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JOSELITOMUSNIPUNO(asheirofthelateCarlosPuno),
petitioner,vs. PUNOENTERPRISES,INC.,representedby
JESUSAPUNO,respondent.
Paternity; Evidence; Birth Certificates; Baptismal Certificates;
A certificate of live birth purportedly identifying the putative father
is not competent evidence of paternity when there is no showing that
the putative father had a hand in the preparation of the certificate;
A baptismal certificate can only serve as evidence of the
administration of the sacrament on the date specified but not of the
veracity of the entries with respect to the childs paternity.A
certificateoflivebirthpurportedlyidentifyingtheputativefatheris
notcompetentevidenceofpaternitywhenthereisnoshowingthat
theputativefatherhadahandinthepreparationofthecertificate.
The local civil registrar has no authority to record the paternity of
an illegitimate child on the information of a third person. As
correctly observed by the CA, only petitioners mother supplied the
data in the birth certificate and signed the same. There was no
evidencethatCarlosL.Punoacknowledgedpetitionerashisson.As
for the baptismal certificate, we have already decreed that it can
onlyserveasevidenceoftheadministrationofthesacramentonthe
date specified but not of the veracity of the entries with respect to
thechildspaternity.
Corporation Law; Stockholders Right of Inspection; The
stockholders right of inspection of the corporations books and
records is based upon his ownership of shares in the corporation
and the necessity for selfprotection.The stockholders right of
inspection of the corporations books and records is based upon his
ownership of shares in the corporation and the necessity for self
protection. After all, a shareholder has the right to be intelligently
informed about corporate affairs. Such right rests upon the
stockholders underlying ownership of the corporations assets and
property. Similarly, only stockholders of record are entitled to
receive dividends declared by the corporation, a right inherent in
theownershipoftheshares.
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*THIRDDIVISION.
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Puno vs. Puno Enterprises, Inc.
presentincludingthefinancialstatementsofthecorporation.
The costs of copying shall be shouldered by the plaintiff. Any
expensestobeincurredbythedefendanttobeabletocomplywith
thisordershallbethesubjectofabillofcosts.
SOORDERED.4
Onappeal,theCAorderedthedismissalofthecomplaint
initsDecisiondatedOctober11,2006.AccordingtotheCA,
_______________
2Records,pp.14.
3Id.,atp.96.
4Rollo,p.30.
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Puno vs. Puno Enterprises, Inc.
LEGATIONE.G.RIGHTSOFPETITIONERASHEIROF
CARLOS
PUNO
ARE
DEEMED
ADMITTED
HYPOTHETICALLYINTHERESPONDENT[S]MOTION
TODISMISS.
V.THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS THEREFORE
ERRED I[N] DECREEING THAT PETITIONER IS NOT
ENTITLED TO INSPECT THE CORPORATE BOOKS OF
DEFENDANTCORPORATION.7
VOL.599,SEPTEMBER11,2009
591
Thestockholdersrightofinspectionofthecorporations
booksandrecordsisbaseduponhisownershipofsharesin
the corporation and the necessity for selfprotection. After
all,ashareholderhastherighttobeintelligentlyinformed
about
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10Cabatania v. Court of Appeals, 484Phil.42,51;441SCRA96,103
104(2004).
11Id.
12Emphasissupplied.
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