[G.R. No. L-20583. January 23, 1967.

]
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, petitioner, vs. SECURITY CREDIT AND
ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION, ROSENDO T. RESUELLO, PABLO TANJUTCO,
ARTURO SORIANO, RUBEN BELTRAN, BIENVENIDO V. ZAPA, PILAR G.
RESUELLO, RICARDO D. BALATBAT, JOSE R. SEBASTIAN and VITO TANJUTCO,
JR., respondents.
Solicitor General Arturo A. Alafriz and Solicitor E. M. Salva for petitioner.
Sycip, Salazar, Luna, Manalo & Feliciano for respondents.
Natalio M. Balboa and F. E. Evangelista for the receiver.
SYLLABUS
1. CORPORATION LAW; BANKING; TRANSACTIONS DEEMED TO BE IN THE
NATURE OF BANKING. Although, admittedly, defendant corporation has not secured the
requisite authority to engage in banking, defendants deny that its transactions partake of the
nature of banking operations. It is conceded, however, that in consequence of a propaganda
campaign therefor, a total of 59,643 savings account deposits have been made by the public with
the corporation and its 74 branches, with an aggregate deposit of P1,689,136.74, which has been
lent out to such persons as the corporation deemed suitable therefor. It is clear that those
transactions partake of the nature of banking, as the term is used in See. 2 of the General
Banking Acts.
2. WORDS AND PHRASES; "BANK" DEFINED. A bank has been defined as "a
moneyed institute [Talmage vs. Pell, 7 N.Y. (3 Seld.) 328, 347, 248] founded to facilitate the
borrowing, lending, and safe-keeping of money (Smith vs. Kansas City Title & Trust Co., 41 S.
Ct. 243, 255 U.S. 180, 210, 65 L. Ed. 577) and to deal in notes, bills of exchange, and credits
(State vs. Cornings Sav. Bank, 115 N.W. 937, 139 Iowa, 388)." (Banks & Banking, by Zellmann,
Vol. 1, p. 46.)
3. ID.; ID.; WHEN INVESTMENT COMPANY IS CONSIDERED A BANK. "An
investment company which loans out the money of its customers, collects the interests and
charges a commission to both borrower and lender is a bank."
4. ID.; ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS BY CORPORATION WARRANT ITS
DISSOLUTION. That the illegal transactions thus undertaken by defendant corporation
warrant its dissolution is apparent from the fact that the foregoing misuser of the corporate funds
and franchise affects the essence of its business, that it is willful and has been repeated 59,643
times, and that its continuances inflicts injury upon the public, owing to the number of persons
affected thereby.
5. JURISDICTION; IN QUO WARRANTO PROCEEDING, THE SUPREME COURT IS
VESTED WITH CONCURRENT ORIGINAL JURISDICTION WITH THE CFI. The
Supreme Court is vested with original jurisdiction, concurrently with courts of first instance, to
hear and decide quo warranto cases and, consequently, it is discretionary for the Court either to
entertain the present case or to require that the issues therein be taken up in the lower court . . . In
the case at bar, there is, however, no dispute as to the principal facts or acts performed by the
corporation in the conduct of its business. The main issue here is one of law, namely, the legal
nature of said facts or of the aforementioned acts of the corporation. For this reason, and because
public interest demands an early disposition of the case, we have deemed it best to determine the
merits therefor.
6. ID.; ID.; WHEN ISSUES OF FACT REQUIRE PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE, CFI,
IS APPROPRIATE FORUM. - Where there are issues of fact which require the presentation of
evidence, the courts of first instance are, in general, better equipped than appellate courts for the
taking of testimony and the determination of questions of fact.
D E C I S I O N
CONCEPCION, C.J p:
This is an original quo warranto proceeding, initiated by the Solicitor General, to dissolve the
Security Credit and Acceptance Corporation for allegedly engaging in banking operations
without the authority required therefore by the General Banking Act (Republic Act No. 337).
