Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/296754446/School-of-the-HS-vs-CA-GR-165565
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 10:20:59+00:00

Document:
Court of Appeals denying petitioners motion for reconsideration.
] NLRC NCR Case No. plus all other benefits. In dismissing the complaint. the Labor Arbiter declared that respondent was validly terminated for gross neglect of duty.] NLRC NCR CA No. She was still alive when respondent rushed her to the General Malvar Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.Thereafter. Unfortunately. Chiara Maes parents filed a P7 Million damage suit against petitioners and respondent.Before the activity started. 2000. had she not been dismissed . among others. The Labor Arbiter further concluded that although respondents negligence was not habitual. On July 25. He opined that Chiara Mae drowned because respondent had left the pupils without any adult supervision. 2001. thus: WHEREFORE. 031627-02 is hereby REVERSED and SET ASIDE. damages and attorneys fees. 2000. On May 23. School of the Holy Spirit and/or Sister Crispina Tolentino[. petitioners issued a Notice of Administrative Charge to respondent for alleged gross negligence and required her to submit her written explanation. The assailed September 20. petitioners dismissed respondent on the ground of gross negligence resulting to loss of trust and confidence. On July 31. with a prayer for reinstatement with full backwages and other money claims. and a new one is hereby ENTERED directing the private respondent the School of the Holy Spirit to: (1) Pay the petitioner full backwages. When respondent returned. Respondent went after them to verify where they were going. Respondent also submitted her Affidavit of Explanation. the same warranted her dismissal since death resulted therefrom. respondent warned the pupils who did not know how to swim to avoid the deeper area. affirmed the dismissal of the complaint. which ruled in her favor. respondent instituted a petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals.  Meanwhile. the maintenance man was already administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Chiara Mae. Chiara Mae drowned. The Court of Appeals disposed. bonuses and general increases to which she would have been normally entitled. However. respondent in turn filed a complaint against the school and/or Sr. while respondent was away. however. He also noted that the absence of adequate facilities should have alerted respondent before allowing the pupils to use the swimming pool. Crispina Tolentino for illegal dismissal. They also filed against respondent a criminal complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. 00-07-0387701[. petitioners conducted a clarificatory hearing which respondent attended. two of them sneaked out. 2002 Resolution of the National Labor Relations Commission entitled Corazon Taguiam vs. while the pupils were swimming. Respondent appealed to the NLRC which. Aggrieved. the Court hereby GRANTS the petition. The appellate court observed that there was insufficient proof that respondents negligence was both gross and habitual.
where the issue is shrouded by a conflict of factual perception. gross and habitual neglect of duties is a valid ground for an employer to terminate an employee. Respondent admitted that she was around when Chiara Mae and her mother arrived. (3) Pay the petitioner an amount equivalent to 10% of the judgment award as attorneys fees. (4) Pay the cost of this suit. depending upon the circumstances.  Habitual neglect implies repeated failure to perform ones duties for a period of time. we are constrained to review the factual findings of the Court of Appeals. The issue of whether a party is negligent is a question of fact. The purpose of a permit form is precisely to ensure that the parents have allowed their child to join the school activity involved. Thus. she should have coordinated with the school to . In this petition. the findings of facts of the appellate court contradict those of the Labor Arbiter and the NLRC. Under Article 282 of the Labor Code. SO ORDERED. Second. it was respondents responsibility as Class Adviser to supervise her class in all activities sanctioned by the school. petitioners contend that the Court of Appeals erred in: REVERSING AND SETTING ASIDE THE DECISION AND RESOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION AFFIRMING THE DECISION OF THE LABOR ARBITER DISMISSING THE COMPLAINT FOR LACK OF MERIT.and had she not been forced to stop working computed up to the finality of this decision. As a rule. Respondent cannot simply ignore this by resorting to assumptions. Simply stated. In this case. She could have requested the mother to sign the permit form before she left the school or at least called her up to obtain her conformity. the sole issue presented for our resolution is whether respondents dismissal on the ground of gross negligence resulting to loss of trust and confidence was valid. However. or the entire absence of care. Our perusal of the records leads us to conclude that respondent had been grossly negligent. respondent allowed her to join the activity because she assumed that Chiara Maes mother has allowed her to join it by personally bringing her to the school with her packed lunch and swimsuit. First. (2) Pay the petitioner separation pay equivalent to one (1) month for every year of service in addition to full backwages. Yet. it is undisputed that Chiara Maes permit form was unsigned. the Supreme Court is not a trier of facts and this applies with greater force in labor cases. Gross negligence implies a want or absence of or a failure to exercise slight care or diligence. It evinces a thoughtless disregard of consequences without exerting any effort to avoid them.
