Republic
of the
Supreme
Court
SECOND DIVISION
|
MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY, Petitioner, - versus - JAN CARLO GALA, Respondent. |
G.R.
Nos. 191288 & 191304
Present: CARPIO, J.,
Chairperson, BRION, PEREZ, SERENO, and REYES, JJ. Promulgated: March 7,
2012 |
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D
E C I S I O N
BRION, J.:
We resolve the
petition for review on certiorari,[1]
seeking to annul the decision[2]
dated
The
Antecedents
The facts are
summarized below.
On
On
When they arrived at the worksite,
Gala and the other workers saw that Truck No. 1837, supervised by Zuiga, was
already there. The linemen of Truck No. 1837
were already at work. Gala and the other
members of the crew of Truck No. 1891 were instructed to help in the digging of
a hole for the pole to be installed.
While the Meralco crew was at work,
one Noberto Bing Llanes, a non-Meralco employee, arrived. He appeared to be
known to the Meralco foremen as they were seen conversing with him. Llanes boarded the trucks, without being
stopped, and took out what were later found as electrical supplies. Aside from
Gala, the foremen and the other linemen who were at the worksite when the
pilferage happened were later charged with misconduct and dishonesty for their
involvement in the incident.
Unknown to Gala and the rest of the crew,
a Meralco surveillance task force was monitoring their activities and recording
everything with a Sony video camera. The task force was composed of Joseph
Aguilar, Ariel Dola and Frederick Riano.
Meralco called for an investigation of
the incident and asked Gala to explain. Gala denied involvement in the
pilferage, contending that even if his superiors might have committed a
wrongdoing, he had no participation in what they did. He claimed that: (1) he
was at some distance away from the trucks when the pilferage happened; (2) he
did not have an inkling that an illegal activity was taking place since his
supervisors were conversing with Llanes, giving him the impression that they
knew him; (3) he did not call the attention of his superiors because he was not
in a position to do so as he was a mere lineman; and (4) he was just following
instructions in connection with his work and had no control in the disposition
of company supplies and materials. He maintained that his mere presence at the
scene of the incident was not sufficient to hold him liable as a conspirator.
Despite Galas explanation, Meralco
proceeded with the investigation and eventually terminated his employment on
The
Compulsory Arbitration Rulings
In a decision dated
Gala appealed to the National Labor Relations
Commission (NLRC). In its decision of
Both parties moved for partial reconsideration;
Gala, on the ground that he should have been reinstated with full backwages,
damages and interests; and Meralco, on the ground that the NLRC erred in
finding that Gala had been illegally dismissed. The NLRC denied the motions.
Relying on the same grounds, Gala and Meralco elevated the case to the CA
through a petition for certiorari under
Rule 65 of the Rules of Court.
The
CA Decision
In its decision of
The CA modified the NLRC decision of
The
Petition
The petition is anchored on the ground
that the CA seriously erred and gravely abused its discretion in -
1.
ruling that Gala was
illegally dismissed; and
2.
directing Galas
reinstatement despite his probationary status.
Meralco faults the CA for not giving
credit to its witnesses Aguilar, Dola and Riano, and instead treated their
joint affidavit (Samasamang Sinumpaang
Salaysay) as inconclusive to establish
Galas participation in the pilferage
of company property on May 25, 2006. It submits that the affidavit
of the three Meralco employees disproves the CAs findings, considering that
their statements were based on their first-hand account of the incident during
their day-long surveillance on
Meralco maintains that Gala himself
admitted in his own testimony[13]
that he had been familiar with Llanes even before the May 25, 2006 incident where
he saw Zuiga, the foreman of Truck No. 1837, conversing with Llanes. Meralco submits that Galas admission,
instead of demonstrating his feigned innocence,[14]
even highlights his guilt, especially considering that by design, his
misfeasance assisted Llanes in pilfering company property; Gala neither
intervened to stop Llanes, nor did he report the incident to the Meralco
management.
Meralco posits that because of his
undeniable knowledge of, if not participation in, the pilferage activities done
by their group, the company was well within its right in terminating his
employment as a probationary employee for his failure to meet the basic
standards for his regularization. The standards, it points out, were duly
explained to him and outlined in his probationary employment contract. For this
reason and due to the expiration of Galas probationary employment, the CA
should not have ordered his reinstatement with full backwages.
Finally, Meralco argues that even if
Gala was illegally dismissed, he was entitled to just his backwages for the
unexpired portion of his employment contract with the company.
Galas
Case
By way of his Comment (to the Petition)
dated September 2, 2010,[15] Gala asks for a denial of the petition because
of (1) serious and fatal infirmities in the petition; (2) unreliable statements
of Meralcos witnesses; and (3) clear lack of basis to support the termination
of his employment.
Gala contends, in regard to the alleged
procedural defects of the petition, that the Verification and Certification,
Secretarys Certificate and Affidavit of Service do not contain the details
of the Community or Residence Tax Certificates of the affiants, in violation of
Section 6 of Commonwealth Act No. 465 (an Act to Impose a Residence Tax).
Additionally, the lawyers who signed the petition failed to indicate their
updated Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) certificate numbers, in violation of the rules.
With respect to the merits of the case,
Gala bewails Meralcos reliance on the joint affidavit[16]
of Aguilar, Dola and Riano not only because it was presented for the first time
on appeal to the CA, but also because it was a mere afterthought. He explains
that Aguilar and Dola were the very same persons who executed a much earlier
sworn statement or transcription dated
Zeroing in on what he believes as lack
of credibility of Meralcos evidence, Gala posits that there is clear lack of
basis for the termination of his employment. Thus, he wonders why Meralco did
not present as evidence the video footage of the entire incident which it
claims exists. He suspects that the footage was adverse to Meralcos position
in the case.
