Labor Et Al. Vs NLRC Case Digest

ARTEMIO LABOR, PEDRO BONITA, JR.
, DELFIN MEDILLO, ALLAN ROMMEL

GABUT, and IRENEO VISABELLA, petitioners, vs. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS
COMMISSION, GOLD CITY COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, INC., and RUDY UY,
respondents.
FACTS:
Labor et al. were employees of Gold City at its Eye Ball Disco located at Tagum, Davao.
In August 19, 1991, they filed a complaint in DOLE in Davao City, charging Gold City with
violations of labor standards laws, specifically for underpayment of the minimum wage non-
payment of 13th month pay for 1991, premiums for holidays and rest days, holiday pay service
incentive leave pay, night shift differential and allowance. They also filed with the NLRC in
Davao City a complaint against Gold City and its President, Rudy Uy, for illegal dismissal and
for the same violations of labor standards laws.
Days after filing the complaint, the petitioners alleged that Gold City prevented them
from entering their work place; that their time cards were taken off the time card rack; and that
they were advised to resign. They assailed the notice of termination given to them by Gold City
dated September 6, 1991, and denied having abandoned their work for, as a matter of fact, Labor
was on an approved leave August 19-22, 1991 but was not allowed to return to work after that
date. They accused Gold City of unfair labor practice for illegally dismissing them in retaliation
for their having filed a complaint for labor standards violations against it. They also denied
having signed any quitclaim or compromise settlement.
Gold City asserted that the petitioners were not illegally terminated but had abandoned
their work by not reporting to their place of employment. It further alleged that as early as June
1991, the petitioners were under investigation for the dishonest acts for which they were charged
with estafa and/or theft in the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, and to preempt any action to
be taken therein, the petitioners filed the "baseless and unfounded complaint" with the DOLE for
the labor standards violation and furthermore, abandoned their work to make it appear that they
were illegally dismissed. It also alleged that on September 6, 1991, each of the petitioners was
sent a notice of possible termination due to abandonment or for absence without official leave or
notice for six consecutive days, with a warning that if no explanation is given within seven days
from receipt thereof, they will be terminated, but the petitioners failed to reply to the notice and
did not report for work. It then concluded that the abandonment justified their dismissal.
On 27 March 1992, the Labor Arbiter rendered his decisions in favor of the petitioners
declaring the dismissal illegal.
Gold City appealed the Labor Arbiter's decision to the NLRC. On September 24, 1992,
the NLRC promulgated the challenged decision reversing that of the Labor Arbiter's and
dismissing the petitioners' complaint. It also ruled that there was abandonment by the petitioners
and that Gold City, in terminating them, complied with the procedural requirements since it gave
notice and granted them an opportunity to explain their absences, which they did not avail of. In
ruling that the petitioners were not illegally dismissed, the NLRC found that just cause existed,
viz., their dishonest acts which do not require proof beyond reasonable doubt.
1
ISSUE:
Whether there was abandonment by the petitioners.
HELD:
There was none.
To constitute abandonment, two elements must concur: (1) the failure to report for work
or absence without valid or justifiable reason, and (2) a clear intention to sever the employer-
employee relationship, with the second element as the more determinative factor and being
manifested by some overt acts. Mere absence is not sufficient. It is the employer who has the
burden of proof to show a deliberate and unjustified refusal of the employee to resume his
employment without any intention of returning. Gold City failed to discharge this burden. It did
not adduce any proof of some overt act of the petitioners that clearly and unequivocally show
their intention to abandon their posts. On the contrary, the petitioners lost no time in filing the
case for illegal dismissal against them, taking only four days from the time most of them were
prevented from entering their work place on August 22, 1991 to the filing of the complaint on
August 26, 1991. They cannot, by any reasoning, be said to have abandoned their work, for as
we have also previously ruled, the filing by an employee of a complaint for illegal dismissal is
proof enough of his desire to return to work, thus negating the employer's charge of
abandonment. Furthermore, petitioners Labor and Bonita presented proof that during some of
those days that they were supposedly on AWOL (absence without official leave), they were
actually on official leave as approved by no less than Rudy Uy himself. Neither Gold City nor
Rudy Uy had disputed this.
It may further be observed that the timing of Gold City's alleged refusal to allow the
petitioners to enter their work place is highly suspicious. It happened only two days after the
petitioners filed their complaint for labor standards violations with the DOLE. Mere
coincidence? We think not. What it is, though, is evidence that lends credence to the allegation
of the petitioners that they did not abandon their employment as Gold City asserts but were
prevented from going to work. Thus, we cannot agree with the NLRC when it said that the
petitioners "had to jump the gun against the respondents in order to save their faces from their
own wrong doings, dishonest acts" by filing the case for illegal dismissal against the
respondents.
ADDITIONAL; On Dishonesty
On 2 September 1991, one Atty. Rolando Casaway requested that a criminal action
against the petitioners for theft and/or estafa be instituted. In support thereof, he attached to his
letter the affidavits employees where they attested to alleged acts committed by the petitioners
during the period from June to August 1991 which deprived Eye Ball Disco of certain amounts
of money. According to the affiants, the petitioners would get the claim stubs from customers of
Eye Ball Disco that entitle them to one free drink each, but the petitioners did not surrender these
stubs to the cashier and instead made the customers pay for the drinks; then, later, when other
customers ordered drinks, the petitioners would surrender these stubs to the cashier as "payment"
for the drinks of these other customers and pocket their payment. (It was dismissed; late filed)

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ARTEMIO LABOR, PEDRO BONITA, JR.

, DELFIN MEDILLO, ALLAN ROMMEL

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