Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82065:56109&catid=1572&Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 04:10:11+00:00

Document:
G.R. No. 159371, July 29, 2013 - D. M. CONSUNJI CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. ROGELIO P. BELLO, Respondent.
D. M. CONSUNJI CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. ROGELIO P. BELLO, Respondent.
For the resignation of an employee to be a viable defense in an action for illegal dismissal, an employer must prove that the resignation was voluntary, and its evidence thereon must be clear, positive and convincing. The employer cannot rely on the weakness of the employee’s evidence.
Bello brought a complaint for illegal dismissal and damages against DMCI and/or Rachel Consunji. In his position paper, he claimed that DMCI had employed him as a mason without any interruption from February 1, 1990 until October 10, 1997 at an hourly rate of P25.081; that he had been a very diligent and devoted worker and had served DMCI as best as he could and without any complaints; that he had never violated any company rules; that his job as a mason had been necessary and desirable in the usual business or trade of DMCI; that he had been diagnosed to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, thereby necessitating his leave of absence; that upon his recovery, he had reported back to work, but DMCI had refused to accept him and had instead handed to him a termination paper; that he had been terminated due to “RSD” effective November 5, 1997; that he did not know the meaning of “RSD” as the cause of his termination; that the cause had not been explained to him; that he had not been given prior notice of his termination; that he had not been paid separation pay as mandated by law; that at that time of his dismissal, DMCI’s projects had not yet been completed; and that even if he had been terminated due to an authorized cause, he should have been given at least one month pay or at least one-half month pay for every year of service he had rendered, whichever was higher.
In its position paper submitted on March 6, 2000,5 DMCI contended that Bello had only been a project employee, as borne out by his contract of employment and appointment papers; that after his termination from employment, it had complied with the reportorial requirements of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) pursuant to the mandates of Policy Instruction No. 20, as revised by Department Order No. 19, series of 1993; and that although his last project employment contract had been set to expire on October 7, 1997, he had tendered his voluntary resignation on October 4, 1997 for health reasons that had rendered him incapable of performing his job, per his resignation letter.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered declaring respondent company DM Consunji, Inc., guilty of illegal dismissal and it is hereby ordered to reinstate complainant to his former position without loss of seniority rights and to pay him full backwages reckoned from the time of his dismissal up to his actual reinstatement which as of this date is in the amount of P232,648,81.
THE [LABOR] ARBITER A QUO GRAVELY ABUSED HER DISCRETION IN HOLDING THAT COMPLAINANT IS A REGULAR EMPLOYEE [NOT] EVEN AS THIS IS CONTRARY TO LAW, EVIDENCE AND JURISPRUDENCE.
Addressing the first issue on appeal, a cursory reading of the records indeed show that contrary to the declaration of the Labor Arbiter that complainant’s years of service was without any gaps and was continuous to warrant regularity of employment, the same was not so. In fine what was clearly illustrated by respondents in their appeal memorandum by way of matrix, there were considerable and substantial gaps between complainant’s employment. In addition, it is of judicial notice that respondent company, being one of the biggest and well known construction company, as even admitted by the Executive Labor Arbiter, cater to so many clients/projects. So much that it is not improbable that complainant may be hired continuously one after the other in different projects considering that he is a mason whose functions are more than highly needed in construction. Even as it is, the matrix presented by respondents still showed considerable gaps. The fact that sometimes complainant’s contract is extended beyond approximated date of finish contract, do not in anyway (sic) readily make his employment regular. For it is common among construction projects for a certain phase of work to be extended, depending on varied factors such as weather, availability of materials, whims and caprice of clients and many more. So much so, it was error on the part of the Executive Labor Arbiter to take this against respondents and pin it as another determining factor of regularity of employment. Neither can it be said that as mason complainant’s function is necessary and desirable to respondents business hence, he is a regular employee. x x x we simply cannot close our eyes to the reality that complainant is a project employee and that the case she is citing does not fit herein as it is akin to a square peg being in a round hole. To top it all, records show that respondents have faithfully complied with the provision of Policy Instruction No. 20 on project employees.