Named as respondents in the petition are, in addition to said corporation, the following, as
alleged members of its Board of Directors and/or Executive Officers, namely:
"NAME POSITION
Rosendo T. Resuello President & Chairman of
the Board
Pablo Tanjutco Director
Arturo Soriano Director
Ruben Beltran Director
Bienvenido V. Zapa Director & Vice-President
Pilar G. Resuello Director & Secretary-Treasurer
Ricardo D. Balatbat Director & Auditor
Jose R. Sebastian Director & Legal Counsel
Vito Tanjutco, Jr Director & Personnel Manager"
The record shows that the Articles of Incorporation of defendant corporation 1 were registered
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 1961 that the next day, the Board of
Directors of the corporation adopted a set of by laws, 2 which were filed with said Commission
on April 5, 1961; that on September 19, 1961, the Superintendent of Banks of the Central Bank
of the Philippines asked its legal counsel an opinion on whether or not said corporation is a
banking institution, within the purview of Republic Act No. 337; that, acting upon this request,
on October 11, 1961, said legal counsel rendered an opinion resolving the query in the
affirmative; that in a letter, dated January 15, 1962, addressed to said Superintendent of Banks,
the corporation through its president, Rosendo T. Resuello, one of defendants herein, sought a
reconsideration of the aforementioned opinion, which reconsideration was denied on March 16,
1962; that, prior thereto, or on March 9, 1961, the corporation had applied with the Securities
and Exchange Commission for the registration and licensing of its securities under the Securities
Act; that, before acting on this application, the Commission referred it to the Central Bank,
which, in turn, gave the former a copy of the above-mentioned opinion, in line with which, the
Commission advised the corporation on December 5, 1961, to comply with the requirements of
the General Banking Act; that, upon application of members of the Manila Police Department
and an agent of the Central Bank, on May 18, 1962, the Municipal Court of Manila issued Search
Warrant No. A-1019; that, pursuant thereto, members of the intelligence division of the Central
Bank and of the Manila Police Department searched the premises of the corporation and seized
documents and records thereof relative to its business operations; that, upon the return of said
warrant, the seized documents and records were, with the authority of the court, placed under the
custody of the Central Bank of the Philippines; that, upon examination and evaluation of said
documents and records, the intelligence division of the Central Bank submitted, to the Acting
Deputy Governor thereof, a memorandum dated September 10, 1962, finding that the
corporation is:
"1. Performing banking functions, without requisite certificate of authority from the
Monetary Board of the Central Bank, in violation of Secs. 2 and 6 of Republic Act 337, in that it
is soliciting and accepting deposit from the public and lending out the funds so received;
"2. Soliciting and accepting savings deposits from the general public when the company's
articles of incorporation authorize it only to engage primarily in financing agricultural,
commercial and industrial projects, and secondarily, in buying and selling stocks and bonds of
any corporation, thereby exceeding the scope of its powers and authority as granted under its
charter; consequently such acts are ultra-vires;
"3. Soliciting subscriptions to the corporate shares of stock and accepting deposits on
account thereof, without prior registration and/or licensing of such shares or recurring exemption
therefore, in violation of the Securities Act; and
"4. That being a private credit and financial institution, it should come under the supervision
of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank, by virtue of the transfer of the authority, power,
duties and functions of the Secretary of Finance, Bank Commissioner and the defunct Bureau of
Banking, to the said Board, pursuant to Secs. 139 and 140 of Republic Act 265 and Secs. 88 and
89 of Republic Act 337." (Italics supplied.)
that upon examination and evaluation of the same records of the corporation, as well as of other
documents and pertinent papers obtained elsewhere, the Superintendent of Banks, submitted to
the Monetary Board of the Central Bank a memorandum dated August 28, 1962, stating inter
alia:
"11. Pursuant to the request for assistance by the Chief, Intelligence Division, contained in his
Memorandum to the Governor dated May 23, 1962 and in accordance with the written
instructions of Governor Castillo dated May 31, 1962, an examination of the books and records
of the Security Credit and Loans Organizations, Inc. seized by the combined MPD-CB team was
conducted by this Department. The examination disclosed the following findings:
a. Considering the extent of its operations, the Security Credit and Acceptance Corporation,
Inc. receives deposits from the public regularly. Such deposits are treated in the Corporation's
financial statements as conditional subscriptions to capital stock. Accumulated deposits of
P5,000 of an individual depositor may be converted into stock subscription to the capital stock of
the Security Credit and Acceptance Corporation at the option of the depositor. Sale of its shares
of stock or subscriptions to its capital stock are offered to the public as part of its regular
operations.
