Legislative intent must be ascertained from a consideration of the statute as a whole and not merely be ascertained from a consideration of the statute as a whole and not merely of a particular provision A statute should be construed as a whole because it is not to be presumed that the legislature has used any useless words, and because it is a dangerous practice to base the construction upon only a part of it, since one portion may be qualied by other portions. IN INT!"!TIN# A $TAT%T, &A! $'(%L) * TA+N T'AT !"A!T * #IN &T
JMM Promotions Promotions and Management, Inc. vs. National Labor Relations Commission and Ulpiano L. Delos Santos GR No. !"#$%, November &&, ""$ Involved' Petitio Petitioner ner'' JMM Promoti Promotions ons and Management Management,, Inc. Inc. Respo espond nden ent' t' Santos La(' a('
Nati Nation onal al Labo Laborr Rel Relat atio ions ns Comm Commis issi sion ons, s, Ulpi Ulpian ano o L. Delo Delos s
)rticle && &&$ o* tt+ +e Lab Labo or Code pro providing t+ t+at in in t+ t+e ca case o* o* a -dgment involving a monetar monetar a(ard, an appeal b t+e emploer ma be per*ected onl -pon t+e posting o* a cas+ or s-ret bond iss-ed b a rep-table bonding compan d-l accredited b t+e Commission in an amo-nt e/-ivalent to t+e monetar a(ard in t+e -dgment appealed *rom. )nd R-le 0I, Section 1 o* t+e ne( R-les o* Proced-re o* t+e NLRC, as amended, reading as *ollo(s' Sec. 1. 2ond 3 In case t+e decision o* a Labor )rbiter involves a monetar a(ard, an appeal b t+e emploer s+all be per*ected onl -pon t+e posting o* a cas+ or s-ret bond iss-ed b a rep-table bonding compan d-l accredited b t+e Commission or t+e S-preme Co-rt in an amo-nt e/-ivalent to t+e monetar a(ard.
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5n 5ctober $!, ""&, JMM Promotions and Management 6led an appeal to t+e National Labor Relations Relations Commission *or dismissing t+e petitioner7s appeal *rom a decision o* t+e P+ilippine 5verseas 8mploment on t+e gro-nd o* *ail-re to post t+e re/-ired re/-ired appeal bond. 9+e respondent cited cited t+e second paragrap+ o* )rticle &&$ &&$ o* t+e Labor Code as amended and R-le 0I, Section 1 o* t+e ne( R-les o* Proced-re o* t+e National Labor La bor Relations Commission. Commission. 9+e petitioner contends t+at t+e NLRC NLRC committed committed grave ab-se o* discretion in appling t+ese r-les to decisions rendered b t+e P58). It insists t+at t+e appeal bond is not necessar in t+e case o* licensed recr-iters *or overseas emploment beca-se t+e are alread re/-ired -nder Section :, R-le II, 2oo; II o* t+e P58) R-les not onl to pa a
license *ee o* P$!,!!! b-t also to post a cas+ bond o* P!!,!!! and a s-ret bond o* P%!,!!!. In addition, t+e petitioner claims it +as placed in escro( t+e s-m o* P&!!,!!! (it+ t+e P+ilippine National 2an; in compliance (it+ Section <, R-le II, 2oo; II o* t+e same R-le, =to primaril ans(er *or valid and legal claims o* recr-ited (or;ers as a res-lt o* recr-itment violations or mone claims.= Re/-ired to comment, t+e Solicitor General sustains the appeal bond requirement but suggest that the rules cited by the NL!& are applicable only to decisions of the Labor Arbiters and not of the "(A. )ppeals *rom decisions o* t+e P58), +e sas, are governed b t+e *ollo(ing provisions o* R-le 0, 2oo; 0II o* t+e P58) R-les' Sec. %. Re/-isites *or Per*ection o* )ppeal. 