Republic of the
Supreme Court
|
ROMEO A. GALANG, Petitioner,
- versus - CITYLAND
SHAW TOWER, INC. and
VIRGILIO BALDEMOR, Respondents. |
G.R. No. 173291
Present:
CARPIO, J., Chairperson, BRION, PEREZ, SERENO, and REYES, JJ. Promulgated: February 8, 2012 |
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D E C I S I O N
BRION, J.:
We
resolve the petition for review on certiorari[1] assailing
the decision[2] dated
The Antecedents
On
Galang alleged on compulsory
arbitration[5]
that after the expiration of his employment contracts with the agencies
providing maintenance services to Cityland, he was absorbed as a janitor by
Cityland with a promise of regular employment after the completion of his
six-month probation. He claimed that even after the lapse of the period, he continued
working for Cityland although he had no idea about his employment status. He did not know his status for certain until
he was shown a document on
The respondents countered[6]
that Cityland absorbed Galang as a casual employee after the expiration of his
contract with Gayren Maintenance
Services. They alleged that during his employment with them, they found him
to be remiss in the performance of his job and he failed, too, to conduct
himself as a good employee. At times, he
would disobey the orders of his supervisor, Eva Tupas,[7]
Citylands janitorial services head.
The respondents further alleged that
in the face of Galangs negative work attitude and job performance, Cityland
charged him with gross insubordination, harassment of his co-employees and
conduct unbecoming an employee.
On one occasion, he took pictures of
his co-janitors after he allegedly lost P4,000.00 in his locker; he
suspected that the culprit was one of the janitors. This caused agitation among
the janitors, prompting Tupas to investigate the incident. She called the
janitors, including Galang, to a meeting. At the meeting, Galang told Tupas
that she was not qualified to be his supervisor. He also verbally insulted
and offended her in the presence of her
subordinates.
Additionally,
the janitors, security guards and other employees disclosed that Galang
exhibited an air of superiority towards them and would always shout whenever
misunderstandings occurred. Galangs alleged transgressions were the subject of
Tupas memo to Moralde Arrogante, Citylands President.[8]
The respondents stressed that
Citylands Board of Directors terminated Galangs services, for gross
insubordination, effective
Cityland, through Baldemors reply to
the labor arbiters summons,[10]
denied liability for Galangs money claims, maintaining that either the claim
had no basis or Galang had already been granted the benefit.
The Compulsory Arbitration Rulings
In a decision dated
Labor Arbiter Cellan ordered Cityland
to immediately reinstate Galang; if reinstatement is not legally feasible, to
pay him separation pay at one-half (1/2) month salary for every year of
service, backwages of P134,305.00 (latest computation), 13th
month pay differential of P3,601.22, and service incentive leave pay of P1,295.00.
Labor Arbiter Cellan absolved Baldemor
from liability, absent a showing that he exceeded his authority in Galangs
dismissal. She also denied Galangs
claim for damages and attorneys fees as Galang failed to prove that his
dismissal was attended by bad faith or was done in a wanton and malevolent
manner. Moreover, he was not represented by a counsel.
On appeal, the National Labor
Relations Commission (NLRC) affirmed
the labor arbiters findings.[12]
The respondents moved for reconsideration, but the NLRC denied the motion in
its resolution of
The CA Decision
On P30,000.00
for its violation of Galangs right to procedural due process, in accordance
with Agabon v. NLRC.[15]
The CA took exception to the
conclusion of both the labor arbiter and the NLRC that the respondents failed
to discharge the burden of proving that Galang had been dismissed for cause. It
pointed out that the records are replete with proof that Galang committed acts justifying
the termination of his employment.
The CA stressed that prior to the
incidents leading to Galangs dismissal, he had already committed serious
negligence in his work. It referred to the flooding of the 32nd
floor of the condominium where he was assigned, due to his failure to secure
tightly the valve filter room.[16]
The flooding severely damaged the buildings elevator, resulting in repair work
amounting to P23,952.65. The CA stressed that despite this act of gross
negligence, he still remained in employment and it was only on account of
subsequent events x x x that [the respondents] were compelled to dismiss him.[17]
The CA upheld Galangs dismissal on
the strength of: (1) Tupas Sinumpaang
Salaysay,[18]
executed and notarized on April 14, 2005, reiterating the statements she made
in her memorandum of May 20, 2002;[19]
(2) Baldemors affidavit,[20]
executed and notarized also on April 14, 2005; and, (3) the affidavit[21]
jointly executed, notarized on April 14, 2005, by the members of Citylands
audit team (Arrogante, Emilio dela Cruz and Baldemor) which specified the acts
comprising [Galangs] stubborn nature[,] as well as acts of insubordination,
disrespect of superiors, gross misconduct and gross negligence.[22]
While the CA had no doubt that
Galangs dismissal was for cause, it nonetheless believed that he was not
afforded procedural due process for lack of notice. The CA rejected Citylands
explanation that it deviated from the rule because the circumstances of the
case left it no room to comply with the requirement. The CA noted that although
the meeting which Tupas convened, was intended to address the janitors
complaints against Galang the latter had no knowledge of the charges at that
point in time. The CA stressed that Galang should have been given a reasonable
time to defend himself. Accordingly, it considered Galangs separation as a
dismissal for cause, but without the observance of procedural due process. Consequently,
it awarded Galang nominal damages of P30,000.00, pursuant to Agabon.
