G.R. No. 171995, 18 April 2012

FACTS:

Petitioner Steelcase, Inc. (Steelcase) is a foreign corporation existing under the laws of Michigan, United States of America (U.S.A.), and engaged in the manufacture of office furniture with dealers worldwide. Respondent Design International Selections, Inc. (DISI) is a corporation existing under Philippine Laws and engaged in the furniture business, including the distribution of furniture. Sometime in 1986 or 1987, Steelcase and DISI orally entered into a dealership agreement whereby Steelcase granted DISI the right to market, sell, distribute, install, and service its products to end-user customers within the Philippines. The business relationship continued smoothly until it was terminated sometime in January 1999 after the agreement was breached with neither party admitting any fault.

On January 18, 1999, Steelcase filed a complaint for sum of money against DISI alleging, among others, that DISI had an unpaid account of US$600,000.00. Steelcase prayed that DISI be ordered to pay actual or compensatory damages, exemplary damages, attorney’s fees, and costs of suit. In his Order dated November 15, 1999, Acting Presiding Judge Bonifacio Sanz Maceda dismissed the complaint, granted the TRO prayed for by DISI, set aside the April 26, 1999 Order of the RTC admitting the Amended Complaint, and denied Steelcase’s Motion to Admit Second Amended Complaint. The RTC stated that in requiring DISI to meet the Dealer Performance Expectation and in terminating the dealership agreement with DISI based on its failure to improve its performance in the areas of business planning, organizational structure, operational effectiveness, and efficiency, Steelcase unwittingly revealed that it participated in the operations of DISI.

It then concluded that Steelcase was “doing business” in the Philippines, as contemplated by Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7042 (The Foreign Investments Act of 1991), and since it did not have the license to do business in the country, it was barred from seeking redress from our courts until it obtained the requisite license to do so. Its determination was further bolstered by the appointment by Steelcase of a representative in the Philippines. Finally, despite a showing that DISI transacted with the local customers in its own name and for its own account, it was of the opinion that any doubt in the factual environment should be resolved in favor of a pronouncement that a foreign corporation was doing business in the Philippines, considering the twelve-year period that DISI had been distributing Steelcase products in the Philippines.

Steelcase moved for the reconsideration of the questioned Order but the motion was denied by the RTC in its May 29, 2000 Order.12 Aggrieved, Steelcase elevated the case to the CA by way of appeal, assailing the November 15, 1999 and May 29, 2000 Orders of the RTC. On March 31, 2005, the CA rendered its Decision affirming the RTC orders, ruling that Steelcase was a foreign corporation doing or transacting business in the Philippines without a license. The CA stated that the following acts of Steelcase showed its intention to pursue and continue the conduct of its business in the Philippines:

(1) sending a letter to Phinma, informing the latter that the distribution rights for its products would be established in the near future and directing other questions about orders for Steelcase products to Steelcase International;
(2) cancelling orders from DISI’s customers, particularly Visteon, Phils., Inc. (Visteon);
(3) continuing to send its products to the Philippines through Modernform Group Company Limited (Modernform), as evidenced by an Ocean Bill of Lading; and
(4) going beyond the mere appointment of DISI as a dealer by making several impositions on management and operations of DISI. Thus, the CA ruled that Steelcase was barred from access to our courts for being a foreign corporation doing business here without the requisite license to do so.

ISSUE:

Whether or not Steelcase is doing business in the Philippines without a license?

RULING:

No.

Steelcase argues that Section 3(d) of R.A. No. 7042 or the Foreign Investments Act of 1991 (FIA) expressly states that the phrase “doing business” excludes the appointment by a foreign corporation of a local distributor domiciled in the Philippines which transacts business in its own name and for its own account. Steelcase claims that it was not doing business in the Philippines when it entered into a dealership agreement with DISI where the latter, acting as the former’s appointed local distributor, transacted business in its own name and for its own account. Specifically, Steelcase contends that it was DISI that sold Steelcase’s furniture directly to the end-users or customers who, in turn, directly paid DISI for the furniture they bought. Steelcase further claims that DISI, as a non-exclusive dealer in the Philippines, had the right to market, sell, distribute and service Steelcase products in its own name and for its own account. Hence, DISI was an independent distributor of Steelcase products, and not a mere agent or conduit of Steelcase.

The appointment of a distributor in the Philippines is not sufficient to constitute “doing business” unless it is under the full control of the foreign corporation. On the other hand, if the distributor is an independent entity which buys and distributes products, other than those of the foreign corporation, for its own name and its own account, the latter cannot be considered to be doing business in the Philippines. It should be kept in mind that the determination of whether a foreign corporation is doing business in the Philippines must be judged in light of the attendant circumstances.

In the case at bench, it is undisputed that DISI was founded in 1979 and is independently owned and managed by the spouses Leandro and Josephine Bantug. In addition to Steelcase products, DISI also distributed products of other companies including carpet tiles, relocatable walls and theater settings.

The CA, in finding Steelcase to be unlawfully engaged in business in the Philippines, took into consideration the delivery by Steelcase of a letter to Phinma informing the latter that the distribution rights for its products would be established in the near future, and also its cancellation of orders placed by Visteon. The foregoing acts were apparently misinterpreted by the CA. Instead of supporting the claim that Steelcase was doing business in the country, the said acts prove otherwise. It should be pointed out that no sale was concluded as a result of these communications. Had Steelcase indeed been doing business in the Philippines, it would have readily accepted and serviced the orders from the above mentioned Philippine companies. Its decision to voluntarily cease to sell its products in the absence of a local distributor indicates its refusal to engage in activities which might be construed as “doing business.”

Unquestionably, entering into a dealership agreement with Steelcase charged DISI with the knowledge that Steelcase was not licensed to engage in business activities in the Philippines. This Court has carefully combed the records and found no proof that, from the inception of the dealership agreement in 1986 until September 1998, DISI even brought to Steelcase’s attention that it was improperly doing business in the Philippines without a license. It was only towards the latter part of 1998 that DISI deemed it necessary to inform Steelcase of the impropriety of the conduct of its business without the requisite Philippine license. It should, however, be noted that DISI only raised the issue of the absence of a license with Steelcase after it was informed that it owed the latter US$600,000.00 for the sale and delivery of its products under their special credit arrangement.

By acknowledging the corporate entity of Steelcase and entering into a dealership agreement with it and even benefiting from it, DISI is estopped from questioning Steelcase’s existence and capacity to sue.

A foreign corporation doing business in the Philippines may sue in Philippine Courts although not authorized to do business here against a Philippine citizen or entity who had contracted with and benefited by said corporation. To put it in another way, a party is estopped to challenge the personality of a corporation after having acknowledged the same by entering into a contract with it. And the doctrine of estoppel to deny corporate existence applies to a foreign as well as to domestic corporations. One who has dealt with a corporation of foreign origin as a corporate entity is estopped to deny its corporate existence and capacity: The principle will be applied to prevent a person contracting with a foreign corporation from later taking advantage of its noncompliance with the statutes chiefly in cases where such person has received the benefits of the contract.

The rule is deeply rooted in the time-honored axiom of Commodum ex injuria sua non habere debet — no person ought to derive any advantage of his own wrong. This is as it should be for as mandated by law, “every person must in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith.”

*Case Digest by Mary Tweetie Antonette G. Semprun, JD – IV, Andres Bonifacio College, SY 2019 – 2020