MAQUILING v. PHILIPPINE TUBERCULOSIS SOCIETY, INC. January 24, 2014 | Benjamin, J. | Certiorari | Criminal Charges PETITIONER: Dr. Ernesto I. Maquiling RESPONDENTS: hili!!ine "u#er$ulosis %o$iety, In$. SUMMARY: Dr Maquiling is &ismisse& #y "% an& no' $laiming (or &amages. )o'e*er the $ourt (oun& out that he 'as &ismisse& (or just $ause #ut his right to !ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess 'as *iolate&. +see Do$trine DOCTRINE: -iolation -iolation o( an em!loyees em!loyees right to statutory +!ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess 'arrants the !ayment o( in&emnity in the (orm o( nominal &amages. /$tual $om!ensatory &amages are not a*aila#le as a matter o( right to an em!loyee &ismisse& (or just $ause #ut &enie& o( statutory +!ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess.
/$tual or $om!ensatory &amages are not a*aila#le as a matter o( right to an em!loyee &ismisse& (or just $ause #ut &enie& statutory &ue !ro$ess. "he a'ar& must #e #ase& on $lear (a$tual an& legal #ases an& $orres!on& to su$h !e$uniary loss su((ere& #y the em!loyee as &uly !ro*en. FACTS: 1. . Dr. Dr. Maquil Maquilin ing g 'as 'as em!l em!loy oyes es as De!u De!uty ty Ee$u Ee$uti ti*e *e Dire$tor o( "% (or 2 years. 2. )e re$ei* re$ei*e& e& a memo (rom (rom "% IC3E IC3Ee$ e$uti uti*e *e Dire$t Dire$tor or &ire$t &ire$ting ing him to su#mit su#mit 'ithin 'ithin &ays &ays (rom (rom noti$e noti$e a 'ritten e!lanation on the (ollo'ing matters +ho'e*er theres no 'arning that Dr. Maquiling 'ill (a$e &ismissal i( *iolations are !ro*en true an& un&er 'hat groun& hell #e &ismisse& (or. (or. a. Dela Delaye ye& & 5%I 5%I% % rem remit itta tan$ n$es es #. De(i$it o( 6.million in the 1770 (inan$ial statement $. .6m .6mill illion ion mis$ mis$ell ellane aneiou iouss e!en e!enses ses &. 8ene'i 8ene'ing ng $ontra $ontra$t $t 'ith 'ith 9:" 9:"8/ +a +a ser*i$ ser*i$ee $ontra$tor . Dr. Dr. Maquili Maquiling ng su#mitt su#mitte& e& his e!lana e!lanator tory y letter. letter. )e also also ha& a 0 minutes $on*ersation 'ith the IC Dire$tor $on$erning his a$ts. It 'as e*entually &e$i&e& that Dr. Maquiling 'ill #e &ismisse& imme&iately 'ithout any retirement #ene(its 'ith letter3noti$e. letter3noti$e. 4. Des!it Des!itee this, this, Dr. Maqu Maquili iling ng mani(e mani(este ste& & in a letter letter to the the IC Dire$tor his intention to $ontinue !er(orming his 'or;. )e $ontinue& to re!ort (or 'or;. )e also #rought the matter to the resi&ent o( "% #ut he got no res!onse. . Dr. Dr. Maquil Maquiling ing sto!! sto!!e& e& re!ort re!orting ing (or (or 'or; an& an& (ile& (ile& his $om!la $om!laint int (or illeg illegal al &ismi &ismissa ssal. l. :/ &e$i&e &e$i&e& & (or the reinstatement o( Dr. Maquiling an& !ay #a$;'ages. It 'as li;e'ise& or&ere& that "% !ay (or moral &amages, eem!lary &amages, an& attorneys attorneys (ees.<:8C a((irme& =. C/ re*e re*ers rse& e& #ut or&er or&ere& e& the !ayme !ayment nt (or &amag &amages es or in&emnity (or the *iolation o( right to !ro$e&ural !ro$ess an& to !ay (or se!aration !ay. 6. D8 M/59I M/59I:I :I<5 <5 argue arguess that that the %erra %errano no * <:8C <:8C ruling #e a!!lie&. "hat he shoul& ha*e (ull #a$; 'ages an& se!ara se!aratio tion n !ay !lus 1th month month !ay, !ay, si$; si$; lea*e, lea*e, *a$ation lea*e an& all monetary #ene(its in$lu&ing moral &amages an& attorneys attorneys (ees. ISSUE:>o< Dr. Maquiling is entile& to &amages ? YES, but onl !o" no#$n%l &%#%'() RULING: De$isions Mo&i(ie&. RATIO: 1. "% argues that Dr. Maquiling 'as &ismisse& (or loss o(
