CABAOBAS, et al. vs. PEPSI-COLA PRODUCTS, PHILIPPINES, INC.
G.R. No. 176908; Third Division; March 25, 2015; Ponente !. Pera"ta
FACTS:
Res#onden Res#ondentt Pe#si$%o Pe#si$%o"a "a Prod&cts Prod&cts Phi"i##i Phi"i##ines, nes, 'nc. ( PCPPI ) is a do*estic cor#oration en+a+ed in the *an&act&rin+, -ott"in+ and distri-&tion o sot drin #rod&cts, /hich o#erates #"ants a"" over the co&ntr, one o /hich is the Tana&an P"ant in Tana&an, ete. 'n 1999, P%PP's Tana&an P"ant a""e+ed" inc&rred -&siness "osses in the tota" a*o&nt o T/ent$Nine Mi""ion 3ne 4&ndred it$even Tho&sand and Three 4&ndred Ninet (P29, 167, 90.00) Pesos. To avert &rther "osses, P%PP' i*#"e*ented a co*#an$/ide retrench*ent #ro+ra* (%or#orate$/ide Ri+htsiin+ Pro+ra* or CRP ) ro* 1999 to 2000, and retrenched ort$seven (7) e*#"oees o its Tana&an Tana&an P"ant on !&" 1, 1999. 3n !an&ar 15, 2000, #etitioners, /ho are #er*anent and re+&"ar e*#"oees o the Tana&an Tana&an P"ant, received their res#ective "etters, inor*in+ the* o the cessation o their e*#"o*ent on :e-r&ar 15, 2000, #&rs&ant to P%PP's %RP. Petitioners then i"ed their res#ective co*#"aints or i""e+a" dis*issa" -eore the Nationa" a-or Re"ations %o**ission Re+iona" ''' in Tac"o-an %it. Petitioners a""e+ed that P%PP' /as not acin+ serio&s inancia" "osses -eca&se ater their ter*ination, it re+&"aried o&r () e*#"oees and hired re#"ace*ents or the ort$seven (7) #revio&s" dis*issed e*#"oees. The a"so a""e+ed that P%PP's %RP /as ?&st desi+ned to #revent their &nion, ete Pe#si$%o"a @*#"oees Anion$ ito %. =ose rendered a Decision indin+ the dis*issa" o #etitioners as i""e+a". P%PP' a##ea"ed ro* the Decision o the a-or
ISSUE:
Bhether or not #etitioners dis*issa" dis*issa" #&rs&ant to res#ondents retrench*ent #ro+ra* is "e+a"C
HELD:
Yes, Yes, as all the requisites requisites !r a vali" retre#$h%e# retre#$h%e#tt are &rese#t, &rese#t, the C!urt i#"s Pe&si's Pe&si's ri(htsi)i#( ri(htsi)i#( &r!(ra% a#" the $!#seque#t "is%issal ! &etiti!#ers i# a$$!r" *ith l a*.
