Facts:

• The case involves Tacloban Sagkahan Rice and Corn Mills, Co. v. National Labor Relations Commission.
• Petitioners: Tacloban Sagkahan Rice and Corn Mills Company and owner Tan Cheng Pian (Piana).
• Respondents: National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and five employees (Carlito Codilan, Maximo Docena, Teofilo Trangria, Eugenio Go, Reynaldo Tulin).
• On July 25, 1983, Tan Cheng Pian ordered the employees to stop working and seek other employment without providing justification.
• The employees had been with the company for periods ranging from 6 to 25 years.
• On August 23, 1983, the employees filed a complaint for illegal dismissal with the NLRC.
• The Executive Labor Arbiter ruled in favor of the employees on April 11, 1984, ordering the payment of separation pay.
• The NLRC affirmed this decision on December 28, 1984.
• The petitioners' appeal was dismissed, prompting a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the private respondents.
• The Court upheld the NLRC's decision that the employees were illegally dismissed and entitled to separation pay.
• The termination did not satisfy any just causes as defined in the Labor Code....(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The ruling was grounded in the Labor Code, particularly Articles 280, 282, and 283.
• The private respondents were classified as regular employees due to their long service and essential roles within the company.
• There was no evidence to suggest that the company had ceased operations or encountered financial difficulties that would justify the dismissals.
• The assertion that the employees were seasonal workers was rejected; milling operations were continu...continue reading