Gala adds that the allegations of a
reported pilferage or rampant theft or pilferage committed prior to
Gala further submits that even if he saw
Llanes on May 25, 2006 at about the time of the occurrence of the pilferage
near or around the Meralco trucks, he was not aware that a wrongdoing was being
committed or was about to be committed. He points out at that precise time, his
superiors were much nearer to the trucks than he as he was among the crew
digging a hole. He presumed at the time that
his own superiors, being the more senior employees, could be trusted to protect
company property.
Finally, Gala posits that his
reinstatement with full backwages is but a consequence of the illegality of his
dismissal. He argues that even if he was on probation, he is entitled to
security of tenure. Citing Philippine
Manpower Services, Inc. v. NLRC,[18]
he claims that in the absence of any justification for the termination of his
probationary employment, he is entitled to continued employment even beyond the
probationary period.
The
Courts Ruling
The procedural issue
Gala would want the petition to be
dismissed outright on procedural grounds, claiming that the Verification and
Certification, Secretarys Certificate and Affidavit of Service
accompanying the petition do not contain the details of the Community Tax
Certificates of the affiants, and that the lawyers who signed the petition
failed to indicate their updated MCLE certificate numbers, in violation of
existing rules.
We stress at this point that it is the
spirit and intention of labor legislation that the NLRC and the labor arbiters
shall use every reasonable means to ascertain the facts in each case speedily
and objectively, without regard to technicalities of law or procedure, provided
due process is duly observed.[19] In
keeping with this policy and in the interest of substantial justice, we deem it
proper to give due course to the petition, especially in view of the conflict
between the findings of the labor arbiter, on the one hand, and the NLRC and
the CA, on the other. As we said in S.S.
Ventures International, Inc. v. S.S. Ventures Labor Union,[20]
the application of technical rules of procedure in labor cases may be relaxed
to serve the demands of substantial justice.
The substantive aspect of the case
We
find merit in the petition.
Contrary to the conclusions of the CA
and the NLRC, there is substantial evidence supporting Meralcos position that
Gala had become unfit to continue his employment with the company. Gala was
found, after an administrative investigation, to have failed to meet the
standards expected of him to become a regular employee and this failure was
mainly due to his undeniable knowledge, if not participation, in the pilferage
activities done by their group, all to the prejudice of the Companys
interests.[21]
Gala insists that he cannot be
sanctioned for the theft of company property on
Gala
misses the point. He forgets that as a probationary employee, his overall job
performance and his behavior were being monitored and measured in accordance
with the standards (i.e., the terms
and conditions) laid down in his probationary employment agreement.[22]
Under paragraph 8 of the agreement, he was subject to strict compliance
with, and non-violation of the Company Code on Employee Discipline, Safety
Code, rules and regulations and existing policies. Par. 10 required him to observe at all times the highest degree
of transparency, selflessness and integrity in the performance of his duties
and responsibilities, free from any form of conflict or contradicting with his
own personal interest.
The evidence on record established
Galas presence in the worksite where the pilferage of company property
happened. It also established that it was not only on
The familiarity of the Meralco crew with
Llanes, a non-Meralco employee who had been present in Meralco field
operations, does not contradict at all but rather support the Meralco submission
that there had been reported pilferage or rampant theft, by the crew, of
company property even before
The established fact that Llanes, a
non-Meralco employee, was often seen during company operations, conversing with
the foremen, for reason or reasons connected with the ongoing company operations,
gives rise to the question: what was he doing there? Apparently, he had been visiting
Meralco worksites, at least in the
Valenzuela Sector, not simply to socialize, but to do something else. As
testified to by witnesses, he was picking up unused supplies and materials that
were not returned to the company. From these factual premises, it is not hard
to conclude that this activity was for the mutual pecuniary benefit of himself and
the crew who tolerated the practice. For one working at the scene who had seen
or who had shown familiarity with Llanes (a non-Meralco employee), not to have
known the reason for his presence is to disregard the obvious, or at least the very
suspicious.
We consider, too, and we find credible
the company submission that the Meralco crew who worked at the Pacheco Subdivision
in
With respect to the video footage of the
On the whole, the totality of the
circumstances obtaining in the case convinces us that Gala could not but have
knowledge of the pilferage of company electrical supplies on
For ignoring the evidence in this case,
the NLRC committed grave abuse of discretion and, in sustaining the NLRC, the
CA committed a reversible error.
WHEREFORE,
premises considered, the petition is GRANTED.
The assailed decision and resolution of the Court of Appeals are SET ASIDE. The complaint is DISMISSED for lack of merit.
SO
ORDERED.
ARTURO
D. BRION
Associate
Justice
WE CONCUR:
ANTONIO T. CARPIO
Associate
Justice
Chairperson
|
JOSE Associate
Justice |
MARIA 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,
Second Division
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
Pursuant to Section 13, Article VIII of the Constitution,
and the Division Chairperson's Attestation, I certify 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.
RENATO C. CORONA
Chief Justice
[1] Rollo, pp. 10-44.
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9] Supra note 2.
[10] Rollo, pp. 72-76.
[11] Supra note 7.
[12] Supra note 1.
[13] Rollo, pp. 78-79.
[14]
[15]
[16] Supra note 10.
[17] Rollo, p. 360.
[18] G.R. No. 98450,
[19] LABOR CODE, Article 221.
[20] G.R. No. 161690,
[21] Supra note 1, at 34.
[22] Rollo, pp. 68-71.
[23] Supra note 13.
[24] Supra note 15, at 363.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Supra note 13, at 78.
[27] Supra note 22, at 69.
[28] LABOR CODE, Article 281.