Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81075:gr-160138-2013&catid=1566&Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 22:13:02+00:00

Document:
G.R. No. 160138 - AUTOMOTIVE ENGINE REBUILDERS, INC. (AER), ANTONIO T. INDUCIL, LOURDES T. INDUCIL, JOCELYN T. INDUCIL and MA. CONCEPCION I. DONATO, Petitioners, v. PROGRESIBONG UNYON NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA AER, ARNOLD VILLOTA, FELINO E. AGUSTIN, RUPERTO M. MARIANO II, EDUARDO S. BRIZUELA, ARNOLD S. RODRIGUEZ, RODOLFO MAINIT, JR., FROILAN B. MADAMBA, DANILO D. QUIBOY, CHRISTOPHER R. NOLASCO, ROGER V. BELATCHA, CLEOFAS B. DELA BUENA, JR., HERMINIO P. PAPA, WILLIAM A. RITUAL, ROBERTO CALDEO, RAFAEL GACAD, JAMES C. CAAMPUED, ESPERIDION V. LOPEZ, JR., FRISCO M. LORENZO, JR., CRISANTO LUMBAO, JR., and RENATO SARABUNO, Respondents.; G.R. No. 160192 - PROGRESIBONG UNYON NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA AER, ARNOLD VILLOTA, FELINO E. AGUSTIN, RUPERTO M. MARIANO II, EDUARDO S. BRIZUELA, ARNOLD S. RODRIGUEZ, RODOLFO MAINIT, JR., FROILAN B. MADAMBA, DANILO D. QUIBOY, CHRISTOPHER R. NOLASCO, ROGER V. BELATCHA, CLEOFAS B. DELA BUENA, JR., HERMINIO P. PAPA, WILLIAM A. RITUAL, ROBERTO CALDEO, RAFAEL GACAD, JAMES C. CAAMPUED, ESPERIDION V. LOPEZ, JR., FRISCO M. LORENZO, JR., CRISANTO LUMBAO, JR., and RENA TO SARABUNO, Petitioners, v. AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEREBUILDERS, INC., and ANTONIO T. INDUCIL, Respondents.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINE REBUILDERS, INC. (AER), ANTONIO T. INDUCIL, LOURDES T. INDUCIL, JOCELYN T. INDUCIL and MA. CONCEPCION I. DONATO, Petitioners, v.PROGRESIBONG UNYON NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA AER, ARNOLD VILLOTA, FELINO E. AGUSTIN, RUPERTO M. MARIANO II, EDUARDO S. BRIZUELA, ARNOLD S. RODRIGUEZ, RODOLFO MAINIT, JR., FROILAN B. MADAMBA, DANILO D. QUIBOY, CHRISTOPHER R. NOLASCO, ROGER V. BELATCHA, CLEOFAS B. DELA BUENA, JR., HERMINIO P. PAPA, WILLIAM A. RITUAL, ROBERTO CALDEO, RAFAEL GACAD, JAMES C. CAAMPUED, ESPERIDION V. LOPEZ, JR., FRISCO M. LORENZO, JR., CRISANTO LUMBAO, JR., and RENATO SARABUNO, Respondents.
PROGRESIBONG UNYON NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA AER, ARNOLD VILLOTA, FELINO E. AGUSTIN, RUPERTO M. MARIANO II, EDUARDO S. BRIZUELA, ARNOLD S. RODRIGUEZ, RODOLFO MAINIT, JR., FROILAN B. MADAMBA, DANILO D. QUIBOY, CHRISTOPHER R. NOLASCO, ROGER V. BELATCHA, CLEOFAS B. DELA BUENA, JR., HERMINIO P. PAPA, WILLIAM A. RITUAL, ROBERTO CALDEO, RAFAEL GACAD, JAMES C. CAAMPUED, ESPERIDION V. LOPEZ, JR., FRISCO M. LORENZO, JR., CRISANTO LUMBAO, JR., and RENA TO SARABUNO, Petitioners, v.AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEREBUILDERS, INC., and ANTONIO T. INDUCIL, Respondents.
