The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld an earlier ruling by a Makati City court in favor of Ronnie Henares in a long-running dispute involving their family’s corporation.
“The CA’s Seventh Division ruled that Ronnie is a legitimate stockholder of Henlich Development Corporation and invalidated the 2019 election of corporate officers, in which he was barred from participating,” read the decision released on July 2, 2026.
As a result, the court denied the petition filed by Ronnie’s sisters — Cecilia Chudiain, Rosario Anna Angeles and Elvira Esguerra — who sought to overturn the earlier ruling issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Meanwhile, Ronnie’s brothers, Alfredo and Daniel, sided with the former actor throughout the legal battle.
The dispute reportedly began after Ronnie’s sisters proposed selling the family’s house in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, which at the time was the residence of their father. The property is one of the principal assets of Henlich Development Corporation.
Ronnie and his brothers opposed the proposal because their father was still alive at the time. They also raised concerns over their sisters’ alleged control of another property owned by their father, former journalist Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr., who died in 2024 at the age of 100.
In April 2019, the siblings held an emergency meeting as members of the corporation’s board. During the meeting, however, Ronnie was not allowed to vote in the election of new corporate officers because he was allegedly not a stockholder. His brothers challenged the move, prompting them to file a case before the Makati RTC, where Ronnie initially prevailed.
“The CA likewise ruled that the 2019 election of officers was invalid because Ronnie had been deprived of his right to vote as a stockholder,” the report stated. / TRC S
