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G.R.No.L66826

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RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
THIRDDIVISION
G.R.No.L66826August19,1988
BANKOFTHEPHILIPPINEISLANDS,petitioner,
vs.
THEINTERMEDIATEAPPELLATECOURTandZSHORNACKrespondents.
Pacis&ReyesLawOfficeforpetitioner.
ErnestoT.Zshornack,Jr.forprivaterespondent.

CORTES,J.:
TheoriginalpartiestothiscasewereRizaldyT.ZshornackandtheCommercialBankandTrustCompanyofthe
Philippines[hereafterreferredtoas"COMTRUST."]In1980,theBankofthePhilippineIslands(hereafterreferred
toasBPIabsorbedCOMTRUSTthroughacorporatemerger,andwassubstitutedaspartytothecase.
Rizaldy Zshornack initiated proceedings on June 28,1976 by filing in the Court of First Instance of Rizal
CaloocanCityacomplaintagainstCOMTRUSTallegingfourcausesofaction.Exceptforthethirdcauseofaction,
theCFIruledinfavorofZshornack.ThebankappealedtotheIntermediateAppellateCourtwhichmodifiedthe
CFI decision absolving the bank from liability on the fourth cause of action. The pertinent portions of the
judgment,asmodified,read:
INVIEWOFTHEFOREGOING,theCourtrendersjudgmentasfollows:
1. Ordering the defendant COMTRUST to restore to the dollar savings account of plaintiff (No. 25
4109) the amount of U.S $1,000.00 as of October 27, 1975 to earn interest together with the
remainingbalanceofthesaidaccountattheratefixedbythebankfordollardepositsunderCentral
BankCircular343
2. Ordering defendant COMTRUST to return to the plaintiff the amount of U.S. $3,000.00
immediatelyuponthefinalityofthisdecision,withoutinterestforthereasonthatthesaidamountwas
merely held in custody for safekeeping, but was not actually deposited with the defendant
COMTRUSTbecausebeingcashcurrency,itcannotbylawbedepositedwithplaintiffsdollaraccount
anddefendant'sonlyobligationistoreturnthesametoplaintiffupondemand
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5. Ordering defendant COMTRUST to pay plaintiff in the amount of P8,000.00 as damages in the
conceptoflitigationexpensesandattorney'sfeessufferedbyplaintiffasaresultofthefailureofthe
defendant bank to restore to his (plaintiffs) account the amount of U.S. $1,000.00 and to return to
him(plaintiff)theU.S.$3,000.00cashleftforsafekeeping.
CostsagainstdefendantCOMTRUST.
SOORDERED.[Rollo,pp.4748.]
Undaunted,thebankcomestothisCourtprayingthatitbetotallyabsolvedfromanyliabilitytoZshornack.The
latter not having appealed the Court of Appeals decision, the issues facing this Court are limited to the bank's
liabilitywithregardtothefirstandsecondcausesofactionanditsliabilityfordamages.
1.Wefirstconsiderthefirstcauseofaction,Onthedatesmaterialtothiscase,RizaldyZshornackandhiswife,
Shirley Gorospe, maintained in COMTRUST, Quezon City Branch, a dollar savings account and a peso current
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account.
On October 27, 1975, an application for a dollar draft was accomplished by Virgilio V. Garcia, Assistant Branch
ManagerofCOMTRUSTQuezonCity,payabletoacertainLeovigildaD.Dizonintheamountof$1,000.00.Inthe
application,GarciaindicatedthattheamountwastobechargedtoDollarSavingsAcct.No.254109,thesavings
accountoftheZshornacksthechargesforcommission,documentarystamptaxandotherstotallingP17.46were
to be charged to Current Acct. No. 21046529, again, the current account of the Zshornacks. There was no
indicationofthenameofthepurchaserofthedollardraft.
On the same date, October 27,1975, COMTRUST, under the signature of Virgilio V. Garcia, issued a check
payabletotheorderofLeovigildaD.DizoninthesumofUS$1,000drawnontheChaseManhattanBank,New
York,withanindicationthatitwastobechargedtoDollarSavingsAcct.No.254109.
