Lotte Phils. Co v. Dela Cruz GR No. 166302 | 464 SCRA 51 | !ul" 2#$ 2005 Petitio%& Petitio% 'or revie( o% )ertiorari Petitio%er& L*++, P-L. C*.$ NC.$ Res/o%e%t& ,RLNDA D,LA CR$ L,*N*R AAAG$ L*RD,S CAA$ !*S,P !*S,P-N -N, , D*A D*ANA NAS$ S$ ARL,N ARL,N, , CAGA CAGA A+$ A,L A,L+ +A A A$ AN AN D*ARAS$ D*ARAS$ ARLN ARLN AN+ALAN$ AN+ALAN$ C-RS+*P-,R C-RS+*P-,R RAR,$ ARN*LD SAN P,DR P,DR*$ *$ ARS ARSSA SA SAN SAN P,DR* P,DR*$$ L*R, L*R,L L !,N !,N,$ ,$ !,77R !,77R, , ,N ,N*$ *$ C-RS+*P-,R CAGAA+$ G,RARD CAL,S$ !*AN ,NR8,$ !*S,P- D, LA CR$ N,LL CL,RG*$ CL,RG*$ DLC, NAAR,++,$ NAAR,++,$ R*9,NA ,LL*$ DAN,L RAR,$ AL,,N A+S+A a% AL+AAR 7,RR,RA$
D*C+RN, The nonjoinder of indispensable parties is not a ground for the dismissal of an action and the remedy is to implead the nonparty claimed to be indispensable 7AC+S Lotte Phils Phils., ., Inc. is is a domesti domestic c corporati corporation. on. RESP RESP!"E !"E!TS !TS #ere #ere hired hired and and assigned to the confectionery facility operated by Lotte. $%%&-'((( $%%&-'(((,, )* +ainten +aintenance ance and and *anitori *anitorial al Serice Serices s entered entered into into a contract contract #ith Lotte to proide manpo#er. o to accommodate the needs of Lotte for #orers to do and perform piece piece #ors,/ #ors,/ RESP! RESP!"E! "E!TS, TS, among others, #ere hired and assigned to Lotte as repacers or sealers. 0eb. '(((, '(((, Lotte Lotte dispense dispensed d #ith their their serice serices s allegedl allegedly y due to the the e1piratio e1piration n of the serice contract. Lotte Lotte told told the respon responden dentt huwag huwag muna muna kayon kayong g pumaso pumasok k at o tatawagan na lang kung may gawa”. 2nfortunately, RESP!"E!TS #ere neer called bac to #or. o RESP RESP! !"E "E!TS !TS filed filed a labor labor complain complaintt against against Lotte Lotte and )* for illegal illegal dismissal. LA& ruled that )* #as the employer of the RESP!"E!TS and ordered )* to reinstate the respondents. RESP RESP! !"E "E!TS !TS appea appealed led to the !LR3 !LR3 praying praying that that Lotte be declare declared d as their direct employer because )* is merely a labor-only contractor. NLRC& affirmed the decision of the L4 RESP RESP! !"E "E!TS !TS file filed d a petitio petition n for certi certiora orari ri in the the 34 a:ai%st the NLRC a% Lotte *NL$ insisting *NL$ insisting that their employer is Lotte and not )*. Lotte, Lotte, ho#eer ho#eer,, denied denied that that respond respondents ents #ere #ere its its employee employees. s. It prayed prayed that that the petitio petition n be dismisse dismissed d for 'ailur 'ailure e to i;/lea i;/lea
CA& reersed and set aside the decision of L4 and !LR3. Thus, 34 declared Lotte as the real employer of the respondents and that )* #ho engaged in the labor-only contracting #as merely the agent of Lotte. 8ence, this petition. SS,=S 1. 9:! )* is an indispen indispensable sable party and should hae been impleaded impleaded in the petition.
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4n indispensable indispensable party is a party in interest #ithout #hom no final determination can be had of an action, and #ho shall be joined either as plai plaint ntif iffs fs or defe defend ndan ants ts.. +he ?oi% ?oi%er er o' i%is/ i%is/e% e%sa@ sa@le le /artie /arties s is ;a%ator". ;a%ator". The presence of indispensable parties is necessary to est the court #ith jurisdiction, #hich is the authority to hear and determine a cause, the right to act in a case. +hus$ +hus$ (ithout (ithout the /rese%)e /rese%)e o' i%is/e% i%is/e%sa@l sa@le e /arties /arties to a suit or /ro)eei%:$ ?u:;e%t o' a )ourt )a%%ot attai% real 'i%alit". The absence of an indispensable party re%ers all su@seue%t a)tio%s o' the )ourt %ull a% voi for #ant of authority to act, not only as to the absent parties but een as to those present. In Domingo v. Scheer , the %o% ?oi%er o' i%is/e%sa@le /arties is %ot a :rou% 'or the o is;issal o' a% a)tio% a% the re;e" is to i;/lea the %o%B /art" )lai;e to @e i%is/e% i%is/e%sa@l sa@le. e. Parties may be added by order of the court on motion of the party or on its o#n initiatie at any stage stage of the actio action n and:or and:or such times times as are just. just. If the petitioner refuses to implead an indispensable party despite the order of the court, the latter may dismiss the complaint:petition for the petitioner:plaintiff
DSP*S+*N 98ERE0R 98ERE0RE, E, in ie# of the foregoing foregoing,, the consolidated consolidated petitions petitions are hereby hereby "E!IE".
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