HILADO & HILADO (SGD) LEONARDO C. FERNANDEZ
P.O. Box 199 1233 Tecson-Tindalo
Bacolod City Tondo, Manila
Counsel for Defendant Counsel for Plaintiffs.
By:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
(SGD.) JUAN M. HAGAD" 3
The trial Court rendered its decision dated October 25, 1965, the dispositive part of which reads:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"In view of the foregoing, judgment is hereby rendered as follows:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
(1) The defendant, Insular Lumber Company, is ordered to pay Miguel Bunda the sum of P857.50 for his 21 years of service at the rate of P4.50 per day minus P351.00 which he received by way of compensation;
(2) Hilarion Catamin shall be paid the sum of P552.50 for his 21 years of service at a daily wage of P4.00 minus P539.50 for which he received by way of compensation from the Company;
(3) Anastacio Jarina shall be paid the sum of P787.80 for his 24 years of service at a daily wage of P5.00 minus the sum of P772.20 which he received by way of compensation from the defendant;
(4) Jose Lechago shall be paid the sum of P1,746.25 for his 35 years of service at a daily wage of P5.75 minus the sum of P870.00 which he received from the defendant Company by way of compensation; separated on November 27, 1956, before, the passage of Republic Act 1787 and the compensation he received from the Company in the sum of P303.75 was in accordance with law then in force at the time;
(6) The plaintiffs are not entitled to any award for damages for the reason that the Company acted in good faith and there is no evidence of bad faith or intent to circumvent the law;
(7) The defendant Company is ordered to pay the additional sum of P500.00 for attorney’s fees and to pay the costs.
SO ORDERED.
Bacolod City, Philippines, October 25, 1965.
(SGD.) JOSE C. DIVINAGRACIA
Judge" 4
The parties appealed to the Court of Appeals where the case was docketed as CA-G.R. No. 37134-R. On August 30, 1968 the Court of Appeals 5 affirmed the judgment appealed from with the modification that each of the plaintiffs is entitled to separation pay equivalent to his salary corresponding to one half month for every year of service.
The Insular Lumber Co. (Phil.), Inc. submits that the Court of Appeals committed the following errors:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"First Assignment of Error.
THE COURT OF APPEALS ERRED WHEN IT HELD THAT THE TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OF EMPLOYEE-RESPONDENTS COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED AS AN ANALOGOUS JUST CAUSE FOR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1787.
Second Assignment of Error.
THE COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN ALLOWING RESPONDENTS TO RECOVER TERMINATION PAY AND IN ANY EVENT IN AWARDING SUCH PAY COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF THE FULL PERIOD OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE COMPANY." 6
According to the petitioner, the testimony of Mr. Ettisberger established that the private respondents were laid off from their employment in the Insular Lumber Company in pursuance of a program for reduction of personnel; and that the company was forced to adopt the retrenchment program because it was losing money and could no longer compete in the foreign market for its products of sawn lumber. 7
Anent the first error assigned, the petitioner submits that "From the testimony of Mr. Hans Ettisberger which was accepted by the parties in the trial court and from which the factors which compelled the appellant company to retrench and in the process dismiss some 600 workers were fully established, it is clear that the causes therefore are not attributable to any fault or whim of the appellant." 8 The petitioner goes on to state that "In the instant case, the undisputed testimony of Mr. Ettisberger established that unless the Company reduced its personnel it faced closure of its establishment in the face of the many unfavorable business factors then prevailing." 9
The just causes for termination of employment by the employer under Republic Act No. 1787 are:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"SECTION 1. Section one of Republic Act Numbered Ten hundred and fifty-two is hereby amended to read as follows:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
SECTION 1. In cases of employment, without a definite period, in a commercial, industrial, or agricultural establishment, or enterprise, the employer or the employee may terminate at any time the employment with just cause; or without just cause in the case of an employee by serving written notice on the employer at least one month in advance, or in the case of an employer, by serving such notice to the employee at least one month in advance or one-half month for every year of service of the employee, whichever is longer, a fraction of at least six months being considered as one whole year.
The employer, upon whom no such notice was served in case of termination of employment without just cause may hold the employee liable for damages.
The employees, upon whom no such notice was served in case of termination of employment without just cause shall be entitled to compensation from the date of termination of his employment in an amount equivalent to his salaries or wages corresponding to the required period of notice.
