Acua vs CA (2006) G.R.

159832
MERCEDITA ACUA, MYRNA RAMONES, and JULIET MENDEZ, Petitioners, vs. HON. COURT OF APPEALS and JOIN
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION and/or ELIZABETH ALAON,Responents.
!acts"
Petitioners are !i#ipino overseas $or%ers ep#o&e '& private responent (oin )nternationa# Corporation (()C), a
#icense recruit*ent a+enc&, to its principa#, 3, Pre-Co#or P#astic, )nc., (3,) in .ai$an, Repu'#ic o/ C0ina,
uner a uni/or*#&-$ore e*p#o&*ent contract /or a perio o/ t$o &ears. Private responent 1#i2a'et0 A#aon
is t0e presient o/ (oin )nternationa# Corporation.
3o*eti*e in 3epte*'er 1999, petitioners /i#e $it0 private responents app#ications /or e*p#o&*ent a'roa.
A/ter t0eir papers $ere processe, petitioners c#ai*e t0e& si+ne a uni/or*#&-$ore e*p#o&*ent contract
$it0 private responents $0ic0 stipu#ate t0at t0e& $ere to $or% as *ac0ine operators $it0 a *ont0#& sa#ar& o/
4.515,860.00, e7c#usive o/ overti*e, /or a perio o/ t$o &ears.
8n ,ece*'er 9, 1999, t0e& #e/t /or .ai$an. 9pon arrivin+ at t0e :o' site, a /actor& o$ne '& 3,, t0e& $ere
*ae to si+n anot0er contract $0ic0 state t0at t0eir sa#ar& $as on#& 4.511,860.00. .0e& $ere in/or*e t0at
t0e or*itor& $0ic0 $ou# serve as t0eir #ivin+ ;uarters $as sti## uner construction. .0e& $ere re;ueste to
te*porari#& 'ear $it0 t0e inconvenience 'ut $ere assure t0at t0eir or*itor& $ou# 'e co*p#ete in a s0ort
ti*e. Petitioners a##e+e t0at t0e& $ere 'rou+0t to a <s*a## roo* $it0 a ce*ent /#oor so irt& an s*e##in+ $it0
/ou# oor<. !ort& $o*en $ere :a*pac%e in t0e roo* an eac0 person $as +iven a pi##o$. 3ince t0e #aies=
co*/ort roo* $as out o/ orer, t0e& 0a to as% per*ission to use t0e *en=s co*/ort roo*. Petitioners c#ai* t0e&
$ere *ae to $or% t$e#ve 0ours a a&, /ro* 8"00 p.*. to 8"00 a.*.
8n ,ece*'er 16, 1999, ue to un'eara'#e $or%in+ conitions, t0e& $ere constraine to in/or* *ana+e*ent t0at
t0e& $ere #eavin+. .0e& 'oo%e a /#i+0t 0o*e, at t0eir o$n e7pense. >e/ore t0e& #e/t, t0e& $ere *ae to si+n a
$ritten $aiver. )n aition, petitioners $ere not pai an& sa#ar& /or $or% renere on ,ece*'er 11-15, 1999.
)**eiate#& upon arriva# in t0e P0i#ippines, petitioners $ent to private responents= o//ice, narrate $0at
0appene, an e*ane t0e return o/ t0eir p#ace*ent /ees an p#ane /are. Private responents re/use.
8n ,ece*'er 28, 1999, private responents o//ere a sett#e*ent. Petitioner ?ene2 receive P15,080. .0e ne7t
a&, petitioners Acua an Ra*ones $ent 'ac% an receive P13,660 10 an P16,200, respective#&. .0e& c#ai*
t0e& si+ne a $aiver, ot0er$ise t0e& $ou# not 'e re/une.
8n (anuar& 16, 2000, petitioners Acua an ?ene2 invo%in+ Repu'#ic Act 4o. 8062 /i#e a co*p#aint /or
i##e+a# is*issa# an non-pa&*ent@unerpa&*ent o/ sa#aries or $a+es, overti*e pa&, re/un o/ transportation
/are, pa&*ent o/ sa#aries@$a+es /or 3 *ont0s, *ora# an e7e*p#ar& a*a+es, an re/un o/ p#ace*ent /ee 'e/ore
t0e 4ationa# Aa'or Re#ations Co**ission (4ARC).

)ssue" B0et0er or not petitioners $ere i##e+a##& is*isse uner Rep. Act 4o. 8062, t0us entit#in+ t0e* to
'ene/its p#us a*a+es.

