G.R. No. 78997 - Reyes vs. National Labor Relations Commission

The National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) exhibited grave abuse of discretion by ignoring evidence indicating that the petitioner’s resignation was involuntary.
The resignation was coerced by the employer, who promised the petitioner priority for re-employment and immediate payment of her two months' vacation pay, which she urgently needed due to illness.
The petitioner’s resignation letter explicitly stated her conditions for resigning, including the expectation of being prioritized for re-employment and the urgent need for her vacation pay.

The school unlawfully denied the petitioner’s application for an indefinite leave of absence due to illness resulting from childbirth.
Article 133(b) of the Labor Code mandates that maternity leave should be extended without pay for illnesses arising from pregnancy or childbirth, unless the employee has unused leave credits.
The school’s actions to force the petitioner to resign instead of granting her leave were unjustifiable and contrary to labor laws.

The school attempted to absolve itself from its promise to re-hire the petitioner by having her husband sign an unconditional resignation letter on her behalf.
This letter is not binding on the petitioner as there is no evidence of her authorization for her husband to sign it, nor did it waive her rights to re-employment or separation pay.
The lack of authorization undermines the validity of the resignation and the school’s attempt to escape its obligations.

The school’s refusal to re-employ the petitioner, despite its prior promise, constituted illegal dismissal.
The petitioner is entitled to reinstatement along with three years of backwages, as established in relevant case law.
The NLRC’s dismissal of the petitioner’s claims was erroneous, as it failed to recognize the nature of her resignation and the school’s obligations.