BELO MEDICAL GROUP, INC. vs. JOSE L.

SANTOS
G.R. No. 185894 / August 30, 2017
A conflict between two (2) stockholders of a corporation does not automatically
render their dispute as intra-corporate. The nature of the controversy must also be
examined.
Applying the relationship test, this Court notes that both Belo and Santos are named shareholders in
Belo Medical Group's Articles of Incorporation and General Information Sheet for 2007. The conflict is
clearly intra-corporate as it involves two (2) shareholders although the ownership of stocks of one
stockholder is questioned. Unless Santos is adjudged as a stranger to the corporation because he holds
his shares only in trust for Belo, then both he and Belo, based on official records, are stockholders of the
corporation. Belo Medical Group argues that the case should not have been characterized as intra-
corporate because it is not between two shareholders as only Santos or Belo can be the rightful
stockholder of the 25 shares of stock. This may be true. But this finding can only be made after trial
where ownership of the shares of stock is decided.