Ce#" 4o i##e+a# is*issa#. Consr!"#$% d#s&#ssa' "o$%rs (% #n$o'!nar) r%s#*na#on r%sor%d o +(%n
"on#n!%d %&,'o)&%n -%"o&%s #&,oss#-'%, !nr%asona-'% or !n'#.%')/ +(%n (%r% #s a d%&o#on #n ran. or
a d#&#n!#on #n ,a)/ or +(%n a "'%ar d#s"r#&#na#on, #ns%ns#-#'#) or d#sda#n -) an %&,'o)%r -%"o&%s
!n-%ara-'% o an %&,'o)%%. Court /oun t0at petitioners i not en& t0at t0e acco**oations $ere not as
0o*e#& as e7pecte. Petitioners= a*itte t0at t0e& $ere to# '& t0e principa#, upon t0eir arriva#, t0at t0e
or*itor& $as sti## uner construction an $ere re;ueste to 'ear $it0 t0e te*porar& inconvenience an t0e
or*itor& $ou# soon 'e /inis0e. Petitioners i not re/ute private responents= assertion t0at t0e& 0a
ep#o&e appro7i*ate#& si7t& ot0er $or%ers to t0eir principa#, an to t0e 'est o/ t0eir %no$#e+e, no ot0er
$or%er assi+ne to t0e sa*e principa# 0as resi+ne, *uc0 #ess, /i#e a case /or i##e+a# is*issa#. .0ese cite
circu*stances o not re/#ect *a#ice '& private responents nor o t0e& s0o$ t0e principa#=s intention to su':ect
petitioners to un0ea#t0& acco**oations. 9ner t0ese /acts, $e cannot ru#e t0at t0ere $as constructive
is*issa#.
8verti*e pa& is +rante espite petitioners #ac% o/ proo/ t0at t0e& actua##& renere overti*e $or%, since t0eir
e*p#o&*ent recors $ere in t0e custo& o/ t0e principa# e*p#o&er. I #s a #&%0(onor%d r!'% (a #n
"onro$%rs#%s -%+%%n a +or.%r and (#s %&,'o)%r, do!-s r%asona-') ar#s#n* 1ro& (% %$#d%n"%, or #n (%
#n%r,r%a#on o1 a*r%%&%ns and +r##n* s(o!'d -% r%so'$%d #n (% +or.%r2s 1a$or. private responents are
so#iari#& #ia'#e $it0 t0e /orei+n principa# /or t0e overti*e pa& c#ai*s o/ petitioners.
8n t0e a$ar o/ *ora# an e7e*p#ar& a*a+es, $e 0o# t0at suc0 a$ar #ac%s #e+a# 'asis. Mora' and
%3%&,'ar) da&a*%s ar% r%"o$%ra-'% on') +(%r% (% d#s&#ssa' o1 an %&,'o)%% +as a%nd%d -) -ad 1a#( or
1ra!d, or "ons#!%d an a" o,,r%ss#$% o 'a-or, or +as don% #n a &ann%r "onrar) o &ora's, *ood
"!so&s or ,!-'#" ,o'#"). .0e person c#ai*in+ *ora# a*a+es *ust prove t0e e7istence o/ 'a /ait0 '& c#ear
an convincin+ evience, /or t0e #a$ a#$a&s presu*es +oo /ait0. Petitioners /ai#e to prove 'a /ait0, /rau or
i## *otive on t0e part o/ private responents. ?ora# a*a+es cannot 'e a$are.
Bit0out t0e a$ar o/ *ora# a*a+es, t0ere can 'e no a$ar o/ e7e*p#ar& a*a+es, nor attorne&=s /ees.
Duitc#ai*s are va#i. Duitc#ai*s e7ecute '& t0e e*p#o&ees are co**on#& /ro$ne upon as contrar& to pu'#ic
po#ic& an ine//ective to 'ar c#ai*s /or t0e /u## *easure o/ t0e $or%ers= #e+a# ri+0ts, consierin+ t0e econo*ic
isavanta+e o/ t0e e*p#o&ee an t0e inevita'#e pressure upon 0i* '& /inancia# necessit&. 4onet0e#ess, t0e so-
ca##e <econo*ic i//icu#ties an /inancia# crises< a##e+e#& con/rontin+ t0e e*p#o&ee is not an accepta'#e
+roun to annu# t0e co*pro*ise a+ree*ent un#ess it is acco*panie '& a +ross isparit& 'et$een t0e actua#
c#ai* an t0e a*ount o/ t0e sett#e*ent.
Recors revea# t0at petitioners $ere not in an& $a& eceive, coerce or inti*iate into si+nin+ a ;uitc#ai*
$aiver in t0e a*ounts o/ P13,660, P15,080 an P16,200 respective#&. 4or $as t0ere a isparit& 'et$een t0e
a*ount o/ t0e ;uitc#ai* an t0e a*ount actua##& ue t0e petitioners. A/ter conversion to P0i#ippine pesos, t0e
a*ount o/ t0e ;uitc#ai* pai to petitioners $as actua##& 0i+0er t0an t0e a*ount ue t0e*.
4HEREFORE, t0e petition is DISMISSED, $it0out pre:uice to t0e /i#in+ o/ i##e+a# recruit*ent co*p#aint a+ainst
t0e responents pursuant to 3ection 6(i) o/ .0e ?i+rant Bor%ers an 8verseas !i#ipino Act o/ 1995 (Rep. Act 4o.
8062).