Ricardo Fernandez vs. NLRC and DM Consunji, Inc.

(1994, Nocon)
FACT! Fernandez was hired by DM Consunji (November 1974). He wored !or "he
#a""er un"i# Mar$h 19%&' when his em(#oymen" was "ermina"ed on "he )round "ha"
"he (roje$" "o whi$h he was assi)ned was a#ready $om(#e"ed. He "hus *#ed a
$om(#ain" !or i##e)a# dismissa# wi"h "he +abor ,rbi"er.
-he +abor ,rbi"er (May 19..) !ound "ha" Fernandez wored $on"inuous#y in various
(roje$"s ran)in) !rom / "o 01 years and be#on)ed "o a wor(oo# (i.e. his dismissa#
was i##e)a#). DM Consunji a((ea#ed' on "he )round "ha" Fernandez was a (roje$"
em(#oyee hired on a (roje$"2"o2(roje$" basis' de(endin) on "he avai#abi#i"y o!
(roje$"s. 3" (oin"ed "o "he )a(s in Fernandez4 em(#oymen" his"ory "o show "ha" he
was hired on an 5o62and2on7 basis.
-he N+8C (9e("ember 19.9)' in view o! (1) #a$ o! eviden$e "o (rove "he $on"inuous
em(#oymen" o! Fernandez' and (0) "he in"ermi""en" na"ure o! "heir wor as shown by
(roje$" $on"ra$"s' ru#ed "ha" Fernandez was a (roje$" em(#oyee. Fernandez
in"er(osed a MF8 whi$h was denied !or #a$ o! meri" (:u#y 1991). -he N+8C a#so
no"ed "ha" "he MF8 was *#ed on#y on :anuary 09' 1991' whi$h was beyond "he 11d
re)#emen"ary (eriod !rom da"e o! re$ei(" o! de$ision (November 1%' 19.9).
;i"hou" men"ionin) "he denia# o! "he MF8' 8i$ardo Fernandez *#ed a (e"i"ion be!ore
"he 9C' assai#in) "he N+8C De$ision' ar)uin) "ha" i" is more in ee(in) wi"h "he
in"en" and s(iri" o! "he #aw "o $onsider him as re)u#ar em(#oyees.
I"#! ;<N "he N+8C a$"ed wi"h =,D in reversin) "he +abor ,rbi"er4s de$ision by
dismissin) "he $om(#ain" !or i##e)a# dismissa# on "he *ndin) "ha" "hey were (roje$"
em(#oyees. N$.
R"LIN%!
>?ro$edura#@ -he yards"i$ "o measure "he "ime#iness o! a (e"i"ion !or $er"iorari is
"he reasonab#eness o! "he dura"ion o! "ime "ha" had eA(ired !rom "he $ommission o!
"he a$"s $om(#ained o! u( "o "he ins"i"u"ion o! "he (ro$eedin)s "o annu# "he same.
Here' Fernandez4 ne)#i)en$e or indi6eren$e !or su$h a #on) (eriod o! "ime
(November 1%' 19.9 2 re$ei(" o! De$isionB ,)usu" 0' 1991 2 re$ei(" o! denia# o! MF8B
:u#y 01' 1990 2 *#in) o! (e"i"ion !or $er"iorari) has in "he mean"ime rendered "he
Cues"ioned de$ision *na# and no #on)er assai#ab#e.
>9ubs"an"ive@ DM Consunji (resen"ed ma"eria# do$umen"s ($overin) November /'
1974 2 Mar$h 0%' 19.&) showin) "ha" Fernandez was hired as a (roje$" em(#oyee
wi"h "he s(e$i*$ da"es o! hirin)' dura"ion o! hirin)' da"es o! his #ay2o6s' and "he
"ermina"ion re(or"s submi""ed "o "he Minis"er o! +abor. 9u$h do$umen"s $#ear#y
showed )a(s o! mon"h<s be"ween "he hirin) o! Fernandez in numerous (roje$"s
where he was assi)ned. -hus' he is )overned by Policy Instruction No. 20:
?roje$" em(#oyees are "hose em(#oyed in $onne$"ion wi"h a
(ar"i$u#ar $ons"ru$"ion (roje$". -hey are no" en"i"#ed "o "ermina"ion (ay
i! "hey are "ermina"ed as a resu#" o! "he $om(#e"ion o! "he (roje$" or
any (hase "hereo! in whi$h "hey are em(#oyed' re)ard#ess o! "he
number o! (roje$"s in whi$h "hey have been em(#oyed by a (ar"i$u#ar
$ons"ru$"ion $om(any.