WhenZshornacknoticedthewithdrawalofUS$1,000.00fromhisaccount,hedemandedanexplanationfromthe
bank.Inanswer,COMTRUSTclaimedthatthepesovalueofthewithdrawalwasgiventoAtty.ErnestoZshornack,
Jr.,brotherofRizaldy,onOctober27,1975whenhe(Ernesto)encashedwithCOMTRUSTacashier'scheckfor
P8,450.00issuedbytheManilaBankingCorporationpayabletoErnesto.
Upon consideration of the foregoing facts, this Court finds no reason to disturb the ruling of both the trial court
andtheAppellateCourtonthefirstcauseofaction.Petitionermustbeheldliablefortheunauthorizedwithdrawal
ofUS$1,000.00fromprivaterespondent'sdollaraccount.
Initsdesperateattempttojustifyitsactofwithdrawingfromitsdepositor'ssavingsaccount,thebankhasadopted
inconsistent theories. First, it still maintains that the peso value of the amount withdrawn was given to Atty.
Ernesto Zshornack, Jr. when the latter encashed the Manilabank Cashier's Check. At the same time, the bank
claimsthatthewithdrawalwasmadepursuanttoanagreementwhereZshornackallegedlyauthorizedthebank
to withdraw from his dollar savings account such amount which, when converted to pesos, would be needed to
fundhispesocurrentaccount.Ifindeedthepesoequivalentoftheamountwithdrawnfromthedollaraccountwas
creditedtothepesocurrentaccount,whydidthebankstillhavetopayErnesto?
Atanyrate,bothexplanationsareunavailing.Withregardtothefirstexplanation,petitionerbankhasnotshown
howthetransactioninvolvingthecashier'scheckisrelatedtothetransactioninvolvingthedollardraftinfavorof
DizonfinancedbythewithdrawalfromRizaldy'sdollaraccount.Thetwotransactionsappearentirelyindependent
of each other. Moreover, Ernesto Zshornack, Jr., possesses a personality distinct and separate from Rizaldy
Zshornack.PaymentmadetoErnestocannotbeconsideredpaymenttoRizaldy.
Astothesecondexplanation,evenifweassumethattherewassuchanagreement,theevidencedonotshow
thatthewithdrawalwasmadepursuanttoit.Instead,therecordrevealsthattheamountwithdrawnwasusedto
financeadollardraftinfavorofLeovigildaD.Dizon,andnottofundthecurrentaccountoftheZshornacks.There
isnoproofwhatsoeverthatpesoCurrentAccountNo.21046529wasevercreditedwiththepesoequivalentof
theUS$1,000.00withdrawnonOctober27,1975fromDollarSavingsAccountNo.254109.
2. As for the second cause of action, the complaint filed with the trial court alleged that on December 8, 1975,
Zshornack entrusted to COMTRUST, thru Garcia, US $3,000.00 cash (popularly known as greenbacks) for
safekeeping,andthattheagreementwasembodiedinadocument,acopyofwhichwasattachedtoandmade
partofthecomplaint.Thedocumentreads:
MakatiCableAddress:
Philippines"COMTRUST"
COMMERCIALBANKANDTRUSTCOMPANY
ofthePhilippines
QuezonCityBranch
December8,1975
MR.RIZALDYT.ZSHORNACK
&/ORMRSSHIRLEYE.ZSHORNACK
Sir/Madam:
We acknowledged (sic) having received from you today the sum of US DOLLARS:
THREETHOUSANDONLY(US$3,000.00)forsafekeeping.
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Receivedby:
(Sgd.)VIRGILIOV.GARCIA
Itwasalsoallegedinthecomplaintthatdespitedemands,thebankrefusedtoreturnthemoney.
In its answer, COMTRUST averred that the US$3,000 was credited to Zshornack's peso current account at
prevailingconversionrates.
ItmustbeemphasizedthatCOMTRUSTdidnotdenyspecificallyunderoaththeauthenticityanddueexecutionof
theaboveinstrument.