9+e appeal s+all be 6led (it+in t+e reglementar period as provided in Section o* t+is R-le> s+all be -nder oat+ (it+ proo* o* pament o* t+e re/-ired appeal *ee and t+e posting o* a cas+ or s-ret bond as provided in Section 1 o* t+is R-le> s+all be accompanied b a memorand-m o* appeal (+ic+ s+all state t+e gro-nds relied -pon and t+e arg-ments in s-pport t+ereo*> t+e relie* praed *or> and a statement o* t+e date (+en t+e appellant received t+e appealed decision and?or a(ard and proo* o* service on t+e ot+er part o* s-c+ appeal. ) mere notice o* appeal (it+o-t compling (it+ t+e ot+er re/-isites a*orestated s+all not stop t+e r-nning o* t+e period *or per*ecting an appeal. Sec. 1. 2ond. In case t+e decision o* t+e )dministration involves a monetar a(ard, an appeal b t+e emploer s+all be per*ected onl -pon t+e posting o* a cas+ or s-ret bond iss-ed b a rep-table bonding compan d-l accredited b t+e Commission in an amo-nt e/-ivalent to t+e monetar a(ard. @8mp+asis s-ppliedA
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Iss-e' B+et+er or not t+e petitioner is still re/-ired to post an appeal bond to per*ect its appeal *rom a decision o* t+e P58) to t+e NLRC a*ter posted t+e total bond o* P%!,!!! and placed in escro( t+e amo-nt o* P&!!,!!! as re/-ired b t+e P58) R-les. R-ling' •
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es, t+e petitioner is still re/-ired to post an appeal bond as t+e P58) R-les are clear. 9+e reading s+o(s t+at in addition to t+e cas+ and s-ret bonds and escro( mone, an appeal bond in an amo-nt e/-ivalent to t+e monetar a(ard is re/-ired to per*ect an appeal *rom a decision o* t+e P58). 9+e appeal bond is intended to *-rt+er ins-re t+e pament o* t+e monetar a(ard in *avor o* t+e emploee i* it is event-all armed on appeal to t+e NLRC. It is a principle o* legal +ermene-tics t+at in interpreting a stat-te @or a set o* r-les as in t+is caseA, care s+o-ld be ta;en t+at ever part t+ereo* be given eEect, on t+e t+eor t+at it (as enacted as an integrated meas-re and not as a +odgepodge o* conFicting provisions. Ut res magis valeat /-am pereat. & Under t+e petitioners
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interpretation, t+e appeal bond re/-ired b Section 1 o* t+e a*orementioned P58) R-le s+o-ld be disregarded beca-se o* t+e earlier bonds and escro( mone it +as posted. 9+e petitioner (o-ld in eEect n-lli* Section 1 as a s-perF-it b-t (e do not see an s-c+ red-ndanc> on t+e contrar, (e 6nd t+at Section 1 complements Section : and Section <. 9+e r-le is t+at a constr-ction t+at (o-ld render a provision inoperative s+o-ld be avoided> instead, apparentl inconsistent provisions s+o-ld be reconciled (+enever possible as parts o* a coordinated and +armonio-s (+ole. )ccordingl, (e +old t+at in addition to t+e monetar obligations o* t+e overseas recr-iter prescribed in Section :, R-le II, 2oo; II o* t+e P58) R-les and t+e escro( agreement -nder Section < o* t+e same R-le, it is necessar to post t+e appeal bond re/-ired -nder Section 1, R-le 0, 2oo; 0II o* t+e P58) R-les, as a condition *or per*ecting an appeal *rom a decision o* t+e P58). 9+e petition is DISMISS8D.
Radiola 9os+iba P+ilippines, Inc. vs. 9+e Intermediate )ppellate Co-rt GR No. <%&&&, J-l #, ""
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) petition *or certiorari (as 6led on Marc+ $, "#1 on t+e Decision o* t+e t+en Intermediate )ppellate Co-rt in )CHGR SP No. !:1! entitled RadiolaH9os+iba P+ilippines