b. That out of the funds obtained from the public through the receipt of deposits and/or the
sale of securities, loans are made regularly to any person by the Security Credit and Acceptance
Corporation.
A copy of the Memorandum Report dated July 30, 1962 of the examination made by Examiners
of this Department of the seized books and records of the Corporation is attached hereto.
"12. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 337, otherwise known as the General Banking Act, defines
the term 'banking institution' as follows:
'Sec. 2. Only duly authorized persons and entities may engage in the lending of funds obtained
from the public through the receipt of deposits or the sale of bonds, securities, or obligations of
any kind and all entities regularly conducting operations shall be considered as banking
institutions and shall be subject to the provisions of this Act, of the Central Bank Act, and of
other pertinent laws . . .
"13. Premises considered, the examination disclosed that the Security Credit and Acceptance
Corporation is regularly lending funds obtained from the receipt of deposits and/or the sale of
securities. The Corporation therefore is performing 'banking functions' as contemplated in
Republic Act No. 337, without having first complied with the provisions of said Act.
Recommendations:
"In view of all the foregoing, it is recommended that the Monetary Board decide and declare:
'1. That the Security Credit and Acceptance Corporation is performing banking functions
without having first complied with the provisions of Republic Act No. 337, otherwise known as
the General Banking Act, in violation of Sections 2 and 6 thereof ; and
'2. That this case be referred to the Special Assistant to the Governor (Legal Counsel) for
whatever legal actions are warranted, including, if warranted criminal action against the persons
criminally liable and/or quo warranto proceedings with preliminary injunction against the
Corporation for its dissolution'." (Italics supplied.)
that, acting upon said memorandum of the Superintendent of Banks, on September 14, 1962, the
Monetary Board promulgated its Resolution No. 1095, declaring that the corporation is
performing banking operations, without having first complied with the provisions of Sections 2
and 6 of Republic Act No. 337; 3 that on September 25, 1962, the corporation was advised of the
aforementioned resolution, but, this notwithstanding, the corporation, as well as the members of
its Board of Directors and the officers of the corporation, have been and still are performing the
functions and activities which had been declared to constitute illegal banking operations; that
during the period from March 27, 1961 to May 18, 1962, the corporation had established 74
branches in principal cities and towns throughout the Philippines; that through a systematic and
vigorous campaign undertaken by the corporation, the same had managed to induce the public to
open 59,463 savings deposit accounts with an aggregate deposit of P1,689,136.74; that, in
consequence of the foregoing deposits with the corporation, its original capital stock of
P500,000, divided into 20,000 founders' shares of stock and 80,000 preferred shares of stock,
both of which had a par value of P5.00 each, was increased, in less than one (1) year, to
P3,000,000 divided into 130,000 founders' shares and 470,000 preferred shares, both with a par
value of P5.00 each; and that, according to its statement of assets and liabilities, as of December
31, 1961, the corporation had a capital stock aggregating P1,273,265.98 and suffered, during the
year 1961, a loss of P96,685.29. Accordingly, on December 6, 1962, the Solicitor General
commenced this quo warranto proceedings for the dissolution of the corporation, with a prayer
that, meanwhile, a writ of preliminary injunction be issued ex parte, enjoining the corporation
and its branches, as well as its officers and agents, from performing the banking operations
complained of, and that a receiver be appointed pendente lite.
Upon joint motion of both parties, on August 20, 1963, the Superintendent of Banks of the
Central Bank of the Philippines was appointed by this Court receiver pendente lite of defendant
corporation, and upon the filing of the requisite bond, said officer assumed his functions as such
receiver on September 16, 1963.
