Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=50722:gr-173908-2008&amp;catid=1502&amp;Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 08:38:43+00:00

Document:
G.R. No. 173908 - Eleanor C. Magalang v. Court of Appeals, et al.
ELEANOR C. MAGALANG, Petitioner, v. COURT OF APPEALS (Former Fourth Division), NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION (3rd Division) and SUYEN CORPORATION, Respondents.
Before the Court is a Petition for Review on Certiorari under Rule 45 assailing the March 31, 2004 Decision1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. SP No. 79408 and the August 1, 2006 Resolution2 denying the motion for reconsideration thereof.
Both parties filed their respective Motions for Reconsideration.12 On October 28, 2002, the NLRC denied petitioner's motion,13 prompting her to file a Petition for Certiorari with the CA. This was docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 75185.14 On July 28, 2003, the NLRC also denied respondent's motion.15 Respondent then filed a Petition for Certiorari with the CA docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 79408 [the subject of this case].
The appellate court (4th Division), in CA-G.R. SP No. 79408, consequently, rendered the assailed March 31, 2004 Decision20 affirming in toto the September 5, 2002 Decision21 of the NLRC. In the likewise challenged August 1, 2006 Resolution,22 the CA denied the motions for reconsideration of both parties.
PUBLIC RESPONDENT COURT COMMITTED GRAVE ABUSE OF DISCRETION AMOUNTING TO LACK OR EXCESS OF DISCRETION (SIC) IN REFUSING TO APPLY THE SERRANO DOCTRINE (RUBEN SERRANO v. NLRC, 323 SCRA 45) AND BUSTAMANTE DOCTRINE (BUSTAMANTE v. NLRC, 265 SCRA 6 ) RESPECTIVELY, IN THE INSTANT CASE, AS DECREED BY THE NINTH DIVISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS IN CA-G.R. SP NO. 75187 FILED BY PETITIONER.
The Court grants the petition.
We note at the outset that the Ninth Division of the appellate court, in CA-G.R. SP No. 75185, already affirmed the September 5, 2002 Decision of the NLRC that petitioner was illegally dismissed but modified the ruling and awarded backwages to the petitioner. Later, the Fourth Division of the CA, in CA-G.R. SP No. 79408, rendered another decision inconsistent with the earlier ruling of its coordinate division. The Fourth Division merely affirmed the NLRC September 5, 2002 Decision, and did not award backwages to the petitioner.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Petition for Review on Certiorari is GRANTED. The March 31, 2004 Decision and the August 1, 2006 Resolution of the appellate court in CA-G.R. SP No. 79408 are AFFIRMED with the MODIFICATION that private respondent Suyen Corporation is ORDERED to pay petitioner Eleanor C. Magalang full backwages from the time of her illegal dismissal up to actual reinstatement, in order to make it consistent with the decision in CA-G.R. SP No. 75185 which had already attained finality.
1 Penned by Associate Justice Elvi John S. Asuncion (dismissed), with Associate Justices Godardo A. Jacinto and Lucas P. Bersamin, concurring; rollo, pp. 35-40.
26 Villaflores v. RAM System Services, Inc., G.R. No. 166136, August 18, 2006, 499 SCRA 353, 364; Javier v. Court of Appeals, 467 Phil. 404, 430 (2004).
27 Macawiag v. Balindong, G.R. No. 159210, September 20, 2006, 502 SCRA 454, 466.
28 Silliman University v. Nanila Fontelo-Paalan, G.R. No. 170948, June 26, 2007, 525 SCRA 759.

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