discussed from the point of view of its internal government. And the holding of the court is that
the manager is the creation of the board of directors and the agent through whom the corporate duties of
the board are performed. Hence, the manager holds his position at the pleasure of the board. This
stipulation is well expressed in the following words of Thompson:
The word "manager" implies agency, control, and presumptively sufficient authority to bind a
corporation in a case in which the corporation was an actual party. It has been said that such agent
must have the same general supervision of the corporation as is associated with the office of
cashier or secretary. By whatever name he may be called, such, managing agent is a mere
employee of the board of directors and holds his position subject to the particular contract of
employment; and unless the contract of employment fixes his term of office, it may be terminated at
the pleasure of the board. . . . The manager, like any other appointed agent, is subject to removal
when his term expires and on the request of the proper officer he should turn over his business to
the corporation and, where he refuses to comply, he may be restrained from the further
performance of work for the corporation. (Thompson on Corporations, Vol. III, 3rd., pp. 209-210;
Emphasis supplied.)
It is not correct to hold that the theory that a manager is not classed as an officer of a corporation is only
the minority view. If we consider the states that hold that managers are merely agents or employees as
among those that hold the theory that managers are not necessarily officers, then our theory is supported
by the majority view. Indeed, this view is upheld by nine states, 2 whereas only six states adopt the view
that managers are considered principal officers of the corporation. 3
The dissenting opinion quotes the provision of the bylaws relative to the administration of the affairs of the
instant corporation. It is there provided that the affairs of the corporation shall be successively administered
by (1) the stockholders; (2) the board of directors; and(3) the manager. From this it concludes that the
manager should be considered an officer.
The above enumeration only emphasizes the different organs through which the affairs of the corporation
should be administered and the order in which the powers should be exercised. The stockholders are the
entity, composing the whole corporation. The board of directors is the entity elected by the stockholders to
manage the affairs of the corporation. And the manager is the individual appointed by the board of directors
to carry out the powers delegated to him. In other words, the manager is the creation of the board of
directors. He is an alter egoof the board. As our law provides that only those enumerated in the charter or
in the by-laws are considered officers, the manager who has not been so enumerated therein, but only
incidentally mentioned in the order of management, cannot be considered an officer of the corporation
within their purview.
The mere fact that the directors are not mentioned in the by-laws as officers does not deprive them of their
category as such for their character as officer is secured in the charter. The same is not true with the
manager. Customs and corporate usages cannot prevail over the express provisions of the charter and the
by-laws.
There is no comparison between an appointee of the President, especially one in the judiciary, and the
appointee of the board of directors of a corporation. In the first case, removal is especially provided for by
law and in the second, the appointee holds office at the pleasure of the board. And with regard to the
powers of the board of director, to remove a manager of the corporation, Thompson has the following to
say:
. . . Below the grade of director and such other officers as are elected by the corporation at large,
the general rule is that the officers of private corporations hold their offices during the will of the
directors, and are hence removable by the directors without assigning any cause for the removal,
except so far as their power may be restrained by contract with the particular officer, just as any
other employer may discharge his employee. Speaking generally, it may be said that the power to
appoint carries with it the power to remove. . . . the directors who appoint a ministerial officer may
undoubtedly remove him at pleasure, and he has no remedy other than an action for damages
against the corporation for a breach of contract. . . . The ordinary ministerial and other lesser
officers, however, hold their offices during the pleasure of the directors and may be removed at will,
without assigned cause. Of this class of officers and agents are the secretary and treasurer of the
corporation, the general manager, the assistant manager, the field manager, the attorney of the
company, an assistant horticulturist, and the bookkeepers. (Thompson on Corporations, Vol. III,
521-523.)
Wherefore, the decision appealed from is affirmed, with costs against appellant.
Paras, C.J., Montemayor, Concepcion, Reyes, J.B.L. and Endencia, JJ., concur.
Separate Opinions
objectives,"9 besides exercising other executivefunctions, the manager I repeat, exerts far greater power
than the above two officials in the affairs of the corporation.
In fact some of our statutes put him on the same class as the president of the corporation, when it comes to
responsibility for violations of law. "The president or the manager" shall be liable several statutes so
provide10 not the secretary or treasurer.
V. This Court held manager is officer. This Court itself impliedly admits the manager of a corporation to be
an officer thereof, because in Yu Chuk vs. Kong Li Po 46 Phil. 608, we held that by virtue of his position,
the manager could validly, make reasonable contracts of employment binding on the corporation. And our
Rules recognize in him power to represent the corporation as an officer" 11 thereof, because said Rules
provide that service of summons upon the manager is service in the corporation.
VI. Appointing power, sometimes not power to remove. The majority finds it hard to believe that being an
appointee of the board of directors, the manager could not be removed by the latter. They forget that in the
law of officers such a situation often obtains. The President appoints the members of this Court, and other
officials; but, the cannot remove them. True, the Constitution so provides. But in this case also the by-laws
of the corporation so provide: its officers may be removed only by, two-thirds vote of the paid-up shares.