Lastly, records do show that complainant executed a voluntary resignation. And while there may indeed be a slight difference in the signature and handwriting, this do not readily mean that complainant did not execute the same as was the inclination of the Executive Labor Arbiter. For one, she has no expertise to determine so. Secondly, and [as] was validly pointed out, complainant if indeed he was coerced, cheated or shortchanged, would ordinarily almost immediately seek redress. In the case at bar, he sat it out and waited two (2) years. Is this case, an afterthought? We believe so.
ACCORDINGLY, finding merit in respondent’s appeal, the decision of the Executive Labor Arbiter is hereby SET ASIDE and this case DISMISSED for want of merits (sic).
Bello then assailed the dismissal of his complaint via petition for certiorari,11 averring that the NLRC committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction in upholding DMCI’s appeal, in setting aside the decision of the ELA, and in dismissing his complaint and denying his motion for reconsideration.
WHETHER OR NOT PRIVATE RESPONDENT WAS DISMISSED OR VOLUNTARILY RESIGNED.
A project employee is, therefore, one who is hired for a specific project or undertaking, and the completion or termination of such project or undertaking has been determined at the time of engagement of the employee.14 In the context of the law, Bello was a project employee of DMCI at the beginning of their employer-employee relationship. The project employment contract they then entered into clearly gave notice to him at the time of his engagement about his employment being for a specific project or phase of work. He was also thereby notified of the duration of the project, and the determinable completion date of the project.
Based on the foregoing, we affirm the CA’s conclusion that Bello acquired in time the status of a regular employee by virtue of his continuous work as a mason of DMCI. The work of a mason like him – a skilled workman working with stone or similar material16 – was really related to building or constructing, and was undoubtedly a function necessary and desirable to the business or trade of one engaged in the construction industry like DMCI. His being hired as a mason by DMCI in not one, but several of its projects revealed his necessity and desirability to its construction business.
Still, DMCI contends that Bello’s services as a mason were deemed necessary and desirable in its usual business only for the period of time it had taken it to complete the project.
Lastly, DMCI claims that Bello voluntarily resigned from work. It presented his supposed handwritten resignation letter to support the claim. However, Bello denied having resigned, explaining that he had signed the letter because DMCI had made him believe that the letter was for the purpose of extending his sick leave.
We reiterate that it is axiomatic in labor law that the employer who interposes the defense of voluntary resignation of the employee in an illegal dismissal case must prove by clear, positive and convincing evidence that the resignation was voluntary; and that the employer cannot rely on the weakness of the defense of the employee.23 The requirement rests on the need to resolve any doubt in favor of the working man.
WHEREFORE, the Court AFFIRMS the decision promulgated on February 18, 2003; and ORDERS petitioner to pay the costs of suit.
1Rollo, pp. 167-176; penned by Associate Justice Josefina Guevara-Salonga (retired), with the concurrence of Associate Justice Rodrigo V. Cosico (retired) and Associate Justice Edgardo F. Sundiam (retired/deceased).
14Philippine National Construction Corporation v. NLRC, G.R. No. 85323, June 20, 1989, 174 SCRA 191, 193; Uy v. National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. No. 117983, September 6, 1996, 261 SCRA 505, 513.
16 Websters Third New International Dictionary. 1993.
17Tomas Lao Construction v. National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. No. 116781, September 5, 1997, 278 SCRA 716, 726, citing Phesco, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. Nos. 104444-49, December 27, 1994, 239 SCRA 446; Capitol Industrial Construction Groups v. NLRC, G.R. No. 105359, April 22, 1993, 221 SCRA 469.
19ALU-TUCP v. National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. No. 109902, August 2, 1994, 234 SCRA 678, 685.
20 Samson v. National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. No. 113166, February 1, 1996, 253 SCRA 112, 123.
23 Vicente v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 175988, August 24, 2007, 531 SCRA 240, 250; Mobile Protective & Detective Agency v. Ompad, G.R. No. 159195, May 9, 2005, 458 SCRA 308, 323.

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