In arriving at said determination, the Court found out both parties were at fault or in pari delicto and must bear the consequences of their own wrongdoing.2 Thus, it decreed that the striking employees must be restored to their respective positions prior to the illegal strike and illegal lockout.
14. Cleofas dela Buena, Jr.
Out of the seven (7) suspended employees, only Edwin Fabian and Nazario Madala were allowed by AER to report back to work. The other five (5) suspended employees were not admitted by AER without first submitting the required medical certificate attesting to their fitness to work.
On August 9, 2001, after the parties submitted their respective position papers,6 the Labor Arbiter (LA) rendered a decision7 in favor of Unyon by directing AER to reinstate the concerned employees but without backwages effective October 16, 2001. Both parties filed their respective appeals8 with the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition is GRANTED. Respondents are hereby directed to reinstate the petitioners effective immediately but without backwages, except those who were tested positive for illegal drugs and have failed to submit their respective medical certificates.
WHEREFORE, the partial motion for reconsideration is GRANTED insofar as the reinstatement of the suspended employees is concerned. This Courts decision dated June 27, 2003 is hereby MODIFIED. Private respondents are hereby directed to reinstate all petitioners immediately without backwages.
Unsatisfied, both parties filed the present consolidated petitions. Unyon argued that the CA erred in not awarding backwages to the suspended employees who were ordered reinstated. AER, on the other hand, argued that the CA erred in ordering the reinstatement of the suspended employees.
WHEREFORE, the petitions are DENIED. Accordingly, the complaining employees should be reinstated without backwages. If reinstatement is no longer feasible, the concerned employees should be given separation pay up to the date set for their return in lieu of reinstatement.
Unyon filed the subject Motion for Partial Reconsideration17 questioning the Courts July 13, 2011 Decision insofar as it failed to award backwages to fourteen (14) of its members.
Unyon argues that backwages should have been awarded to the 14 employees who were excluded from the complaint filed by AER and that the latter should have reinstated them immediately because they did not have any case at all.
AER was directed to file its comment. Its Comment,18 however, failed to address the issue except to say that the motion for partial reconsideration was pro-forma.
After going over the records again, the Court holds that only nine (9) of the fourteen (14) excluded employees deserve to be reinstated immediately with backwages.
Technically, as no charges for illegal strike were filed against these 14 employees, they cannot be among those found guilty of illegal strike. They cannot be considered in pari delicto. They should be reinstated and given their backwages.
Because of their failure to affix their names and signatures in the Membership Resolution, Edwin Mendoza, Tammy Punzalan, Edward Ferrancol, Menching Mariano, Jr. and Carlos Carolina cannot be granted the relief that Unyon wanted for them in its Motion for Partial Reconsideration.
WHEREFORE, the Motion for Pa1iial Reconsideration filed by Progresibong Unyon Ng Mga Manggagawa Sa AER is GRANTED only insofar as the nine (9) employees are concerned, namely: Ruperto Mariano II, Arnold Rodriguez, Froilan Madamba, Danilo Quiboy, Roger Belateha, Roberto Caldeo, Crisanto Lumbao, Jr., Arnold Villota, and Renato Sarabuno.
Accordingly, the July 13, 2011 Decision is hereby MODIFIED in that the aforementioned nine (9) workers are entitled to be reinstated and granted backwages with interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum which shall be increased to twelve percent (12%) after the finality of this judgment.
1 Rollo (G.R. No. 160138), p.253.
3 Rollo (G.R. No. 160138), pp. 121-126; (G.R. No. 160192), pp. 115-120.
4 Rollo (G.R. No. 160138), pp. 121-122.
5 Rollo (G.R. No. 160192), pp. 139-144.
18 Rollo (G.R. No. 160138), pp. 263-268.
19 Rollo (G.R. No. 160192), pp. 116-117.
21 Session Delights Ice Cream and Fast foods v. CA, G.R. No. 172149, February 8, 2010, 612 SCRA 10, 24.
22 CA Amended Decision, rollo (G.R. No. 160138), p. 50.

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