Parras, Juan Paolo S. Labor Standards Bar Questions BOOK 4 ATTY. VOLTAIRE !A"O 1995 99 5 BAR BAR QUE QUESTI ST ION NO . XI (1) (1 ) (2) (2):
#$%&'at is t'e e(tent o) an e*+loer-s interention in t'e /o*+ensation +ro/ess and t'e +a*ent o) bene0ts to e*+loees under t'e State Insuran/e 1und2 E(+lain. #3% Is it ne/essar )or an e*+loee to litiate in order to establis' and en)or/e 'is ri't to /o*+ensation2 E(+lain. SUGG SU GGES ESTE TED D ANSW AN SWER ER :
#$%T'e %T'e ne5 ne5 la5 estab stabllis'e s'es a Stat State e Insu Insurran/e an/e 1und und buil builtt u+ b t'e t'e /ontri /ontribut bution ion o) e*+lo e*+loe ers rs based based on t'e salari salaries es o) t'eir t'eir e*+lo e*+loees ees.. T'e e*+loer does not interene in t'e /o*+ensation +ro/ess and it 'as no /ont /ontrrol oer oer t'e t'e +a* +a*en entt o) bene bene0t 0ts. s. !nli !nli6 6e unde underr t'e t'e &or6* or6*en en-s -s 7o*+ensation A/t, e*+loers are no loner dire/tl liable )or t'e in/o*e and *edi/al and related bene0ts t'at are to be +aid to /oered e*+loees i) t'e s'ould su8er )ro* 5or6 /onne/ted in9ur or si/6ness or deat'. T'e +a*ent o) e*+loees /o*+ensation is no5 )ro* t'e state insuran/e )und 5'i/' is /onstituted )ro* t'e /ontributions /olle/ted )ro* t'e e*+loees. #3%"o, all t'at an e*+loee does to /lai* e*+loee-s /o*+ensation is to 0le a /lai* )or t'e said bene0ts 5it' t'e SSS or :SIS. In t'e eent t'at t'e /lai* is denied on t'e SSS;:SIS leel, /lai*ant *a a++eal to t'e E*+loees 7o*+en 7o*+ensat sation ion 7o**is 7o**issio sion n 5'ere 5'ere 'e *a +roe +roe t'e /ausal /ausal /onne/ /onne/tio tion n bet5een in9ur and nature o) 5or6. 2013 BAR QUESTION NO. X:
1or 1or ten #$<% #$<% se+ara se+arate te but /onse/ /onse/uti utie e earl earl /ontr /ontra/t a/ts, s, 7e 7esar sar 'as been been de+loed as an able=bodied sea*an b >eritt S'i++in, t'rou' its lo/al aent, A/e >ariti*e Seri/es #ae aen/%, in a//ord ordan/ an/e 5it' t'e 3<<
OSl.JP, and >eritt S'i++in. Bot' t'e 3<<< POEA=SE7 and t'e 7BA /o**onl +roide t'e sa*e *ode and +ro/edures )or /lai*in disabilit bene0ts. 7esar?s last /ontra/t #)or nine *ont's% e(+ired on Jul $@, 3<$. 7esar dise*bar6ed dise*bar6ed )ro* t'e essel >;V Seen Seas on Jul $, 3<$as a sea*an on C0nis'ed /ontra/tC. De i**ediatel re+orted to t'e aen/ and
/o*+lained t'at 'e 'ad been e(+erien/in s+ells o) diiness, nausea, eneral 5ea6ness, and diF/ult in breat'in. T'e aen/ re)erred 'i* to r. Sales, a /ardio=+ul*onar s+e/ialist, 5'o e(a*ined and treated 'i*G adised 'i* to ta6e a /o*+lete rest )or a 5'ileG ae 'i* *edi/ationsG and de/lared 'i* 0t to resu*e 5or6 as a sea*an. A)ter a *ont', 7esar 5ent ba/6 to t'e aen/ to as6 )or re=de+lo*ent. T'e aen/ re9e/ted 'is a++li/ation. 