Grand Asian Shipping Lines v Galvez Digested

Grand Asian Shipping Lines v. Galvez G.R. No. 178184; January 29, 2014 FACTS: Petitio etitioner ner Grand Grand Asi Asian an Shippi Shippin n !ines, !ines, "n# $GAS!" $GAS!"%% is a do&est do&esti# i# #orpor #orporati ation on enaed in transportin 'i(ui)ed petro'eu& as $!PG% *ro& Petron+s re)nery in ataan to Pasi and -aite /hi'e respondents are #re/&e&ers o* one o* GAS!"+s esse's, 3 orothy 5no. So&e ti&e a*ter/ards, 6one o* the esse'+s i'ers, Ais $Ais%, reported to GAS!" GA S!"+s +s  #e #e and -r -re/i e/in n an anae aer, r, an a'' a''ee eed d i'' i''ea ea'' a#t a#tii iity ty ei ein n #o& #o&&i &itte tted d y respondents aoard the esse'. Ais reea'ed that a*ter aout *our to )e oyaes a /ee, a sustantia' o'u&e o* *ue' oi' is un#onsu&ed and stored in the esse'+s *ue' tans. :o/eer, Gruta /ou'd &isde#'are it as #onsu&ed *ue' in the nineer+s ue' i' -onsu&ption *or 3 orothy statin that *ue' oi' #onsu&ption /as oerstated 3hus, a #ri&ina' #o&p'aint *or (ua'i)ed the*t /as )'ed aains aa instt #o& #o&p'a p'aina inants nts.. "t /as su suse( se(uen uent'y t'y )'e )'ed d in #ou #ourt. rt. 3hr 3hrou ouhou hout, t, GA GAS!" S!" p'a p'a#ed #ed #o&p'a #o& p'aina inants nts in pr pree eenti ntie e sus suspen pensio sion. n. A*t *ter er #on #ondu# du#tin tin  ad& ad&ini inistr strati atie e hea heari rins, ns, de*end de* endant ants s ter ter&i &inat nated ed the e&p e&p'oy 'oy&en &entt o* #o& #o&p'a p'aina inants nts.. Responde Respondents nts )'ed /ith the N!RN!R- separate #o&p'aint #o&p'aint *or i''ea' i''ea' suspension suspension and dis&issa', dis&issa', a&on others, others, aainst petitioner. the !aor Ariter rendered de#ision )ndin the dis&issa' o* 21 #o&p'ainants to e i''ea'. 3he petitioners then )'ed an appea' and N!R- ru'ed *or the petitioners. :o/eer, /hen the #ase /as e'eated to the -A, the 'atter ru'ed in *aor o* respondents.

ISSUE: ?hether or not the dis&issa' is i''ea'. HELD:  @es.  @es. 6"n ter&ination disputes, the urden o* proin that the dis&issa' is *or a ust or a'id #ause rests on the e&p'oyers. >ai'ure on their part to dis#hare su#h urden /i'' rende enderr the dis dis&i &issa' ssa' i'' i''ea ea'.= '.= 3he 3he -A did did not not #o&& o&&it any err error in )ndi ndin that hat respondent+s /ere i''ea''y dis&issed. A##ordin to the ter&ination noti#e, respondents /ere dis&issed ased on the rounds o* $a% serious &is#ondu#t $% enain in pi'*erae /i'e /i'e nai naiati atin n at sea sea $#% $#% /i'' /i''*u *u'' rea rea#h #h o* the the trus trustt repos eposed ed y the the #o&p #o&pan any y $d% $d% #o&&ission o* a #ri&e aainst their e&p'oyer. A*ter eBa&ination o* the eiden#e, the #ourt #ourt )nds )nds that that petiti petitione oners rs *ai'ed *ai'ed to susta sustanti ntiate ate the #har #hares es o* pi'*er pi'*erae ae aains aainstt respondents. 3he (uantu& o* proo* that shou'd e presented is sustantia' eiden#e. ere )'in o* *or&a' #hare does not auto&ati#a''y &ae dis&issa' a'id. 3he adait eBe#uted si&p'y #ontained a##usations /hi'e a''eations re&ained un#orroorated. A'so there is no su#ient eiden#e to sho/ respondents parti#ipation in the #o&&ission o*  the #ri&e.

Respondent+s ter&ination due to 'oss o* trust and #on)den#e shou'd hae a distin#tion et/een &anaeria' and ran and )'e e&p'oyees. RanCandC)'e e&p'oyees re(uire proo* o* ino'e&ent /hi'e &anaeria' e&p'oyees &ere eBisten#e o* a asis *or e'ie* is su#ient. Gien that Ga'eD and Gruta hae &anaeria' positions there is so&e asis *or the 'oss o* e&p'oyer+s #on)den#eEreardin the oerstate&ent o* *ue' #onsu&ption /ithout any eiden#e to the #ontrary. ?hi'e the others, /ho are ordinary ran and )'e e&p'oyees, /ere not proen to hae any ino'e&ent in the 'oss o* the esse'+s *ue'. Renderin their dis&issa's i''ea'. 3he e&p'oyer ears the urden o* proo*  in i''ea' dis&issa' #ases thus the e&p'oyer &ust )rst esta'ish y sustantia' eiden#e the *a#t o* dis&issa'.