Indo Phil Textile Mills v. Calica – 205 SCRA 697, G.R. No.

96490 February 3, 1992

Doctrine of piercing the veil of corporate entity applies when the corporate fiction is
used to defeat public convenience, justify wrong, protect fraud or defend crime or
where a corporation is the mere alter ego or business conduit of a person.—

Under the doctrine of piercing the veil of corporate entity, when valid grounds
therefore exist, the legal fiction that a corporation is an entity with a juridical
personality separate and distinct from its members or stockholders may be
disregarded. In such cases, the corporation will be considered as a mere association
of persons. The members or stockholders of the corporation will be considered as the
corporation, that is liability will attach directly to the officers and stockholders. The
doctrine applies when the corporate fiction is used to defeat public convenience,
justify wrong, protect fraud, or defend crime, or when it is made as a shield to
confuse the legitimate issues, or where a corporation is the mere alter ego or
business conduit of a person, or where the corporation is so organized and controlled
and its affairs are so conducted as to make it merely an instrumentality, agency,
conduit or adjunct of another corporation.