In their answer, defendants admitted practically all of the allegations of fact made in the petition.
They, however, denied that defendants Tanjutco (Pablo and Vito, Jr.) Soriano, Beltran, Zapa,
Balatbat and Sebastian, are directors of the corporation, as well as the validity of the opinion,
ruling, evaluation and conclusions rendered, made and/or reached by the legal counsel and the
intelligence division of the Central Bank, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the
Superintendent of Banks of the Philippines, or in Resolution No. 1095 of the Monetary Board, or
of Search Warrant No. A- 1019 of the Municipal Court of Manila, and of the search and seizure
made thereunder. By way of affirmative allegations, defendants averred that, as of July 7, 1961,
the Board of Directors of the corporation was composed of defendants Rosendo T. Resuello,
Aquilino L. Illera and Pilar G. Resuello; that on July 11, 1962, the corporation had filed with the
Superintendent of Banks an application for conversion into a Security Savings and Mortgage
Bank, with defendants Zapa, Balatbat, Tanjutco (Pablo and Vito, Jr.), Soriano, Beltran and
Sebastian as proposed directors, in addition to the defendants first named above, with defendants
Rosendo T. Resuello, Zapa, Pilar G. Resuello, Balatbat and Sebastian as proposed president,
vice-president, secretary-treasurer, auditor and legal counsel, respectively; that said additional
officers had never assumed their respective offices because of the pendency of the approval of
said application for conversion; that defendants Soriano, Beltran, Sebastian, Vito Tanjutco Jr.
and Pablo Tanjutco had subsequently withdrawn from the proposed mortgage and savings bank;
that on November 29, 1962 or before the commencement of the present proceedings the
corporation and defendants Rosendo T. Resuello and Pilar G. Resuello had instituted Civil Case
No. 52342 of the Court of First Instance of Manila against Purification Santos and other
members of the savings plan of the corporation and the City Fiscal, for a declaratory relief and an
injunction; that on December 3, 1962, Judge Gaudencio Cloribel of said court issued a writ
directing the defendants in said case No. 52342 and their representatives or agents to refrain from
prosecuting the plaintiff spouses and other officers of the corporation by reason of or in
connection with the acceptance by the same of deposits under its savings plan; that acting upon a
petition filed by plaintiffs in said case No. 52342, on December 6, 1962, the Court of First
Instance of Manila had appointed Jose Ma. Ramirez as receiver of the corporation; that, on
December 12, 1962, said Ramirez qualified as such receiver, after filing the requisite bond; that,
except as to one of the defendants in said case No. 52342, the issues therein have already been
joined; that the failure of the corporation to honor the demands for withdrawal of its depositors
or members of its savings plan and its former employees was due, not to mismanagement or
misappropriation of corporate funds, but to an abnormal situation created by the mass demand
for withdrawal of deposits, by the attachment of property of the corporation by its creditors, by
the suspension by debtors of the corporation of the payment of their debts thereto and by an
order of the Securities and Exchange Commission dated September 26 1962, to the corporation
to stop soliciting and receiving deposits; and that the withdrawal of deposits of members of the
savings plan of the corporation was understood to be subject, as to time and amounts, to the
financial condition of the corporation as an investment firm.
In its reply, plaintiff alleged that a photostat copy, attached to said pleading, of the anniversary
publication of defendant corporation showed that defendants Pablo Tanjutco, Arturo Soriano,
Ruben Beltran, Bienvenido V. Zapa, Ricardo D. Balatbat, Jose R. Sebastian and Vito Tanjutco,
Jr. are officers and/or directors thereof; that this is confirmed by the minutes of a meeting of
stockholders of the corporation, held on September 27, 1962, showing that said defendants had
been elected officers thereof; that the views of the legal counsel of the Central Bank, of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Intelligence Division, the Superintendent of Banks
and the Monetary Board above referred to have been expressed in the lawful performance of
their respective duties and have not been assailed or impugned in accordance with law; that
neither has the validity of Search Warrant No. A-1019 been contested as provided by law; that
the only assets of the corporation now consist of accounts receivable amounting approximately
to P500,000, and its office equipment and appliances, despite its increased capitalization of
P3,000,000 and its deposits amounting to not less than P1,689,136.74; and that the
aforementioned petition of the corporation, in Civil Case No. 52342 of the Court of First
Instance of Manila, for a declaratory relief is now highly improper, the defendants having
already committed infractions and violations of the law justifying the dissolution of the
corporation.