Duringtrial,itwasestablishedthatonDecember8,1975ZshornackindeeddeliveredtothebankUS$3,000for
safekeeping.WhenherequestedthereturnofthemoneyonMay10,1976,COMTRUSTexplainedthatthesum
wasdisposedofinthismanner:US$2,000.00wassoldonDecember29,1975andthepesoproceedsamounting
to P14,920.00 were deposited to Zshornack's current account per deposit slip accomplished by Garcia the
remaining US$1,000.00 was sold on February 3, 1976 and the peso proceeds amounting to P8,350.00 were
depositedtohiscurrentaccountperdepositslipalsoaccomplishedbyGarcia.
Aside from asserting that the US$3,000.00 was properly credited to Zshornack's current account at prevailing
conversion rates, BPI now posits another ground to defeat private respondent's claim. It now argues that the
contract embodied in the document is the contract of depositum (as defined in Article 1962, New Civil Code),
which banks do not enter into. The bank alleges that Garcia exceeded his powers when he entered into the
transaction. Hence, it is claimed, the bank cannot be liable under the contract, and the obligation is purely
personaltoGarcia.
Beforewegointothenatureofthecontractenteredinto,animportantpointwhicharisesonthepleadings,must
beconsidered.
The second cause of action is based on a document purporting to be signed by COMTRUST, a copy of which
document was attached to the complaint. In short, the second cause of action was based on an actionable
document. It was therefore incumbent upon the bank to specifically deny under oath the due execution of the
document,asprescribedunderRule8,Section8,ifitdesired:(1)toquestiontheauthorityofGarciatobindthe
corporationand(2)todenyitscapacitytoenterintosuchcontract.[See,E.B.Merchantv.InternationalBanking
Corporation, 6 Phil. 314 (1906).] No sworn answer denying the due execution of the document in question, or
questioningtheauthorityofGarciatobindthebank,ordenyingthebank'scapacitytoenterintothecontract,was
everfiled.Hence,thebankisdeemedtohaveadmittednotonlyGarcia'sauthority,butalsothebank'spower,to
enterintothecontractinquestion.
Inthepast,thisCourthadoccasiontoexplainthereasonbehindthisproceduralrequirement.
Thereasonfortheruleenunciatedintheforegoingauthoritieswill,wethink,bereadilyappreciated.
In dealing with corporations the public at large is bound to rely to a large extent upon outward
appearances. If a man is found acting for a corporation with the external indicia of authority, any
person,nothavingnoticeofwantofauthority,mayusuallyrelyuponthoseappearancesandifitbe
foundthatthedirectorshadpermittedtheagenttoexercisethatauthorityandtherebyheldhimout
as a person competent to bind the corporation, or had acquiesced in a contract and retained the
benefit supposed to have been conferred by it, the corporation will be bound, notwithstanding the
actualauthoritymayneverhavebeengranted
... Whether a particular officer actually possesses the authority which he assumes to exercise is
frequentlyknowntoveryfew,andtheproofofitusuallyisnotreadilyaccessibletothestrangerwho
dealswiththecorporationonthefaithoftheostensibleauthorityexercisedbysomeofthecorporate
officers.Itisthereforereasonable,inacasewhereanofficerofacorporationhasmadeacontractin
itsname,thatthecorporationshouldberequired,ifitdenieshisauthority,tostatesuchdefenseinits
answer.Bythismeanstheplaintiffisapprisedofthefactthattheagent'sauthorityiscontestedand
he is given an opportunity to adduce evidence showing either that the authority existed or that the
contract was ratified and approved. [Ramirez v. Orientalist Co. and Fernandez, 38 Phil. 634, 645
646(1918).]
