Case Digest (G.R. No. 103638)
Case Digest (G.R. No. 103638)
Facts:
First Intramuros BF Condominium Corporation and Maxy Abad v. National Labor Relations Commission and Nancy Dingayan Quimpo, G.R. No. 103638, April 14, 1994, Supreme Court Third Division, Vitug, J., writing for the Court.Petitioner corporation (with Maxy Abad joined as co-petitioner in the caption) sought certiorari to annul the National Labor Relations Commission’s (NLRC) resolutions of 24 September 1991 and 27 December 1991 which had affirmed Labor Arbiter Manuel P. Asuncion’s decision of 20 June 1990 in favor of private respondent Nancy Dingayan Quimpo. Quimpo had been employed by First Intramuros BF Condominium Corporation beginning 1 February 1980 and received a series of promotions and salary increases up to General Manager; a later alleged reversion of her salary and the computation of her 13th month pay prompted her complaint for underpayment, withholding of salary and diminution of 13th month pay.
The Labor Arbiter on 20 June 1990 ordered respondents to pay Quimpo (1) full salary at P22,311.24 per month from December 1988 with legal interest; (2) 13th month pay for 1987 in the amount of P6,200.00; (3) moral and exemplary damages of P250,000.00; and (4) attorney’s fees equivalent to ten percent of the benefits awarded. The NLRC affirmed that decision on 24 September 1991 and denied reconsideration on 27 December 1991. Petitioners filed a petition for certiorari with this Court (petition dated 27 January 1992, filed 7 February 1992) and sought a temporary restraining order; the Court initially issued a TRO on 2 March 1992 conditioned on a bond, later lifted on 22 July 1992 for failure to post a subsequent bond. The petition was given due course on 23 September 1992 and the parties were directed to file memoranda.
While the petition was pending before the Court, the parties filed a “Joint Motion to Render Decision Based on the Compromise Agreement” on 15 February 1994, reporting a compromise agreement dated 28–29 January 1994 which settled two pending labor cases (one identified as G.R. No. 103638 and the other in the compromise as G.R. No. 108830) by payment of P1,200,000.00 under a specified payment schedule, with a general waiver of claims and a provision that the amount shall constitute full settlement for backwages, separation pay, damages and attorney’s fees. The Supreme Court approved the compromise and rendered the resolution reproduced below.
Issues:
- Did the NLRC act without or beyond its jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion, when it sustained the Labor Arbiter’s finding that private respondent’s salary increases were valid?
- Did the NLRC act without or beyond its jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion, when it sustained the award of moral damages to private respondent?
- Did the NLRC act without or beyond its jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion, when it sustained the award of attorney’s fees to private respondent?
- May the Supreme Court adopt and render judgment based on the parties’ compromise agreement, thereby terminating the petition?
Ruling:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Ratio:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Doctrine:
- (Subscriber-Only)