Manila Mining Corporation v. Amor

138 MANILA MINING CORPORATI CO RPORATION, ON, Petitioner, vs. LOWITO AMOR, ET. AL., Respondents.

AUTHOR :  N!"#: (if appli$able) appli$able)

[G.R. No. 182800; April 20, 2015 ] TOPIC: Closure of Business (Art. 283); a. Cessation of business operations PONENTE: PEREZ, J. FACTS: (chroo!o"#c$! or%&r' %. Respondents &o'ito &o'ito Aor, Aor, Rollbie Rollbie Ceredon, *ulius Cesar, Cesar, Ronito +artine and -erin -erin !abili, !abili, *r. 'ere 'ere reular eploees eploees of  petitioner +anila +anila +inin Corporation, Corporation, a doesti$ doesti$ $orporation $orporation '/i$/ operated operated a inin $lai $lai in Pla$er, Pla$er, #uriao #uriao del Norte, Norte,

2.

0n $oplian$e $oplian$e 'it/ e1istin e1istin environental environental la's, la's, petitioner petitioner aintained aintained a tailin tailin pond, a tailins $ontainent $ontainent fa$ilit fa$ilit reuired reuired fo t/e storae of 'aste aterials enerated b its inin operations. /en t/e ine tailins bein puped into t/e tailin pond rea$/ed t/e a1iu level in, petitioner teporaril s/ut do'n its inin operations pendin approval of its appli$ation to in$rease said fa$ilt4s $apa$it b t/e 5epartent of "nvironent and Natural Resour$es6"nvironent Resour$es6"nvironent +anaeent Bureau (5"NR6"+B).

3.

A!ho)"h A!ho)"h h& *ENR+EM *ENR+EM #--)&% #--)&% $ &/or$r0 &/or$r0 $)hor#0 $)hor#0 or # o o 2& $2!& o co#)& co#)& o/&r$#" o/&r$#" h& $#!#" $#!#" /o% /o% or $oh $oh -# (4' oh- $% o #cr&$-& #- c$/$c#0, /&##o&r $#!&% o -&c)r& $ &&-#o /&r# 5h& -$#% &/or$r0 $)hor#0 &6&)$!!0 !$/-&%.

7.

P&##o&r P&##o&r -&r6&% -&r6&% $ o#c&, o#c&, #or#" #or#" #- &/!o0&&&/!o0&&- $% h& h& *&/$r& *&/$r& o L$2or L$2or $% E/!o0& E/!o0& R&"#o$! R&"#o$! O#c& O#c& No. (*OLE' o h& &/or$r0 -)-/&-#o o #- o/&r$#o- or -# oh- $% h& &/or$r0 !$0+o o 5o+h#r%- o #&/!o0&&-. A&r h& !$/-& o -$#% /&r#o%, /&##o&r o##&% h& *OLE h$ # 5$- &&%#" h& &/or$r0 -h)%o5 o o/&r$#o- or $oh&r -# oh-.

7.

Adversel affe$ted affe$ted b petitioner4s $ontinued failure failure to resue resue its operations, respondents filed filed t/e $oplaint $oplaint for $onstru$tive disissal and onetar $lais before t/e Reional Arbitration Arbitration Bran$/ of t/e National &abor Relations Coission (N&RC). (N&RC).

4.

"1e$utive &abor Arbiter Arbiter Benain ". Pelae /eld petitioner liable for $onstru$tive disissal in vie' of t/e suspension of its operations beond t/e si16ont/ period allo'ed under Arti$le 289 of t/e &abor Code of t/e P/ilippines 6 findin t/at t/e $ause suspension of petitioner4s business 'as not beond its $ontrol. Th& !$2or $r2#&r $5$r%&%, $o" oh&r-, -&/$r$#o /$0 o r&-/o%&-.

.

!/e N&RC N&RC reversed t/e appealed de$ision. -indin -indin t/at t/e $ontinued suspension of petitioner4s operations 'as 'as due to $ir$ustan$es beond its $ontrol, t/e NLRC r)!&% h$, )%&r Ar#c!& 983 o h& L$2or Co%&, r&-/o%&- 5&r& o &6& &#!&% o -&/$r$#o /$0 co-#%&r#" h& &6&)$! c!o-)r& o h&#r &/!o0&r- 2)-#&-- %)& o -&r#o)- 2)-#&-- !o--&- or #$c#$! r&6&r-&-.

8.

Respondents filed filed t/e Rule 97 petition for $ertiorari $ertiorari before before t/e CA. Aside fro fro t/e fa$t t/at t/at t/e &abor Arbiter de$ision /ad alrea alrea attained finalit, finalit, respondents faulted t/e N&RC for applin Arti$le Arti$le 283 of t/e &abor Code absent alleation and proof of $oplian$e 'it/ t/e reuireents for t/e $losure of an eploer4s business due to serious business losses. n t/e ot/er /and,  petitioner insist insist t/at t/e $essation of its its operations 'as 'as due to $auses beond its $ontrol, $ontrol, petitioner arued t/at t/e t/e subseuent $losure of its business due to business losses e1epted it fro pain separation pa.