-he (roviso in "he se$ond (ar. o! ,r". 0.1 (+C) (refer to your codal) deems as re)u#ar
em(#oyees on#y "hose $asua# em(#oyees who have rendered a" #eas" one year o!
servi$e re)ard#ess o! "he !a$" "ha" su$h servi$e may be $on"inuous or broen. 3" is
ND- a((#i$ab#e "o (roje$" em(#oyees who are s(e$i*$a##y eAem(" "here!rom.
(Mercado vs. NLRC)E
=8E DF$e o! a (roviso is "o Cua#i!y or modi!y on#y "he (hrase
immedia"e#y (re$edin) i" or res"rain or #imi" "he )enera#i"y o! "he
$#ause "ha" i" immedia"e#y !o##ows. , (roviso is "o be $ons"rued wi"h
re!eren$e "o "he immedia"e#y (re$edin) (ar" o! "he (rovision "o whi$h i"
is a""a$hed' and no" "o "he s"a"u"e i"se#! or "o o"her se$"ions "hereo!.
GHCE ;here "he $#ear #e)is#a"ive in"en" is "o res"rain or Cua#i!y no" on#y
"he (hrase immedia"e#y (re$edin) i" ("he (roviso) bu" a#so ear#ier
(rovisions o! "he s"a"u"e or even "he s"a"u"e i"se#! as a who#e.
, $are!u# readin) o! "he (roviso dis$#oses "ha" "he same re#a"es "o em(#oymen"
where "he em(#oyee is en)a)ed "o (er!orm a$"ivi"ies "ha" are usua##y ne$essary or
desirab#e in "he usua# business or "rade o! "he em(#oyer bu" has"ens "o Cua#i!y "ha"
(roje$" em(#oymen" is s(e$i*$a##y eAem("ed "here!rom.
-he N+8C $orre$"#y observed "ha" Fernandez !ai#ed "o $onsider "he reCuiremen" in
?o#i$y 3ns"ru$"ion No. 01 "ha" "o Cua#i!y as a member o! a wor (oo#' "he worer
mus" s"i## be $onsidered an em(#oyee o! "he $ons"ru$"ion $om(any whi#e in "he wor
(oo#. -here mus" be (roo! "o "he e6e$" "ha" Fernandez was under an ob#i)a"ion "o be
a#ways avai#ab#e on $a## o! DM Consunji and "ha" he was no" !ree "o o6er his servi$es
"o o"her em(#oyers. However' Fernandez !ai#ed "o in"rodu$e su$h eviden$e durin)
"he "imes when "here were no (roje$"s.
+as"#y' Fernandez4 #ayo6 and "he "ermina"ion re(or"s were du#y submi""ed "o "he
Minis"er o! +abor in a$$ordan$e wi"h ?o#i$y 3ns"ru$"ion No. 01E
Moreover' "he $om(any is no" reCuired "o ob"ain a $#earan$e
!rom "he 9e$re"ary o! +abor in $onne$"ion wi"h su$h "ermina"ion. ;ha"
is reCuired o! "he $om(any is a re(or" "o "he neares" ?ub#i$
Gm(#oymen" DF$e !or s"a"is"i$a# (ur(oses.
3n o"her $ases' i" was uni!orm#y he#d "ha" "he !ai#ure o! "he em(#oyer "o re(or" "o "he
neares" em(#oymen" oF$e "he "ermina"ion o! worers every"ime a (roje$" is
$om(#e"ed (roves "ha" "he em(#oyees are no" (roje$" em(#oyees. Con"rariwise' "he
!ai"h!u# and re)u#ar e6or" o! DM Consunji in re(or"in) every $om(#e"ion o! i"s (roje$"
and submi""in) "he #ay2o6 #is" o! i"s em(#oyees (roves "he na"ure o! em(#oymen" o!
"he worers invo#ved "herein as (roje$" em(#oyees. -hus' i" is $#ear "ha" Fernandez
does no" be#on) "o "he wor(oo# !rom whi$h DM Consunji wou#d draw worers !or
assi)nmen" "o o"her (roje$"s a" i"s dis$re"ion.