After the
denial of the motion for reconsideration that he subsequently filed, Galang appealed
to this Court under Rule 45 of the Rules
of Court.
The Case for Galang
In his submissions,[23]
Galang posits that the appellate court gravely erred in (1) holding that there
was a just cause for his dismissal based on evidence not presented before the
labor arbiter and the NLRC, and (2) in applying the Agabon doctrine in his case.
On the first ground, Galang contends
that in granting Citylands appeal, the CA relied heavily on Tupas Sinumpaang Salaysay,[24]
and on the joint affidavit[25]
of Baldemor, Arrogante and Dela Cruz, despite the fact that these pieces of
evidence were not presented before the labor arbiter and the NLRC; they were
presented only on a motion for reconsideration. He points out that he filed the
case as early as
Galang claims
that except for Baldemors affidavit,[26]
Cityland had difficulties in securing the affidavits during the early stages of
the case and it was only after three years that the affiants executed the
affidavits to save their own employment. He argues that the affidavits are not
admissible in evidence.
On the second ground, Galang submits
that the Agabon ruling cannot be
applied to his case as it cannot be applied retroactively; Agabon was not yet in place and Serrano
v. NLRC[27]
was the prevailing doctrine. Under Serrano,
failure to comply with the notice requirement in employee dismissals for cause
entitles the employee to full backwages.
The Respondents Position
In their bid to have the petition
dismissed, the respondents filed a Comment[28]
and a Memorandum[29]
raising the following issues: (1) whether the CA committed a grave abuse of
discretion in declaring that Galang had been dismissed for cause; (2) whether
the affidavits of Citylands witnesses constitute new evidence and, therefore,
not admissible; and (3) whether the CA erred in applying the Agabon doctrine in this case.
The
respondents contend that the CA committed no error; neither did it commit grave
abuse of discretion in rejecting the findings of the labor arbiter and the NLRC
that Galang had been illegally dismissed; and that Citylands evidence has no probative
value. In a comparison of evidence, Galang did not offer any piece of evidence,
except his identification card, to establish his claim or to refute their
assertions. They posit that the evidence they presented satisfied the burden of
proof required of them.
The
respondents take strong exception to Galangs submission that the affidavits of
their witnesses lack probative value because they were not presented to the
labor arbiter. They argue that the rules of evidence prevailing in courts of
law are not controlling in labor cases. They stress that the affidavits were intended to elucidate,
corroborate or bolster the evidence already presented to the labor
arbiter. One such piece of evidence is
Tupas investigation report[30]
which the labor arbiter rejected because the minutes of the meeting were not
submitted at the arbitration proceedings. They, therefore, maintain that while
the affidavits were submitted for the first time to the NLRC, they, nonetheless,
contain factual statements to clarify the evidence earlier presented to the
labor arbiter. They contend that the CA
committed no error in accepting the affidavits, especially considering that
Galang did not deny the contents of Citylands documentary evidence nor dispute
them at any stage of the proceedings.
Finally,
the respondents take exception to Galangs position that the CA erred in
applying the Agabon doctrine to his
case, instead of Serrano which was
the prevailing jurisprudence at the time. They maintain that Galangs argument is
premised on the assumption that he had acquired a vested right under the
decisions of the labor arbiter and the NLRC. They stress that the labor
authorities decisions have not yet attained finality and, therefore, cannot be
the basis of the acquisition of a vested right.
In a
different vein, the respondents maintain that by laying down the Agabon doctrine, the Court had
overturned and abandoned the Serrano ruling;
having been abandoned without conditions, Serrano
has no force and effect, and Galang acquired no vested right under it.
The Courts Ruling
We find the petition unmeritorious.
The CA
committed no reversible error and neither did it commit grave abuse of
discretion in declaring that Galang had been dismissed for cause. Contrary to
Galangs submission, there is substantial evidence such relevant evidence
that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion[31]
supporting the CA decision.
The pieces
of evidence which Galang objected to (the affidavits submitted to the NLRC) were
not the sole basis of the CA ruling. They simply corroborated the respondents earlier
submissions to the labor arbiter. We refer to Tupas memorandum dated
Stated
otherwise, the affidavits executed in 2005, simply amplified the evidence
Cityland submitted in 2002, including documents[34]
which cited Galangs serious negligence in causing the flooding of his assigned
condominium floor, which resulted in a costly repair of the buildings elevator.
