Case Digest (G.R. No. 120180)
Facts:
- The case involves Spouses Annabelle and Linell Villaruel as petitioners and Narciso Guarino as the respondent.
- Guarino was employed as a master baker at Ideal Bakery, owned by the petitioners, starting June 15, 1988, with a daily wage of P40.00.
- His work schedule included long hours, from 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. and again from 11:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. the next day.
- On April 11, 1991, after requesting a wage increase, Guarino was told not to report for work.
- Guarino filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment on September 3, 1991, seeking various wage claims and later amended it to include illegal dismissal.
- The petitioners argued that Guarino was a partner, not an employee, and claimed he abandoned his job.
- Labor Arbiter Dennis D. Juanon dismissed Guarino's complaint on May 11, 1994, stating no employer-employee relationship existed.
- Guarino appealed, and the NLRC reversed the decision on December 9, 1994, ruling his dismissal was without just cause.
- The petitioners' motion for reconsideration was denied on February 9, 1995, leading them to file a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court affirmed the NLRC's finding that Guarino was a regular employee of the petitioners.
- The Court upheld the NLRC's conclusion that Guarino did not abandon his job and was illegally dismissed.
- The Court conf...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court found substantial evidence supporting the NLRC's determination of an employer-employee relationship, including Guarino's consistent claims and the absence of documentary evidence from the petitioners.
- The Labor Arbiter's conclusion of a partnership was based solely on the petitioners' self-serving testimony, lacking corroborating evidence like a partnership agreement.
- The NLRC's findings were credible, especially given the petitioners' failure to provide evidence supporting ...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 120180)
Facts:
The case involves the Spouses Annabelle and Linell Villaruel as petitioners and Narciso Guarino as the respondent. The events leading to the case began on June 15, 1988, when Guarino was employed as a master baker at the petitioners' bakery, known as Ideal Bakery, with a daily wage of P40.00. His work schedule included long hours, from 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. and again from 11:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. the following day. On April 11, 1991, Guarino was informed by the petitioners that he should no longer report for work after he requested a ten-peso increase in his daily wage. Subsequently, on September 3, 1991, Guarino filed a complaint with the Regional Office No. VI of the Department of Labor and Employment, seeking recovery of wages, night shift differential, overtime pay, 13th month pay, and later amended his complaint to include claims for illegal dismissal, reinstatement or separation pay, back wages, service incentive leave, and damages.
In their defense, the petitioners contended that Guarino was not an employee but rather a partner in the bakery, sharing profits equally. They also claimed that Guarino had abandoned his work by not returning from vacation and had taken a job at another bakery. On May 11, 1994, Labor Arbiter Dennis D. Juanon dismissed Guarino's complaint, ruling that no employer-employee relationship existed and that Guarino's claims were unfounded. Guarino appealed this decision to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), which reversed the Labor Arbiter's ruling on December 9, 1994, declaring Guarino's dismissal as without just cause and due process. The NLRC ordered the petitioners to pay Guar...