The following are just causes for terminating an employment without a definite period:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
1. By the employer —
a. The closing or cessation of operation of the establishment or enterprise, unless the closing is for the purpose of defeating the intention of this law;
b. Serious misconduct or wilful disobedience by the employee of the orders of his employer or representative in connection with his work;
c. Gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties.
d. Fraud or wilfull breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or representative;
e. Commission of a crime or offense by the employee against the person of his employer or any immediate member of his family, or representative; and
f. Other causes analogous to any of the foregoing.
x x x"
The submission of the petitioner that termination of employment by reason of economy to prevent closure of business is analogous to "closing or cessation of operation of the establishment or enterprise" provided in Section 1 (a) of Republic Act No. 1787 has no merit. It is now settled that the just cause for terminating an employment without a definite period is the closing or cessation of the operation of the establishment or enterprise. Thus this Court has held that:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"True, appellant’s film exchange business where appellees worked was closed as of February 28, 1962 but what the law considers as just cause for terminating an employment without a definite period is the closing or cessation of operation of the establishment or enterprise of the employer, and not merely the closing or cessation of operation of any particular division or department of the employer’s business. To sustain appellant’s contention in this regard would amount to reading this into the law - something which we are not ready to do, considering its adverse effects upon the rights of the employees. If it must be so, let the law say it clearly." 10
The Court of Appeals found that the cases cited by the petitioner are not applicable to the instant case because:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
‘Resolving first the appeal of the defendant it is argued by said appellant that the trial court erred in holding that the termination of employment of plaintiffs could not be justified as an analogous just cause for terminating employment under Republic Act No. 1787. In short, Defendant-Appellant takes issues with the interpretation made by the said trial court in making the defendant-appellant company liable under the provisions of Republic Act 1787, particularly in holding that the reason for terminating plaintiffs-appellants employment cannot be made analogous to ’closing or cessation of operation under par. (a).
In support of the contention, Defendant-Appellant cited the case of Amador Capiral v. Manila Electric Co., Inc., Et Al., G. R. No. L-15721, promulgated by the Supreme Court on December 27, 1963, interpreting the application of subparagraph (f) of Section 1 of Republic Act 1787 in relation to said sub-paragraph (a) thereof. In said case, the Supreme Court in declining to apply the benefits of Republic Act 1787 to the plaintiff herein whose position as news photographer had been abolished, sustained the view of the Meralco that it was more economical to engage the services of an outside photographer. The case of Union of Philippine Education Employees v. Philippine Education Co., Inc., G. R. No. L-7161, May 19, 1955, of the Supreme Court was also cited.chanrobles.com : virtual law library
It is observed that the facts in the first cited decision by the defendant-appellant (Capiral v. Manila Electric Co., et al) as well as the second case of Union of Philippine Education Employees v. Philippine Education Co., Inc.), and the third, the Philippine Sheet Metal Workers’ Union (CLU) v. Court of Industrial Relations, Et. Al.) are not the same as the facts of the instant case. In case at bar, the plaintiffs have rendered services to the defendant company for not less than twenty years and in the case of Jose Lechago, he had served the company for thirty five years as of the time they were dismissed. It also appears that the department to which the plaintiffs were connected have not been abolished and that defendant company is still existing with a labor force of 1,500. Thus, while in the Capiral case the position of news photographer was abolished, in this particular case the position was not abolished but only the persons occupying the positions were dismissed. Of course, Mr. Ettisberger of the defendant company, gave as a cause of the dismissal of plaintiffs the fact that the company adopted a policy of modernizing and mechanizing the operations of the company thus necessitating the reduction in the labor force. We do not subscribe to the view that this purpose is one of the analogous causes mentioned under sub-paragraph f (1) of Republic Act 1787, justifying the dismissal of an employee. We can glean from the records that plaintiffs in this particular case have spent the best years of their lives in the service of the company. Precisely, one of the purposes behind the enactment of the termination pay law is to afford protection to this kind of employees against the unbridled right to the employer to dismiss his employees. At least, Republic Act 1787 extends this gratification or separation pay to employees who have been unjustly dismissed from the service." 11
As correctly stated by the Court of Appeals, "In case of doubt all labor legislation . . . shall be construed in favor of the safety and decent living for the laborer." 12
The submission of the petitioner that assuming that Republic Act No. 1787 is applicable to the case at bar, only those services of the private respondent after June 21, 1957 when the law took effect should be considered because the said law partakes of a penalty and should not be given retroactive effect deserves scant consideration.