In that case. It should be genuine and not simulated. knowingly and purposely. In view of the considerable resultant damage. In Philippine Airlines. The guards would not have allowed them to go out in their swimsuits and without any adult accompanying them. otherwise. without justifiable excuse. nor should it appear as a mere afterthought to justify earlier action taken in bad faith or a subterfuge for causes which are improper. Loss of trust and confidence to be a valid ground for dismissal must be based on a willful breach of trust and founded on clearly established facts. respondent should have considered that those who sneaked out could not have left the school premises since there were guards manning the gates. She should have been mindful of the fact that with the number of pupils involved. heedlessly or inadvertently. This is not the first time that we have departed from the requirements laid down by the law that neglect of duties must be both gross and habitual. we held that it would be unfair to compel Philippine Banking Corporation to continue employing its bank teller. it must rest on substantial grounds and not on the employers arbitrariness. The deposit slip had already been validated prior to its loss and the amount reflected thereon is already considered as current liabilities in the banks balance sheet. be an actual breach of duty committed by the employee which must be established by substantial evidence. In the light of the odds involved. a substantial amount of money was lost. As it turned out. the employee would eternally remain at the mercy of the employer. when she left them unattended by an adult. respondents negligence. Notably. Otherwise stated. But those who stayed at the pool were put at greater risk. There must.In that case. however. In another case. Inc. caprices or suspicion. and payment of special landing fees not to mention the soaring costs of replacing aircraft parts. the damage went as far as claiming the life of a child. we ruled that Philippine Airlines (PAL) cannot be legally compelled to continue with the employment of a person admittedly guilty of gross negligence in the performance of his duties although it was his first offense. petitioners lost its trust and confidence in respondent. although gross. was not habitual. we noted that a mere delay on PALs flight schedule due to aircraft damage entails problems like hotel accommodations for its passengers. since respondent was the only adult present. the possibility of law suits. Indeed. NLRC. re-booking. the sufficiency of the evidence as well as the resultant damage to the employer should be considered in the dismissal of the employee. . It has never been intended to afford an occasion for abuse because of its subjective nature. therefore. A breach is willful if it is done intentionally. as distinguished from an act done carelessly. such as adequate first aid and sufficient adult personnel. we are in agreement that the cause is sufficient to dismiss respondent. majority of the pupils were left unsupervised when she followed the two pupils who sneaked out. whims. illegal or unjustified. As a result of gross negligence in the present case. v. Fuentes v. it would be impossible for her by herself alone to keep an eye on each one of them. were present during their activity. thoughtlessly. National Labor Relations Commission. we observed that although the tellers infraction was not habitual.ensure that proper safeguards. In this case.