Additionally, there was Tupas memo to Citylands President[35]
which pertains to the case of Romeo Galang xxx for harassment to co-janitors,
insubordination to Supervisor and conduct unbecoming an employee.[36]
As earlier pointed
out, Tupas made a report of the incident where Galang took pictures of his
co-janitors whom he considered as suspects in the alleged loss of money (P4,000.00)
kept in his locker. Tupas called a meeting to investigate the matter. She asked
Galang to surrender the pictures, but he refused and harassed the janitors and
insulted Tupas in front of everybody.
Tupas also reported that on several occasions, Galang disobeyed her
orders, often finding fault with his co-employees, and was very hard to deal
with. She believed that Galang had been grossly insubordinate and had committed
acts of harassment against his co-employees.
Thus, he was already a liability to the organization.
In light of
the circumstances obtaining in the case, we find credible the respondents
submission that Galang had become unfit to continue in employment. The evidence
supports the view that he continued to exhibit undesirable traits as an
employee and as a person, in relation to both his co-workers and his superiors,
particularly Tupas, her immediate supervisor.
On a
different plane, Galang kept on saying that the respondents failed to prove
their case against him, yet he chose to simply ignore, as the CA aptly put it,
the respondents documented accusations against him; he did not even deny them in
his comment with the CA nor in his submissions to this Court.
We quote
with approval the following excerpt from the assailed CA decision:
Without offering any possible ill motive that
might have impelled [the respondents] to summarily dismiss [Galang], who
admitted having been absorbed by the former as janitor upon the termination of
his contract with his agency, this Court is more inclined to give credence to
the evidence pointing to the conclusion that [Galangs] employment was actually
severed for a just cause.[37]
The procedural due process issue
The finding of a just cause for
Galangs dismissal notwithstanding, we concur with the CAs conclusion that
Cityland did not afford Galang the required notice before he was dismissed. As
the CA noted, the investigation conference Tupas called to look into the
janitors complaints against Galang, did not constitute the written notice required
by law as he had no clear idea what the charges were. Thus, the CA committed no
error in sustaining his dismissal and awarding him nominal damages as indemnity.
The Agabon
ruling versus
the Serrano
doctrine
As a final
point, Galang posits that vis--vis the matter of dismissal for just cause
without due process, the CA was incorrect when it retroactively applied the
later ruling of the High Court in Agabon
v. NLRC, considering that when this case was filed, the applicable doctrine
was Serrano.[38]
We disagree with this position. As the respondents correctly pointed out, the
decision of the NLRC did not attain finality as it was brought to the CA on a
petition for certiorari and was
overturned. Galang simply did not have the benefit of any final arbiter or NLRC
decision to which the Serrano ruling
could be applied. When the CA ruled on
the case, this Court had abandoned the Serrano
doctrine in favor of Agabon. Thus, the
CA committed no error in applying Agabon to
the case.
WHEREFORE, premises considered,
we DENY the petition for lack of merit. The assailed decision and
resolution of the Court of Appeals are AFFIRMED. No costs.
SO ORDERED.
ARTURO D. BRION
Associate Justice
WE
CONCUR:
ANTONIO T. CARPIO
Associate
Justice
JOSE
Associate Justice Associate Justice
BIENVENIDO L. REYES
Associate
Justice
A T T E S T A T I O N
I attest that the conclusions in the
above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to
the writer of the opinion of the Courts Division.
ANTONIO T. CARPIO
Associate Justice
Chairperson
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
RENATO
C. CORONA
Chief
Justice
[1] Rollo, pp. 10-25; filed pursuant to Rule 45 of the Rules of Court.
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7] Appeared in the records several times as Eva Tupaz.
[8] Rollo, p. 164.
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12] Decision dated
[13]
[14] Supra note 2.
[15] 485 Phil. 248 (2004).
[16] Rollo, p. 153; Incident Report dated November 11, 2001 of Ricky Palmares, OIC, Security Department.
[17] Supra note 2, at 208.
[18] Rollo, pp. 162-163.
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22] Supra note 2, at 208.
[23] Supra note 1; Reply, rollo, pp. 243-248; Memorandum, id. at 272-284.
[24] Supra note 18.
[25] Supra note 21.
[26] Supra note 20.
[27] 380 Phil. 416 (2000).
[28] Rollo, pp. 229-236.
[29]
[30]
[31] Bibas
v. Office of the Ombudsman (Visayas), G.R. No. 172580,
[32] Supra note 8.
[33] Supra note 10.
[34] Supra note 17. Rollo, p. 164. Tupas memorandum to Galang requiring him to explain the flooding.
[35] Supra note 8.
[36] Ibid.
[37] Supra note 2, at 209.
[38] Rollo, p. 265.