.

!/e CA rendered t/e /erein /erein assailed de$ision, de$ision, rantin respondents4 respondents4 petition and de$reed de$reed t/at t/e &abor &abor Arbiter4s Arbiter4s 5e$ision 5e$ision /ad

alread attained finalit and, for said reason, /ad been pla$ed beond t/e N&RC4s po'er of revie'. %<. Petitioner see=s t/e reversal of t/e CA4s resolution.

ISSUE(S': /et/er or not petitioner4s $essation of its operations 'as due to $auses beond its $ontrol, /en$e, t/e $losure of  business due to business losses e1epted it fro pain separation pa. HEL*: N. Closure of petitioner4s business 'as not beond its $ontrol. Petitioner is liable for separation pa to respondents. RATIO: W#ho) &c&--$r#!0 r&-)!#" o $ &r#$#o o &/!o0&, $ &/!o0&r $0 $ $0 r$&, 2o$ #%& -)-/&% h& o/&r$#o #- 2)-#&-- or $ /&r#o% o o &c&&%#" -# oh- )%&r Ar#c!& 984 o h& L$2or Co%&. 73 Wh#!& h& &/!o0&r #-, o h& o& h$%, %)0 2o)% o r&#-$& h#- &/!o0&&- o h&#r or&r /o-##o- 5#ho) !o-- o -&#or#0 r#"h- # h& o/&r$#o o h& 2)-#&-- #- r&-)&% 5#h# -# oh-, &/!o0& # - %&&&% &r#$&% 5h&r& h& -)-/&-#o &c&&%- -$#% /&r#o%. 77 No h$6#" r&-)&% #- o/&r$#o- 5#h# -# oh- ro h& #& # -)-/&%&% #- o/&r$#o- o 9; <)!0 9==1, # &c&--$r#!0 o!!o5- h$ /&##o&r #- !#$2!& o /$0 r&-/o%&- -&/$r$#o /$0 7> co/)&% $ o& (1' oh /$0 or $ !&$- o&+h$! (1?9' oh /$0 or &6&r0 0&$r o -&r6#c&, 5h#ch&6&r #- h#"h&r,74 $- 5&!! $- h& %$$"&- $% $or&0- &&- $%@)%#c$&% 20 h& L$2 Ar2#&r. W#ho) /roo o h& -&r#o)- 2)-#&-- !o--&- # $!!&"&%!0 -)-$#&% $%?or co/!#$c& 5#h h& r&/oror#$! r&)#r&& )%&r Ar#c!& 983 o h& L$2or Co%&, /&##o&r c$o &/&%#&!0 /!&$% &&/#o ro -$#% !#$2#!##&- %)& o h& -)//o-&% #$c#$! r&6&r-&- 5h#ch !&% o h& &6&)$! c!o-)r& o #- 2)-#&--.

0t is essentiall reuired t/at t/e alleed losses in business operations ust be proven for, ot/er'ise, said round for terination 'o  be sus$eptible to abuse b s$/ein eploers '/o i/t be erel feinin business losses or reverses in t/eir business ventures i order to ease out eploees. > !/e $ondition of business losses ustifin retren$/ent is norall s/o'n b audited finan$ial do$uents li=e earl balan$e s/eets and profit and loss stateents as 'ell as annual in$oe ta1 returns >8 '/i$/ 'ere not presented t/is $ase.  Neit/er $an petitioner evade said liabilities on t/e strent/ of t/e 28 *ul 2<<7 5e$ision rendered b t/e CA?s !'ent6#e$ond 5ivisi in [email protected]. #P No. <<<2, entitled Rosita Asuen, et al. v. National &abor Relations Coission, et al., '/ere its eploees? $lai separation pa 'as denied on a$$ount of t/e subseuent $losure of its business due to serious business losses and finan$ial reverses.> Alt/ou/ t/e eploees Rule >7 petition for revie' on $ertiorari /ad been, 7< t/e rulin in said $ase $an /ardl be $onside  bindin on respondents '/o 'ere not parties t/ereto. A- or h& #&)$!#0 # 2&&#- 5h#ch 5o)!% -)//o-&%!0 r&-)! # h& CAB- $--$#!&% %&c#-#o $% r&-o!)#o 5&r& o r&6&r-&% -)#c& # o -$0 h$ h#- Co)r h$% -)-$#&% h& c!$# or -&/$r$#o /$0 o /&##o&rB- &/!o0&&- # h& c$-& o M$#!$ M##" Cor/ E/!o0&&- A--oc#$#o+F&%&r$#o o Fr&& Wor&r- Ch$/&r, & $!. 6. M$#!$ M##" Cor/or$#o, & $!.7% #tare de$isis is inappli$able; t/e atter of separation pa for petitioner?s eploees /as been de$ided $ase to $ase.

CASE LAW? *OCTRINE: *ISSENTING?CONCURRING OPINION(S':