No pronouncement as to costs. SO ORDERED. we note that based on the criminal complaint filed by Chiara Maes parents.  While this finding is not controlling for purposes of the instant case. A simple reminder not to go to the deepest part of the pool was insufficient to cast away all the serious dangers that the situation presented to the children. LEONARDO A. The Assistant City Prosecutor held that respondent should have foreseen the danger lurking in the waters. there being a clear showing that respondent was culpable for gross negligence resulting to loss of trust and confidence.Respondent should have known that leaving the pupils in the swimming pool area all by themselves may result in an accident. It was error for the Court of Appeals to reverse and set aside the resolution of the NLRC. respondent displayed an inexcusable lack of foresight and precaution.As a teacher who stands in loco parentis to her pupils. SP No. respondent should have made sure that the children were protected from all harm while in her company. By leaving her pupils in the swimming pool. This is a clear violation not only of the trust and confidence reposed on her by the parents of the pupils but of the school itself.R. this only supports our conclusion that respondent has indeed been grossly negligent. The Resolution dated September 20. the Assistant City Prosecutor found probable cause to indict respondent for the crime of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. especially when respondent knew that Chiara Mae cannot swim. 2004 of the Court of Appeals in CA-G. WHEREFORE. All told. 81480 is SET ASIDE. QUISUMBING Associate Justice WE CONCUR: CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES Associate Justice . respondent created an unsafe situation which exposed the lives of all the pupils concerned to real danger. The assailed Decision dated June 7. the petition is GRANTED. her dismissal was valid and legal. Finally.Dismally. 031627-02 is REINSTATED. 2002 of the National Labor Relations Commission in NLRC NCR CA No.
PUNO Chief Justice . TINGA Associate Justice PRESBITERO J. I certify that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the Courts Division. Article VIII of the Constitution. LEONARDO A. and the Division Chairpersons Attestation. Associate Justice ARTURO D. VELASCO. QUISUMBING Associate Justice Chairperson C E R T I F I C AT I O N Pursuant to Section 13. BRION Associate Justice AT T E S TAT I O N I attest that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the Courts Division. JR. REYNATO S.DANTE O.
p. Maxims Tea House. Enriquez. p. 2006. Rollo. G.  Records. supra note 16 at 768.  Premiere Development Bank v. 36-37. at 15. 171-192. p. 85-86. Court of Appeals. L-33722. 146741. No.  Id. 378 SCRA 194. at 84-85. Mantal.R. Roxas.  No. at 90-92. No. 166 SCRA 752. Jr. with Associate Justices Romeo A. May 28.  ART. v. Jr.  Tres Reyes v. No. 1988. 430 SCRA 358. 194 SCRA 139. ─ An employer may terminate an employment for any of the following causes: (a) Serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or representative in connection with his work.  Id. v. No. February 27. (c) Fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or duly authorized representative. Penned by Associate Justice Vicente Q. with Associate Justices Salvador J. 490 SCRA 751. No.  Ylarde v. p. Enriquez. 770. 28. at 144. L-75955.R. Valdez. 485 SCRA 234. G.  Go v. 167118. February 17.  National Bookstore. and Juan Q. Penned by Associate Justice Vicente Q.  Manila Memorial Park Cemetery. June 15. Panado. v. G.  Id. 158922. 163 SCRA 697.  Id. (b) Gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties. Roxas. and (e) Other causes analogous to the foregoing.  Manila Memorial Park Cemetery. 1997.  Id. Dela Cruz v. 704. 33.R. concurring.  Records. at 62-66. No. at 86-89.  Records. 365. 23-34. 1988. Inc. 239. July 29. concurring. Inc. No. 1991. March 23. 2003. Aquino. 2006. No. October 28. G.  G. 167716. 2004. at 757-758.R. 282. 104. pp. 202-203.  Rollo.  CA rollo. Panado. 119536. Termination by employer.  Id. 268 SCRA 458.  Rollo.  Id. 2002.  Records. Brawner and Juan Q. G. pp. 87. 398 SCRA 288.  Records. 140853.R. p. February 27. p.R. 2. G.R. Jr. pp.  CA rollo. February 18. 470. 298. 104. Inc. (d) Commission of a crime or offense by the employee against the person of his employer or any immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representative. pp.  Id. National Labor Relations Commission. Court of Appeals. 82471. .
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