Petitioner's argument must also be rejected for another reason. The practical effect of absolving a corporation
from liability every time an officer enters into a contract which is beyond corporate powers, even without the
proper allegation or proof that the corporation has not authorized nor ratified the officer's act, is to cast
corporations in so perfect a mold that transgressions and wrongs by such artificial beings become impossible
[Bissell v. Michigan Southern and N.I.R. Cos 22 N.Y 258 (1860).] "To say that a corporation has no right to do
unauthorizedactsisonlytoputforthaveryplaintruismbuttosaythatsuchbodieshavenopowerorcapacityto
err is to impute to them an excellence which does not belong to any created existence with which we are
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acquainted.Thedistinctionbetweenpowerandrightisnomoretobelostsightofinrespecttoartificialthanin
respecttonaturalpersons."[Ibid.]
Having determined that Garcia's act of entering into the contract binds the corporation, we now determine the
correctnatureofthecontract,anditslegalconsequences,includingitsenforceability.
The document which embodies the contract states that the US$3,000.00 was received by the bank for
safekeeping.Thesubsequentactsofthepartiesalsoshowthattheintentofthepartieswasreallyforthebankto
safelykeepthedollarsandtoreturnittoZshornackatalatertime,Thus,Zshornackdemandedthereturnofthe
moneyonMay10,1976,oroverfivemonthslater.
TheabovearrangementisthatcontractdefinedunderArticle1962,NewCivilCode,whichreads:
Art.1962.Adepositisconstitutedfromthemomentapersonreceivesathingbelongingtoanother,
with the obligation of safely keeping it and of returning the same. If the safekeeping of the thing
deliveredisnottheprincipalpurposeofthecontract,thereisnodepositbutsomeothercontract.
Note that the object of the contract between Zshornack and COMTRUST was foreign exchange. Hence, the
transaction was covered by Central Bank Circular No. 20, Restrictions on Gold and Foreign Exchange
Transactions, promulgated on December 9, 1949, which was in force at the time the parties entered into the
transactioninvolvedinthiscase.Thecircularprovides:
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2.Transactionsintheassetsdescribedbelowandalldealingsinthemofwhatevernature,including,
where applicable their exportation and importation, shall NOT be effected, except with respect to
deposit accounts included in subparagraphs (b) and (c) of this paragraph, when such deposit
accountsareownedbyandinthenameof,banks.
(a) Any and all assets, provided they are held through, in, or with banks or banking
institutions located in the Philippines, including money, checks, drafts, bullions bank
drafts, deposit accounts (demand, time and savings), all debts, indebtedness or
obligations,financialbrokersandinvestmenthouses,notes,debentures,stocks,bonds,
coupons, bank acceptances, mortgages, pledges, liens or other rights in the nature of
security, expressed in foreign currencies, or if payable abroad, irrespective of the
currency in which they are expressed, and belonging to any person, firm, partnership,
association, branch office, agency, company or other unincorporated body or
corporationresidingorlocatedwithinthePhilippines
(b)Anyandallassetsofthekindsincludedand/ordescribedinsubparagraph(a)above,
whetherornotheldthrough,in,orwithbanksorbankinginstitutions,andexistentwithin
thePhilippines,whichbelongtoanyperson,firm,partnership,association,branchoffice,
agency, company or other unincorporated body or corporation not residing or located
withinthePhilippines
(c) Any and all assets existent within the Philippines including money, checks, drafts,
bullions, bank drafts, all debts, indebtedness or obligations, financial securities
commonly dealt in by bankers, brokers and investment houses, notes, debentures,
stock, bonds, coupons, bank acceptances, mortgages, pledges, liens or other rights in
thenatureofsecurityexpressedinforeigncurrencies,orifpayableabroad,irrespective
of the currency in which they are expressed, and belonging to any person, firm,
partnership,association,branchoffice,agency,companyorotherunincorporatedbody
orcorporationresidingorlocatedwithinthePhilippines.