Their decision does not explain, but the majority's thinking appears to be influenced by the apprehension
that if Gurrea's contention (2/3 vote) is now sustained, he may never be replaced, because he own one-half
of the shares and he may abuse his powers. To me that is a groundless worry. The board of directors has
means to check. And then, what are courts for? Where is the protection extended to stockholders against
abuses of those in control?
VII. Stockholders intended security for manager. It would be interesting to inquire whether in approving the
two-thirds requirement in the by-laws, the stockholders intended to apply it only to the Vice President, the
Secretary and the Treasurer excluding the manager as the majority opinion declares.
It must be remembered that since the beginning, Gurrea's family owned or controlled one-half of the shares
and Manuel Lezama's family the other half. Evidently, because Gurrea voted for them, Lezama and two
others of his family became directors in the five-man board of directors. In reciprocity for such vote or
concession, Gurrea was named manager.12 As owner of one-half of the shares Gurrea could effectively
block approval of any by laws that did not protect his interest. Therefore, he would not have approved the
by-laws in question if they did not protect his position as manager 13 , knowing that being in the minority in
the board of directors his position could be at the mercy of the Lezama family. The bargain between the
Lezama and Gurrea families must have been this: Majority of directors of Lezania; minority for Gurrea plus
the position of manager;14 the Lezama directors cannot be changed by Gurrea alone (he owns one half
only); and Gurrea may not be changed by the Lezama directors (they have one-half shares only).
In fact this arrangement continued for a long period of time (beginning in the year 1927) until the Lezamas
thought of the "appointed-by-directors-removed-by-directors" idea in 1948-ironically enough, after the
corporation had declared substantial dividends15 under Gurrea's management.
VIII. My vote goes without hesitation to appellant Gurrea, with due respect of course to the majority opinion.
He should be reinstated and compensated. How, I need not explain, my opinion having been overruled.
BENGZON, J., dissenting:
I am flattered that, after reading my above dissent, the majority has found it necessary to re-write its
decision in an effort to answer some not all of the points I raised or to remove the grounds on which
rested a couple of objections (V. Textbook vs. Treatises). For once, the "voice in the wilderness" has been
heard.
No need to re-write my dissent to meet the "altered situation. Otherwise, the majority decision might again
be reformed, and the discussion will be prolonged or will never end.
Now I am thoroughly convinced of the justness of my vote for appellant (with apologies to my honored
colleagues on the other side), because having expressly undertaken to rebut my above dissent, the
majority decision left one vital point untouched1: the stockholders in approving the by-laws intended the
manager to be a " fuscionario," removable only by two-thirds vote. Also because the revised version of the
majority opinion is partly founded (again my apologies) on two fallacious propositions which, contained in a
few lines, will require more than two pages to refute. 2
To match my contention that eight states of the American Union consider the manager as officer of the
corporation, the majority now argue that nine states hold managers to be "agents or employees"; and so
they claim to reflect the prevailing view. It is inferable from their statement that some of the states (or
decisions) they have in mind hold managers as agents, and others employees. How many belong to the
last class (managers-are-employees), they are careful not to specify; thus the suspicion can not be downed
that less than eight belong to that class; otherwise, there was no reason to include the other kind of cases
(managers-are-agents) to be able to list nine states in their column. 3 Yet, the issue here is-not whether
managers are agents or not. Undoubtedly, officers including managers of the corporation are also its
agents; hence, those "managers-are-agents" decisions neither boost their position nor countercheck mine.
First fallacy. And yet, this seems to be the majority's unexpressed method of reasoning on this matter of
"managers-are-agents": There are decisions holding the manager to be an agent of the corporation; there
are also decisions holding that an agent of a corporation is not an officer thereof; hence, all these decisions
combine to hold that the manager is not an officer.
Books on the science of correct thinking repudiate the fallacious argumentation known as "Equivocation." It
consists in using the same word in different meanings, for example: Spirits are incorporeal; liquors are
spirits; therefore, liquors are incorporeal. The wrong conclusion stems from the fallacy of employing "spirits"
in a double meaning.
Reduced to a shorter syllogism, the majority's position is this: manager is agent of the corporation; Agent is
not officer; therefore, manager is not officer.
With all due respect, I say, there is sophistical "equivocation" here. In the major premise "agent" is used in
general(common noun) to denote "representative," any one acting or speaking for the corporation.
Whereas, Agent in the second premise (capital letter, because proper noun) is used in particular, i.e., a
person occupying the position in the corporation designated "Managing Agent" "General Agent" "Principal
Agent" or simply "Agent". The decisions supporting this second premise simply hold that this or that
particular "General Agent" or "Managing Agent" or "Agent" is not classified as an officer of the corporation,
in view of his powers or responsibilities. There is no decision declaring that " all agents (in general) of the
corporation are not its officers"; because it would not be correct, the President of a corporation being
admittedly its officer, and also its agent (not capital letter), since he acts for and on behalf of the
corporation. Following the majority's reasoning it may be argued: the president of a corporation is agent
thereof, Agents of the corporation are not officers thereof; hence, the president is not officer. Absurd, no?
