G.R. No. 78017 - Bank of America NT and SA vs. Court of Appeals

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G.R. No. 78017: Bank of America NT & SA vs. Court of Appeals

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Title Source: Supreme Court: Bank of America NT and SA vs. Court of Appeals

Case: G.R. No. 78017

Decision Date: Jun 8, 1990

Class action filed over IBAA share sale; SEC dismissed case against Gotianun, allowing claims against BA. SC upheld CA ruling, citing separate causes of action and finality of SEC order.

Case Digest (G.R. No. 78017)
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model

Facts:

Formation of the Insular Bank of Asia and America (IBAA)

IBAA was established pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement dated March 25, 1974.
The founding banks included First Insular Bank of Cebu, Bank of Asia, and Bank of America NT & SA.
Shortly after its formation, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank acquired 10% of the issued capital stock of IBAA.

The Class Action and Alleged Violations

On July 19, 1978, a class action was initiated by about 40 stockholders (collectively known as the ASIA GROUP) before the Securities & Exchange Commission.
The suit was filed against:

Bank of America NT & SA (BA) for allegedly violating the contractual agreement.
Andrew Gotianun and other unknown individuals identified as his relatives, collectively known as the Gotianun Group.
Manuel Escaler, the Corporate Secretary of IBAA, as a nominal party.

The complaint alleged that:

BA had breached the Memorandum of Agreement by selling its IBAA shares without offering them proportionately to the other parties.
The Gotianun Group, fully aware of the agreement, induced BA to sell its IBAA shares to them, thereby violating the right of first refusal.

The suit claimed damages aggregating to not less than P16,000,000.00 for actual, moral, and exemplary damages plus attorney’s fees.

Orders Rendered by the SEC Associate Commissioner Sixto de Guzman

First Order – Dated September 17, 1979:

Prohibited the Vice Chairman of IBAA from presiding in the absence of the chairman.
Restricted the duties of the Executive Vice President.
Suspended board resolutions that would change the representation structure prior to adoption.
Required prior consultation with or approval by the SEC before any movement of officers, directors, or executive committee members.
Confirmed the continuing validity of the Memorandum of Agreement of March 25, 1974.

Second Order – Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) dated July 19, 1978:

Issued ex parte to temporarily prevent enforcement of the sale of IBAA shares.
Sought to preserve the status quo pending further hearings.
Was later invalidated through special civil actions of certiorari later in the proceedings.

Third Order – Dated December 17, 1979:

Abolished the existing IBAA board of directors.
Created a new management committee largely mirroring the abolished board but with a replacement of the four directors representing BA.
This order was attacked on the grounds of lacking power, due process, and being confiscatory.

Subsequent Motions, Dismissals, and Procedural Developments

A joint motion dated September 25, 1985, was filed by the ASIA GROUP and Andrew Gotianun requesting:

Dismissal of the complaint against Gotianun and dismissal of his counterclaims.
Waiver of the cause of action for rescission/annulment of the IBAA share sale.
Filing of appropriate motions to dismiss all related cases pending before the Supreme Court.

Several petitions and motions were filed and dismissed:

G.R. Nos. 51651, 51678, and 53493 were dismissed as moot and academic by the Court’s Resolution dated October 1, 1985.
Only G.R. No. 53543 remained pending, which was subsequently decided en banc by the Court through a Resolution dated November 5, 1985.

The SEC TRO of July 19, 1978 was annulled “effective as of April 21, 1980” by the en banc Resolution based on:

The initial valid need for injunctive relief.
The prolonged and protracted inaction by the SEC in resolving motions to lift the TRO, constituting a grave abuse of discretion.

The Appeal by Bank of America NT & SA (BA)

BA moved for reconsideration of the dismissal decision.
BA’s motion was denied by Order dated January 22, 1986.
BA then filed a petition for certiorari with the Court of Appeals under Rule 65 to invalidate the SEC orders.
The Court of Appeals dismissed BA’s petition on several grounds including:

The finality of the Order of dismissal.
The availability of appeal as a plain, speedy, and adequate remedy.
Failure by BA to exhaust all administrative remedies and undue delay in filing the petition.

Issues:

Jurisdiction and Appropriateness of Remedies

Whether BA could use a special civil action for certiorari as a substitute for an appeal.
The issue of whether an appeal was available from the adverse SEC orders, specifically the Order of October 29, 1985.

Finality and Res Judicata

Whether the dismissal orders issued by the SEC and later confirmed by the Court were final and binding.
The question of whether the doctrine of res judicata barred the re-litigation of issues already conclusively resolved.

The Nature of the Cause of Action and Indispensability of Parties

Whether the claims against BA and the Gotianun Group arose from a single, indivisible transaction.
Whether the ASIA GROUP’s waiver of its claim against the Gotianun Group affected its cause of action against BA.
The propriety of treating the claims and the parties as separate and severable versus indivisible.

The Application of Procedural Rules and Discretion

Whether the SEC’s prolonged issuance and extension of the Temporary Restraining Order amounted to grave abuse of discretion.
If BA was precluded from challenging the order because it delayed its appeal and did not exhaust administrative remedies.

Ruling:

(Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

(Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

(Subscriber-Only)

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END