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4.(a)AllreceiptsofforeignexchangeshallbesolddailytotheCentralBankbythoseauthorizedto
deal in foreign exchange. All receipts of foreign exchange by any person, firm, partnership,
association, branch office, agency, company or other unincorporated body or corporation shall be
soldtotheauthorizedagentsoftheCentralBankbytherecipientswithinonebusinessdayfollowing
the receipt of such foreign exchange. Any person, firm, partnership, association, branch office,
agency, company or other unincorporated body or corporation, residing or located within the
Philippines, who acquires on and after the date of this Circular foreign exchange shall not, unless
licensedbytheCentralBank,disposeofsuchforeignexchangeinwholeorinpart,norreceiveless
thanitsfullvalue,nordelaytakingownershipthereofexceptassuchdelayiscustomaryProvided,
further, That within one day upon taking ownership, or receiving payment, of foreign exchange the
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aforementioned persons and entities shall sell such foreign exchange to designated agents of the
CentralBank.
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8.StrictobservanceoftheprovisionsofthisCircularisenjoinedandanyperson,firmorcorporation,
foreignordomestic,whobeingboundtotheobservancethereof,orofsuchotherrules,regulations
or directives as may hereafter be issued in implementation of this Circular, shall fail or refuse to
complywith,orabideby,orshallviolatethesame,shallbesubjecttothepenalsanctionsprovidedin
theCentralBankAct.
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Paragraph 4 (a) above was modified by Section 6 of Central Bank Circular No. 281, Regulations on Foreign
Exchange, promulgated on November 26, 1969 by limiting its coverage to Philippine residents only. Section 6
provides:
SEC.6.Allreceiptsofforeignexchangebyanyresidentperson,firm,companyorcorporationshall
besoldtoauthorizedagentsoftheCentralBankbytherecipientswithinonebusinessdayfollowing
thereceiptofsuchforeignexchange.Anyresidentperson,firm,companyorcorporationresidingor
located within the Philippines, who acquires foreign exchange shall not, unless authorized by the
Central Bank, dispose of such foreign exchange in whole or in part, nor receive less than its full
value,nordelaytakingownershipthereofexceptassuchdelayiscustomaryProvided,That,within
one business day upon taking ownership or receiving payment of foreign exchange the
aforementionedpersonsandentitiesshallsellsuchforeignexchangetotheauthorizedagentsofthe
CentralBank.
As earlier stated, the document and the subsequent acts of the parties show that they intended the bank to
safekeep the foreign exchange, and return it later to Zshornack, who alleged in his complaint that he is a
Philippineresident.ThepartiesdidnotintendedtoselltheUSdollarstotheCentralBankwithinonebusinessday
fromreceipt.Otherwise,thecontractofdepositumwouldneverhavebeenenteredintoatall.
Sincethemeresafekeepingofthegreenbacks,withoutsellingthemtotheCentralBankwithinonebusinessday
fromreceipt,isatransactionwhichisnotauthorizedbyCBCircularNo.20,itmustbeconsideredasonewhich
fallsunderthegeneralclassofprohibitedtransactions.Hence,pursuanttoArticle5oftheCivilCode,itisvoid,
havingbeenexecutedagainsttheprovisionsofamandatory/prohibitorylaw.Moreimportantly,itaffordsneitherof
thepartiesacauseofactionagainsttheother."Whenthenullityproceedsfromtheillegalityofthecauseorobject
of the contract, and the act constitutes a criminal offense, both parties being in pari delicto, they shall have no
causeofactionagainsteachother..."[Art.1411,NewCivilCode.]TheonlyremedyisoneonbehalfoftheState
toprosecutethepartiesforviolatingthelaw.
WethusrulethatZshornackcannotrecoverunderthesecondcauseofaction.
3. Lastly, we find the P8,000.00 awarded by the courts aquo as damages in the concept of litigation expenses
andattorney'sfeestobereasonable.Theawardissustained.
WHEREFORE, the decision appealed from is hereby MODIFIED. Petitioner is ordered to restore to the dollar
savingsaccountofprivaterespondenttheamountofUS$1,000.00asofOctober27,1975toearninterestatthe
rate fixed by the bank for dollar savings deposits. Petitioner is further ordered to pay private respondent the
amountofP8,000.00asdamages.Theothercausesofactionofprivaterespondentareordereddismissed.
SOORDERED.
Gutierrez,Jr.andBidin,JJ.,concur.
Fernan,C.J.,tooknopart
Feliciano,J.,concurintheresult.
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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