"Equivocation" again.
Second fallacy. Disputing my position that eight states consider managers as officers, the majority come
out with "only six states adopt the view that managers are considered principal officers of the corporation."
The issue may I remind them, is whether managers are officers. Whether principal or not, is immaterial.
One abundant source of fallacies consists in ignoring or evading the issue. Aristotle called it ignoratio
elenchi.
Twelve states support dissent. Let me now seek to re-inforce the ranks of the opposition. Four states, in
addition to those already mentioned in my above dissent, may be counted in the managers-are-officers
column.4That makes twelve states on my side, which should be held to be the right side if only in
deference to the Congressional viewpoint clearly implied in the statutes I have indicated.
LABRADOR, J., concurring and dissenting:
I concur in the above dissent of Mr. Justice Bengzon. As by Act 13 of the By-Laws the manager is made an
officer of the corporation, he may not be removed or suspended except by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the
paid up shares, as provided in the By-Laws. (Exh A).
manager, knowing that being in the minority in the board of directors his position would be at the
mercy of the Lezama family. The bargain between the Lezama and Gurrea families must have been
this: Majority of directors of Lezama; minority for Gurrea plus the position of manager; the Lezama
directors cannot be changed by Gurrea alone (he owns one-half only); and Gurrea may not be
changed by the Lezama directors (they have one-half shares only).
With the above clarification of the situation, that led to the approval of the by-law, on the removal of officers,
I think this Court would do well to rely less on the technicalities of definition and adhere more to its function
of giving effect to the by-law in accordance with its purpose.
Footnotes
1 Cited by Grange, Corporation Law for Officers and Directors, p. 432.
2 Georgia-Vanderman vs. Penn. Mut. Life Ins. Co., supra; New York-Studebaker Bros. Co. vs. R. M.
Rose Co., supra; Oklahoma Badger vs. Oil Gas Co. Preston, 49 Okla. 270, 152 Pac. 383;
Wisconsin-Wheeler & Wilson Mfg. Co., vs. Lawson, 57 Wis. 400, 15 N. W. 398; Louisiana-Roberts
vq. J. A. Masquere Co., 158 La. 642, 104 So. 484; Texas-Denton Milling Co. vs. Blewett, 2i4 S. W.
236; West Virginia-State vs. Brast, 98 W. Va. 127 S. E. 507; South Dakota-Magpie Gold Mining
Co. vs. Shernian, 23 S. Dak. 232, 121N. 96 W. 770; South Carolina-Silverthorne vs. Barnwedd
Lumber Co., 96 S. Car. 32, 79 S. E. 519.
3 Kansas-Kansas
City vs. Culinan, 65 Kansas Culinan 8, 68 Pac. 1099; MissouriRobinson vs. Moark-Nemo Consol, Min. Co., supra; North Carolina-Kelly vs. Newark Shoe Stores
Co., 190 N. Car. 406. 130 S. E. 32; Colorado-Robert E. Lee S. Mining Co., vs. Omaha Grant, 16
Colorado 118, 122, 26 Pac. 326; New Mexico-Stearns-Roger Mfg. Co. vs. Aztec Gold, 93 Pac. 7O6;
Nebraska-Ritchie Illinois Cent. R. Co., 128 N. W. 35.
BENGZON, J., dissenting:
1 Act 3998
2 Republic Act 509 see. 12
3 Republic Act 679 sec. 12 (c)
4 Republic Act 754 see. 23
5 Republic Act 602 sec. 15 (b)
6 Republic Act 318
7 Republic Act 946
8 See Republic Act 776; Commonwealth Act 303; Commonwealth Act 617.
x Thompson Op. Cit. Vol. III see. 1690. In the Grange quotation majority impliedly admits "manager"
number to issue a ruling without convincing explanation. It can afford to be dogmatic. Caution,
dignity, I agree. Strategy too: the shorter its pronouncements, the fewer the vulnerable points it will
reveal. On the contrary, the dissenter is compelled to elaborate, to marshall all his forces gathered
from every source, facts, statutes, cases, statistics, logic, even history to surround, to assault
on all sides, and to overwhelm, if he can, the citadel of error wherein he thinks the majority abides.
3 I forego the process of verification.
4 Hodges vs. Bankers Surety 1.52 111. App. S. H. Kress & Co. vs. Powell 132 Fla. 471; 180 So.
757; Carrigan vs. Pot Crescent 6 Wash. 590; 34 Pac. 148; Bush Lls. Atlas Automobile 129 Pa.
Super 459; 195 Atl. 757.