trust an& $on(i&en$e. )is jo# &es$ri!tion sho's that he hol&s a !osition o( trust sin$e he is a high o((i$er ser*ing &ire$tly un&er un&er the the Ee$ut Ee$uti*e i*e Dire$ Dire$tor tor,, an& among among his &uties &uties is@ A&ire$ting A&ire$ting,, su!er*isin su!er*ising, g, $oor&inat $oor&inating, ing, an& $ontrolli $ontrolling ng the general general a&ministr a&ministrati*e ati*e,, (inan$e (inan$e an& regional regional o!erations o!erations o( "%. 2. /si&e /si&e (rom (rom the (is$al (is$al matter matters, s, one o( the #asis o( his &ismissal is the rene'al o( $ontra$t 'ith 9:"8/ C:E/< (or janitorial ser*i$es 'hen there 'as 'as no a!!ro*al (rom the Boar& o( Dire$t Dire$tors ors (or su$h su$h rene'a rene'al. l. By the reason reason o( the ne' $ontra$t, "% 'as &ragge& into a la#or $ontro*ersy (or illegal &ismissal 'hi$h e*entually ma&e it lia#le (or #a$;'ages an& &i((erentials to the em!loyees o( 9:"8/ C:E/<. . ")e $ourt (in&s that Dr. Maquiling 'as &ismisse& (or just $ause. $ause. )o'e*e )o'e*er, r, "% 'as 'as remise remise& & in its &uty to o#ser o#ser*e *e !ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess in e((e$ting the &ismissal o( Dr. Maquiling. "he noti$es require& #e(ore an em!loyee are@ +1 a 'ritten noti$e ser*e& on the em!loyee )*(+$!$n' t( '"oun&) !o" t("#$n t("#$n%t$ %t$on on an& an& gi*i gi*ing ng the the em!l em!loy oyee ee reas reasona ona#l #lee o!!ortunity to e!lain hisher si&e +2 a hearing or $on(eren$e 'herein the em!loyee, 'ith the assistan$e o( $ounsel i( so &esire &esire&, &, + 'ritt 'ritten en noti$e noti$e o( termin terminati ation on ser*e& ser*e& on the em!loyee em!loyee in&i$ating in&i$ating that u!on &ie $onsi&eratio $onsi&eration n o( all the $ir$um $ir$umsta stan$e n$es, s, groun& groun&ss ha*e ha*e #een #een esta#l esta#lish ishe& e& to justi( justi(y y termination. C:E/8: C:E/8:, the requirement o( noti*e is inten&e& to in(orm the em!loyee $on$erne& o( the em!loyers intent to &ismiss &ismiss an& the reason (or the !ro!ose& !ro!ose& &ismissa &ismissal. l. "he (irst not noti$e i$e mush ush in( in(orm orm out outright ight the the em!l em!loy oyeee that hat an in*ersigation 'ill #e $on&u$te& on the $harges !arti$ularie& therein, an& i( !ro*en true 'ill result to his &ismissal. "hese (a$tors are la$;ing in the noti$e o( "%, thus *iolating Dr. Maquilings Maquilings right to !ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess. 4. In Maquilings Maquilings argument using the %errano ruling, the $ourt hel& that /ga#on * <:8C mo&i(ie& the %errano ruling. "he /ga#on &o$trine enun$iates the rule that i( the &ismissal is (or just $ause #ut statutory +!ro$e&ural &ue !ro$ess 'as not o#ser*e&, the &ismissal shoul& #e u!hel&. )>E-E8, the em!loy em!loyer er shoul& shoul& #e lia#le lia#le (or non3$o non3$om!l m!lian ian$e $e 'ith 'ith the !ro$e&ural requirements o( &ue !ro$ess. "he in&emnity to #e im!ose im!ose& & shoul shoul& & #e sti( sti((er (er to &is$ou &is$ourag ragee the !ra$ti !ra$ti$e $e o( A&ismiss no', !ay later that the %errano ruling soughts to a*er. "he san$tion shoul& #e in the nature o( in&emni(i$ation or !enalty an& shoul& &e!en& on the (a$ts o( ea$h $ase, ta;ing into $onsi&eration the gra*ity o( the &ue !ro$ess *iolation o(
the em!loyer. "he $ourt, $onsi&ering the $ir$umstan$es o( this $ase, or&ere& to (i the nominal &amage at 0,000. . /$tual or $om!ensatory &amages are not a*aila#le as a matter o( right to an em!loyee &ismisse& (or just $ause #ut &enie& statutory &ue !ro$ess. "he a'ar& must #e #ase& on $lear (a$tual an& legal #ases an& $orres!on& to su$h !e$uniary loss su((ere& #y the em!loyee as &uly !ro*en. )o'e*er the re$or&s (ail to sho' that Dr. Maquiling su((ere& !e$uniary loss #y reason o( his &ismissal (rom ser*i$e.)e 'as &ismisse& (or just $ause, an& su$h &ismissal &i& not automati$ally result to any !e$uniary loss. Besi&es, the t'in noti$e rule 'as not at all &isregar&e& although is 'as o#ser*e& &e(e$ti*ely #y "%. "hus a$tual &amages may not #e a'ar&e&. =. For eem!lary &amages, it $an only #e a*aile& o( i( the
&ismissal 'as a((e$te& in a 'anton, o!!ressi*e or male*olent manner to 'arrant an a'ar& (or eem!lary &amages.
