Zamoras vs Su Case Digest

Zamoras vs Su, Jr. ,184 SCRA 248 , 1990 Facts: Victoriano Zamoras, was hired Roque Su, Jr., as overseer   of his coconut land in Dapitan. He was made to supervise the coconut plantation and the sale of copra. He was paid a salary plus 1/3 of the proceeds of the sales of the copra. Another one-third of the proceeds went to the tenants and the other third to Su. Sometime in 1981, Su entered into a loan with a certain Anito and authorized her to harvest coconuts from his property while his loan was outstanding. Zamoras was then laid-off temporarily until Su could obtain a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines with which to pay Anita. He was no longer allowed to work as overseer of the plantation and without his knowledge and consent, Anita, harvested the coconuts without giving him his one-third share of the copra sales. Zamoras filed a complaint against Su, and Anita for illegal termination and breach of contract with damages with the Regional Arbitration Branch of the Ministry of Labor and Employment in Zamboanga City. The Labor Arbiter rendered a decision holding that Zamoras, as overseer of the respondent's plantation, was a regular employee whose services were necessary and desirable to the usual trade or business of his employer and was thus illegally dismissed. Upon appeal to the NLRC, the decision of the Labor Arbiter was reversed. It held that the relationship between the parties was that of a landlord-tenant, hence, jurisdiction over the case rests with the Court of Agrarian Relations. Issue: WON Zamoras is an employee of Su, Jr. and thus jurisdiction of the case is with the NLRC. Ruling: Since Zamoras is an employee, not a tenant of Su, it is the NLRC, not the Court of Agrarian Relations,that has jurisdiction to try and decide Zamoras’ complaint for illegal dismissal . It was held that Su hired Zamoras not as a tenant but as overseer of his coconut plantation. There is no evidence that Zamoras cultivated any portion of Su's land personally or with the aid of his immediate farm household. The essential requisites of a tenancy relationship are not present. Rather those of an employer-employee relationship exists between them. These are the following: 1. Zamoras was selected and hired by Su as overseer of the coconut plantation; 2. His duties were specified by Su; 3. Su controlled and supervised the performance of his duties. He determined to whom Zamoras should sell the copra produced from the plantation.  And 4. Su paid Zamoras Zamoras a salary of P2,400 P2,400 per month month plus one-third one-third of the the copra sales sales every two months as compensation for managing the plantation.