Although, admittedly, defendant corporation has not secured the requisite authority to engage in
banking, defendants deny that its transactions partake of the nature of banking operations. It is
conceded, however, that, in consequence of a propaganda campaign therefor, a total of 59,463
savings account deposits have been made by the public with the corporation and its 74 branches,
with an aggregate deposit of P1,689,136.74, which has been lent out to such persons as the
corporation deemed suitable therefor. It is clear that these transactions partake of the nature of
banking, as the term is used in Section 2 of the General Banking Act. Indeed, a bank has been
defined as:
". . . a moneyed institute [Talmage vs. Pell, 7 N.Y. (2 Seld.) 328, 347, 348] founded to facilitate
the borrowing, lending, and safe- keeping of money (Smith vs. Kansas City Title & Trust Co., 41
S. Ct. 243, 255 U.S. 180, 210, 65 L. Ed. 577) and to deal in notes, bills of exchange, and credits
(state vs. Cornings Sav. Bank, 115 N.W. 937, 139 Iowa, 338)." (Banks & Banking, by Zellmann
Vol. I, p. 46.)
Moreover, it has been held that:
"An investment company which loans out the money of its customers, collects the interests, and
charges a commission to both lender and borrower is a bank." (Western Investment Banking Co.
vs. Murray, 56 P. 728, 730, 731; 6 Ariz. 215.)
". . . any person engaged in the business carried on by banks of deposit, of discount, or of
circulation is doing a banking business, although but one of these functions is exercised."
(MacLaren vs. State, 124 N.W. 667, 141 Wis. 577, 135 Am. S.R. 55, 18 Ann. Cas. 826; 9 C.J.S.
30.)
Accordingly, defendant corporation has violated the law by engaging in banking without
securing the administrative authority required in Republic Act No. 337.
That the illegal transactions thus undertaken by defendant corporation warrant its dissolution is
apparent from the fact that the foregoing misuser of the corporate funds and franchise affects the
essence of its business, that it is willful and has been repeated 59,643 times, and that its
continuance inflicts injury upon the public, owing to the number of persons affected thereby.
It is urged, however, that this case should be remanded to the Court of First Instance of Manila
upon the authority of Veraguth vs. Isabela Sugar Co. (57 Phil. 266). In this connection, it should
be noted that this Court is vested with original jurisdiction, concurrently with courts of first
instance, to hear and decide quo warranto cases and, that, consequently, it is discretionary for us
to entertain the present case or to require that the issues therein be taken up in said Civil Case
No. 52342. The Veraguth case cited by herein defendants, in support of the second alternative, is
not in point, because in said case there were issues of fact which required the presentation of
evidence, and courts of first instance are, in general, better equipped than appellate courts for the
taking of testimony and the determination of questions of fact. In the case at bar, there is,
however, no dispute as to the principal facts or acts performed by the corporation in the conduct
of its business. The main issue here is one of law, namely, the legal nature of said facts or of the
aforementioned acts of the corporation. For this reason, and because public interest demands an
early disposition of the case, we have deemed it best to determine the merits thereof.
Wherefore, the writ prayed for should be, as it is hereby granted and defendant corporation is,
accordingly, ordered dissolved. The appointment of receiver herein issued pendente lite is hereby
made permanent, and the receiver is, accordingly, directed to administer the properties, deposits,
and other assets of defendant corporation and wind up the affairs thereof conformably to Rules
59 and 66 of the Rules of Court. It is so ordered.
Reyes, J.B.L., Dizon, Regala, Makalintal, Bengzon, J.P., Zaldivar, Sanchez and Ruiz Castro, JJ.,
concur.