7esar res+onded b de*andin total disabilit bene0ts based on t'e ail*ents t'at 'e deelo+ed and su8ered 5'ile on board >eritt S'i++in essels. T'e /lai* 5as based on t'e /erti0/ation o) 'is +'si/ian #internist r. Rees% t'at 'e /ould no loner underta6e sea duties be/ause o) t'e '+ertension and diabetes t'at aHi/ted 'i* 5'ile serin on >eritt S'i++in essels in t'e last $< ears. Re9e/ted on/e aain, 7esar 0led a /o*+laint )or illeal dis*issal and t'e +a*ent o) total +er*anent disabilit bene0ts aainst t'e aen/ and its +rin/i+al. Assu*e t'at ou are t'e Labor Arbiter de/idin t'e /ase. Identi) t'e )a/ts and issues ou 5ould /onsider *aterial in resolin t'e illeal dis*issal and disabilit /o*+laint. E(+lain our /'oi/es and t'eir *aterialit, and resole t'e /ase. SUGGESTED ANSWER:
#$% oes t'e Labor Arbiter 'ae 9urisdi/tion to de/ide t'e /ase2 #3% id 7esar sub*it to a +ost=e*+lo*ent e(a*ination 5it'in das u+on 'is return2 T'is is *andator reuire*entG ot'er5ise, 7esar 5ill )or)eit 'is ri't to /lai* bene0ts. #% Is r. Sales t'e /o*+an=desinated +'si/ian2 T'e /o*+an= desinated +'si/ian is t'e one 5'o initiall deter*ines /o*+ensabilit. #4% &as 7esar assisted b r. Sales #i) 'e is t'e /o*+an +'si/ian% 5it'in $3< das2 #@% I) t'e $3< das 5as e(/eeded and no de/laration 5as *ade as to 7esars disabilit, 5as t'is e(tended to 34< das be/ause 7esar reuired )urt'er *edi/al treat*ent2 #% &as t'e 34< das e(/eeded and still no 0nal de/ision 5as rea/'ed as to 7esars disabilit2 I) so, 7esar is dee*ed entitled to +er*anent total disabilit bene0ts. #% I) t'e /o*+ans +'si/ian and 7esars +'si/ian /annot aree, 5as a t'ird +'si/ian desinated to deter*ine t'e true nature and e(tent o) t'e disabilit. T'e t'ird +'si/ians 0ndin under t'e la5 is 0nal and /on/lusie. #% In t'e *atter o) t'e /o*+laint )or illeal dis*issalM T'ere is none be/ause 7esar dise*bar6ed on a N0nis'ed /ontra/t. #% Sea)arers are /ontra/tual e*+loees, )or a 0(ed ter*s, oerned b t'e /ontra/t t'e sinG an e(/e+tion to Arti/le 3< #no5 Arti/le 3% o) t'e Labor 7ode. Den/e, t'e /o*+laint )or illeal dis*issal 5ill not +ros+er. 2012 BAR QUESTION NO. 36
&'i/' o) t'e )ollo5in is not /onsidered an e*+loer b t'e ter*s o) t'e So/ial Se/urit A/t2 #A% A sel)=e*+loed +ersonG #B% T'e oern*ent and an o) its +oliti/al subdiisions, bran/'es or instru*entalities, in/ludin /or+orations o5ned or /ontrolled b t'e oern*entG #7% A natural +erson, do*esti/ or )orein, 5'o /arries on in t'e P'ili++ines, an trade, business, industr, underta6in or a/tiit o) an 6ind and uses t'e seri/es o) anot'er +erson 5'o is under 'is orders as reards t'e e*+lo*entG #% A )orein /or+oration. SUGGESTED ANSWER:
#B% T'e oern*ent and an o) its +oliti/al subdiisions, bran/'es or instru*entalities, in/ludin /or+orations o5ned or /ontrolled b t'e oern*ent. B irtue o) Se/. #/% o) R.A. 33. #/% E*+loer An +erson, natural or 9uridi/al, do*esti/ or )orein, 5'o /arries on it t'e P'ili++ines an trade, business, industr, underta6in or a/tiit o) an 6ind and uses t'e seri/es o) anot'er +erson 5'o is under 'is orders as reards t'e e*+lo*ent, e(/e+t t'e :oern*ent and an o) its +oliti/al subdiisions, bran/'es or instru*entalities, in/ludin /or+orations o5ned or /ontrolled b t'e :oern*entM Proided, T'at a sel)e*+loed +erson s'all be bot' e*+loee and e*+loer at t'e sa*e ti*e