@ssentia"", @ssentia"", the #rero+ative o an e*#"oer to retrench its e*#"oees *&st -e eercised on" as a "ast resort, considerin+ that it /i"" "ead to the "oss o the e*#"oees "ive"ihood. 't is ?&stiied on" /hen a"" other "ess drastic *eans *eans have -een tried tried and o&nd ins&ici ins&icient ent or inade&ate. inade&ate. %oro""ar %oro""ar thereto, thereto, the e*#"oer e*#"oer *&st #rove the re&ire*ents or a va"id retrench*ent - c"ear and convincin+ evidence; other/ise, said +ro&nd or ter*ination
/o&"d -e s&sce#ti-"e to a-&se - sche*in+ e*#"oers /ho *i+ht -e *ere" ei+nin+ "osses or reverses in their -&siness vent&res in order to ease o&t e*#"oees. These re&ire*ents are (1) That retrench*ent is reasona-" necessar and "ie" to #revent -&siness "osses /hich, i a"read inc&rred, are not *ere" de minimis, -&t s&-stantia", serio&s, act&a" and rea", or i on" e#ected, are reasona-" i**inent as #erceived o-?ective" and in +ood aith - the e*#"oer; (2) That the e*#"oer served /ritten notice -oth to the e*#"oees and to the De#art*ent o a-or and @*#"o*ent at "east one *onth #rior to the intended date o retrench*ent; () That the e*#"oer #as the retrenched e*#"oees se#aration #a e&iva"ent to one (1) *onth #a or at "east one$ ha" (E) *onth #a or ever ear o service, /hichever is hi+her; () That the e*#"oer eercises its #rero+ative to retrench e*#"oees in +ood aith or the advance*ent o its interest and not to deeat or circ&*vent the e*#"oees ri+ht to sec&rit o ten&re; and (5) That the e*#"oer &sed air and reasona-"e criteria in ascertainin+ /ho /o&"d -e dis*issed and /ho /o&"d -e retained a*on+ the e*#"oees, s&ch as stat&s, eicienc, seniorit, #hsica" itness, a+e, and inancia" hardshi# or certain /orers. The iss&es, s&-?ect *atters and ca&ses o action -et/een the #arties in Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. v. Molon and the #resent case are identica", na*e", the va"idit o P%PP's retrench*ent #ro+ra*, and the "e+a"it o its e*#"oees ter*ination. This i*#e"s the %o&rt to accord a si*i"ar dis#osition and &#ho"d the "e+a"it o sa*e #ro+ra*. Moreover, in d&e re+ard o the a-ove*entioned re&isites, the %o&rt o-serves that Pe#si had va"id" i*#"e*ented its retrench*ent #ro+ra* •
Pe#si co*#"ied /ith the re&ire*ents o s&-stantia" "oss (P@P'$%3<s inancia" state*ents are s&-stantia" evidence /hich carr +reat credi-i"it and re"ia-i"it vie/ed in "i+ht o the inancia" crisis that hit the co&ntr /hich sa/ *&"tinationa" cor#orations c"osin+ sho#s and /a"in+ a/a, or ada#tin+ Fsic their o/n cor#orate ri+htsiin+ #ro+ra*).
•
Pe#si co*#"ied /ith the re&ire*ents o d&e notice to -oth the D3@ and the /orers to -e retrenched at "east one (1) *onth #rior to the date o retrench*ent.
•
Res#ondents had a"read -een #aid the re&isite se#aration #a as evidenced - the e#te*-er 1999 &itc"ai*s si+ned - the*.
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Pe#sis %or#orate Ri+htsiin+ Pro+ra* /as a co*#an$/ide #ro+ra* /hich had a"read -een i*#"e*ented in its other #"ants in =aco"od, '"oi"o, Davao, Genera" antos and Ha*-oan+a. %onse&ent", +iven the +enera" a##"ica-i"it o its retrench*ent #ro+ra*, Pe#si co&"d not have intended to deci*ate @P%@A$ <As *e*-ershi#, *&ch "ess i*#in+e &#on its ri+ht to se"$or+aniation, /hen it e*#"oed the sa*e.
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Pe#sis *ana+e*ent eerted conscio&s eorts to incor#orate e*#"oee #artici#ation d&rin+ the i*#"e*entation o its retrench*ent #ro+ra*. Records indicate that Pe#si had initiated sit$do/ns /ith its e*#"oees to revie/ the criteria on /hich the se"ection o /ho to -e retrenched /o&"d -e -ased.
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3n the ina" re&ire*ent o air and reasona-"e criteria or deter*inin+ /ho /o&"d or /o&"d not -e dis*issed, records indicate that Pe#si did #roceed to i*#"e*ent its ri+htsiin+ #ro+ra* -ased on air and reasona-"e criteria reco**ended - the co*#an s&#ervisors.
>eri", the ore+oin+ incidents c"ear" ne+ate the c"ai* that the retrench*ent /as &ndertaen - Pe#si in -ad aith.
:ina" Dis#osition The #etition is denied. The decision and reso"&tion o the %o&rt o <##ea"s are air*ed.