That Republic Act No. 1787 utilized years of service does not mean retroactive application of the law if the time previous to June 21, 1957 were included. Moreover, Republic Act No. 1787 was enacted in the exercise of the police power of the State. Hence, it may be given retroactive effect. This Court has explained that:jgc:chanrobles.com.ph
"4. Petitioner further contends that in applying the law, only those services of private respondents after June 21, 1957 should be reckoned in the computation of their termination pay. Because, so petitioner avers, a contrary interpretation would have the effect of giving the law retroactive application.
This theory is short of being compelling. The right of employees to separation pay in the case before us attached after, not before, June 21, 1957. How separation pay is to be computed lies within the permissible prerogatives of Congress. Congress considered the number of years of service of an employee as the basis in determining the amount to be paid as separation pay. It could have fixed a different criterion. That it utilized years of service does not mean retroactive application of the law if the time previous to June 21, 1957 were included. The determination of the amount is to be made after said date when right to separation pay was granted to dismissed employees. There should thus be no room for the notion that the law has been applied retroactively in this case.
More to this. An idea difficult to pigeonhole is that Republic Act 1787 was enacted in the exercise of the police power of the State. And, legislative acts or measures enacted pursuant to the police power of the State may have retroactive effect. What needs stressing is the fact that in this case, at the time of the passage of Republic Act 1787, an employer-employee relationship existed between petitioner and private respondents. Dismissal was effected after said law came into being. By the law, termination pay must be given said employees." 13
The assertion that the petitioner "being an American Company, went out of business after the Island of Negros was over-run by the Japanese . . ." is challenged. According to the respondents, "The records will show that the Petitioner Company was in continuous operation even during the Japanese enemy occupation period from 1942 to 1945, under its own corporate name although temporarily administered by the enemy occupation forces." 14 The employment of the private respondents was not deemed terminated by the alleged fact that the petitioner went out of business.cralawnad
The Court of Appeals did not commit the errors assigned. However, it should be made clear that the modification of the Court of Appeals of the decision appealed from should not apply to the plaintiff Marcos Dictado who was separated on November 27, 1956 before the passage of Republic Act 1787 and who had received as compensation from the company the sum of P303.75.
WHEREFORE, the decision sought to be reviewed is hereby affirmed except as to the plaintiff Marcos Dictado who as stated above was separated before the passage of Republic Act 1787 and had received the compensation from the company in the sum of P303.75, with costs against the petitioner.
SO ORDERED.
Teehankee (Chairman), Makasiar, Martin and Guerrero, JJ., concur.
Endnotes:
1. Annex "A" to petition, Rollo, pp. 11-23. The decision was written by Justice Nicasio Yatco and concurred in by Justice Salvador V. Esguerra and Justice Eulogio S. Serrano.
2. Annex "C" to petition, Rollo, pp. 25-28.
3. Idem., Rollo, pp. 29-32.
4. Idem., Rollo, pp. 40-41.
5. Justice Nicasio Yatco, ponente, concurred in by Justice Salvador V. Esguerra and Justice Eulogio S. Serrano.
6. Brief for Petitioner, pp. A-B, Rollo; p. 137.
7. Idem., p. 7, Rollo, p. 137.
8. Idem., p. 20, Rollo, p. 137.
9. Idem., p. 25, Rollo, p. 137.
10. Benjamin Wenceslao, Et. Al. v. Carmen Zaragoza, Inc., G. R. No. L-22577, July 31, 1968, 24 SCRA 554, 558.
11. Annex "A" to Petition, pp. 7-9, Rollo, pp. 17-20.
12. Article 1702, Civil Code of the Philippines.
13. Insular Lumber Co. v. Court of Appeals, 29 SCRA 371, 382-383.
14. Brief for the Respondents, Rollo, p. 177.
MUÑOZ PALMA, J., concurring:chanrob1es virtual 1aw library
1. Decision of Court of Appeals, p. 20 rollo; p. 10, petitioner’s brief.
2. "Resolution.
July 14, 1960
"LABRADOR, J.: