Mayon Hotel & Restaurant vs Adana Et. Al

G. R.No.157634May16,2005 MAYON ONHOTEL&RESTAUR URANT,PACI CI TAO. O.PO and/ orJOSEFAPO LAM,pet i t i oner s, vs. ROL OLANDO ADANA,CHONABUMALAY,ROG OGERBURCE,EDUARDO ALAMA MARES, AMA MADO ALAMA MARES,EDGA GARDO DO TORREFRANCA,LOURDESCAMI MI GLA,TEODOR ORO LAURE RENARI A,WENEFREDO LOVERES,LUI SGU GUADES,AMA MADO MACANDOG, PATERNO LLARENA,GREGO GORI O NI CERI O,JOSEATRACTI VO, O,MI GUEL TORREFRANCA,andSANTOSBROÑOLA,r espondent s. FACTS:Pet i t i onerMayonHot el&Rest aur anti sasi ngl epr opr i et orbusi nessr egi st er edi nt he nameofpet i t i onerPaci t aO.Po, 6whosemot her ,pet i t i onerJosef aPoLam,managest he est abl i shment . 7Thehot elandr est aur antempl oyedaboutsi xt een( 16)empl oyees. Duet ot heexpi r at i onandnonr enewaloft hel easecont r actf ort her ent edspaceoccupi ed byt hesai dhot elandr est aur antatRi zalSt r eet ,t hehot eloper at i onsoft hebusi nesswer e suspendedonMar ch31,1997. 9Theoper at i onoft her est aur antwascont i nuedi ni t snew l ocat i onatEl i zondoSt r eet ,LegazpiCi t y,whi l ewai t i ngf ort heconst r uct i onofanewMayon Hot el&Rest aur antatPeñar andaSt r eet ,LegazpiCity.10 Onl yni ne( 9)oft hesi xt een( 16) emp mpl oyeescont i nuedwor ki ngi nt heMayonRest aur antati t snew site.11 t he16emp mpl oyeesfil edcomp mpl ai nt sf orunder payme mentofwagesandot hermoneycl ai ms agai nstpet i t i oner s Execut i veLaborAr bi t erGel aci oL.Ri ver a,Jr .r ender edaJoi ntDeci si oni nf avoroft he empl oyees.TheLaborAr bi t erawar dedsubst ant i al l yal lofr espondent s’moneycl ai ms,and hel dt hatr espondent sLover es,MacandogandLl ar enawer eent i t l edt osepar at i onpay, whi l er espondent sGu Guades,Ni cer i oandAl amar eswer eent i t l edt ot hei rr et i r ementpay.The LaborAr bi t eral sohel dt hatbasedont heevi dencepr esent ed,Josef aPoLam i st he owner / pr opr i et orofMayonHo Hot el&Rest aur antandt hepr operr espondenti nt hesecases. Onappealt ot heNLRC,t hedeci si onoft heLaborAr bi t erwasr ever sed,andal lt he compl ai nt swer edi smi mi ssed.

Respondent sfil edamot i onf orr econsi der at i onwi t ht heNLRCandwhent hi swasdeni ed, t heyfil edapet i t i onf orcer t i or ar iwi t ht heCA.CAr ever sedt heNLRCdeci si onandt he empl oyer sfil edMRwhi chwasdeni ed,hencet hecasebef or et heSC. RULI NG: 1.Owner shi pbyJosef aPoLam not wi t hst andi ngt hecer t i ficat eofr egi st r at i oni nt henameofPaci t aPo,i ti sJosef aPoLam whoi st heowner / pr opr i et orofMayonHot el&Rest aur ant ,andt hepr operr espondenti nt he compl ai nt sfil edbyt heempl oyees. Fi r st .I ti ssi gni ficantt hatonl yJosef aPoLam appear edi nt hepr oceedi ngswi t ht heLabor Ar bi t er .Despi t er ecei ptoft heLaborAr bi t er ’ snot i ceandsummons,ot hernot i cesand Or der s,pet i t i onerPaci t aPof ai l edt oappeari nanyoft hepr oceedi ngswi t ht heLaborAr bi t er i nt hesecases,norfil eherposi t i onpaper.26  I twasonl yonappealwi t ht heNLRCt hat Paci t aPosi gnedt hepleadings.27   Theapat hyshownbypet i t i onerPaci t aPoi scont r ar yt o humanexper i enceasonewoul dt hi nkt hatt heownerofanest abl i shmentwoul dnat ur al l ybe concer nedwhenal lherempl oyeesfil ecompl ai nt sagai nsther . Second.MayonHot elandRest aur anti sa[ busi nessname]ofanent er pr i se.Whi l e [ pet i t i oner ]Josef aPoLam cl ai mst hati ti sherdaught er ,Paci t aPo,whoownst hehot eland r est aur antwhent hel at t erpur chasedt hesamef r om onePal anosi n1981,Josef af ai l edt o submi tt hedocumentofsal ef r om sai dPal anost oPaci t aasal l egedl yt hesal ewasonl y ver balal t hought hel i censet ooper at esai dhot elandr est aur anti si nt henameofPaci t a whi ch,despi t eourOr dert oJosef at opr esentt hesame,shef ai l edt ocompl y. Thi r d.Respondent s]t est i fiedt hati twasJosef awhoexer ci sesal lt heact sandmani f est at i on ofowner shi poft hehot elandr est aur antl i ket r ansf er r i ngempl oyeesf r om t heGr eat wal l Pal aceRest aur antwhi chsheandherhusbandRoyPoLam pr evi ousl yowned;i ti sJosef a t owhom t heempl oyeessubmi t s( si c)r epor t s,dr awsmoneyf orpaymentofpayabl esandf or mar ket i ng,at t endi ng( si c)t oLaborI nspect or sdur i ngocul ari nspect i ons.Exceptf or document swher ebyPaci t aPoappear sast heownerofMayonHot elandRest aur ant , not hi ngi nt her ecor dshowsanyci r cumst anceormani f est at i ont hatPaci t aPoi st heowner ofMayonHot elandRest aur ant .Thel eastt hatcanbesai di st hati ti sabsur df oraper sont o pur chaseahot elandr est aur anti nt hever yhear toft heCi t yofLegazpiver bal l y. Ar t i cl e221oft heLaborCodei scl ear :t echni calr ul esar enotbi ndi ng,andt heappl i cat i onof t echni calr ul esofpr ocedur emayber el axedi nl aborcasest oser vet hedemandof

subst ant i alj ust i ce.Ther ul eofevi dencepr evai l i ngi ncour tofl aworequi t yshal lnotbe cont r ol l i ngi nl aborcasesandi ti st hespi r i tandi nt ent i onoft heLaborCodet hatt heLabor Ar bi t ershal luseever yandal lr easonabl emeanst oascer t ai nt hef act si neachcase speedi l yandobj ect i vel yandwi t houtr egar dt ot echni cal i t i esofl aworpr ocedur e,al li nt he i nt er estofduepr ocess.Laborl awsmandat et hespeedyadmi ni st r at i onofj ust i ce,wi t hl east at t ent i ont ot echni cal i t i esbutwi t houtsacri fici ngt hef undament alr equi si t esofduepr ocess. Ast ot hebestevi dencer ul er ai sedbyt heempl oyer s( cer t i ficat eofr egi st r at i onast hebest pr oofofowner shi p) Toappl yt heconceptofj udi ci aladmi ssi onst or espondent s— whoar ebutl owl yempl oyees –woul dbet oexactcompl i ancewi t ht echni cal i t i esofl awt hati scont r ar yt ot hedemandsof subst ant i alj ust i ce. Pet i t i oner swer eal sonotdeni edduepr ocess,ast heywer egi vensuffici entoppor t uni t yt obe hear dont hei ssueofowner shi p.Theessenceofduepr ocessi nadmi ni st r at i vepr oceedi ngs i ssi mpl yanoppor t uni t yt oexpl ai none’ ssi deoranoppor t uni t yt oseekr econsi der at i onof t heact i onorr ul i ngcompl ai nedof.34  Andt her ei snot hi ngi nt her ecor dswhi chwoul d suggestt hatpet i t i oner shadabsol ut el ackofoppor t uni t yt obehear d.Obvi ousl y,t hechoi ce nott opr esentevi dencewasmadebypet i t i oner st hemsel ves. 2.I l l egalDi smi s sal :c l ai mf ors epar at i onpay Fi r st ,pet i t i oner sadmi tt hatsi nceApr i l1997,whenhot eloper at i onswer esuspendedduet o t het er mi nat i onoft hel easeoft heol dpr emi ses,r espondent sLover es,Macandog,Ll ar ena, Ni cer i oandGuadeshavenotbeenper mi t t edt owor k.Second,evenaf t ersi xmont hsof whatshoul dhavebeenj ustat empor ar yl ayoff,t hesamer espondent swer est i l lnotr ecal l ed t owor k.Asamat t eroff act ,t heLaborAr bi t erevenf oundt hatasoft het i mewhenhe r ender edhi sJoi ntDeci si ononJul y2000— ormor et hant hr ee( 3)year saf t ert hesupposed “ t empor ar yl ayoff, ”t heempl oymentofal loft her espondent swi t hpet i t i oner shadceased, not wi t hst andi ngt hatt henewpr emi seshadbeencompl et edandt hesameoper at edasa hot elwi t hbarandr est aur ant .Thi si scl ear l ydi smi ssal— ort heper manentsever anceor compl et esepar at i onoft hewor kerf r om t heser vi ceont hei ni t i at i veoft heempl oyer r egar dl essoft her easonst her ef or . Butt heymadenoment i onofanyi nt entt or ecal lt heser espondent st owor kuponcompl et i on oft henewpr emi ses.

Andevenassumi ngt hatt hecl osur ewasduet oar easonbeyondt hecont r oloft he empl oyer ,i tst i l lhast oaccor di t sempl oyeessomer el i efi nt hef or m ofsever ancepay. Whi l ewer ecogni zet her i ghtoft heempl oyert ot er mi nat et heser vi cesofanempl oyeef ora  j ustoraut hor i zedcause,t hedi smi ssalofempl oyeesmustbemadewi t hi nt hepar amet er sof l awandpur suantt ot het enet soff ai rplay.66  Andi nt er mi nat i ondi sput es,t hebur denof pr oofi sal waysont heempl oyert opr ovet hatt hedi smi ssalwasf oraj ustor aut hor i zedcause.67  Wher et her ei snoshowi ngofacl ear ,val i dandl egalcausef or t er mi nat i onofempl oyment ,t hel awconsi der st hecaseamat t erofi l l egaldi smi ssal .