Separation pay sa nalugi at nagsarang kumpanya

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | July 10, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Nawalan ako ng trabaho nang magsara ang kumpanyang pinapasukan ko dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi. Alam ko na ang kumpanya ay nakaranas ng matinding pagkalugi dahil ang aking trabaho ay pamamahala ng kanilang mga pananalapi. May karapatan ba ako sa separation benefits sa kabila ng pagsasara ng kumpanya dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi? -Madeline

Dear Madeline,

Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay matatagpuan sa pinagsamang kasong “Sangwoo Philippines, Inc., et. al. vs. Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. Employee Union – OLALIA, represented by Porferia Salibongcogon” at “Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. Employee Union – OLALIA, represented by Porferia Salibongcogon vs. Sangwoo Philippines, Inc., et. al.” (G.R. No. 173154, 9 December 2013), na isinulat ni Kagalang-galang na dating Kasamahang Mahistrado Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe ng ating Kagalang-galang na Korte Suprema, kung saan nakasaad ang mga sumusunod:

“Closure of business is the reversal of fortune of the employer whereby there is a complete cessation of business operations and/or an actual locking-up of the doors of establishment, usually due to financial losses. Closure of business, as an authorized cause for termination of employment, aims to prevent further financial drain upon an employer who cannot pay anymore his employees since business has already stopped. In such a case, the employer is generally required to give separation benefits to its employees, unless the closure is due to serious business losses.

The Constitution, while affording full protection to labor, nonetheless, recognizes “the right of enterprises to reasonable returns on investments, and to expansion and growth.” In line with this protection afforded to business by the fundamental law, Article [297] of the Labor Code clearly makes a policy distinction. It is only in instances of “retrenchment to prevent losses and in cases of closures or cessation of operations of establishment or undertaking not due to serious business losses or financial reverses” that employees whose employment has been terminated as a result are entitled to separation pay. In other words, Article [297] of the Labor Code does not obligate an employer to pay separation benefits when the closure is due to serious losses. To require an employer to be generous when it is no longer in a position to do so, in our view, would be unduly oppressive, unjust, and unfair to the employer. Ours is a system of laws, and the law in protecting the rights of the working man, authorizes neither the oppression nor the self-destruction of the employer”.

Batay sa nabanggit na desisyon, ang pag-utos sa employer na maging mapagbigay kapag wala na ito sa kalagayan na gawin ito ay magiging labis na mapang-api, hindi makatarungan, at hindi patas sa employer. Alinsunod dito, wala kang karapatan sa separation benefits dahil hindi inoobliga ng batas ang kumpanya na bayaran ito kapag ang pagsasara ay dahil sa malubhang pagkalugi tulad ng iyong sitwasyon.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.

Pagtatama sa ginawang pag-aampon na ‘di dumaan sa legal na proseso

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | July 9, 2023

Hindi lingid sa ating kaalaman na mayroong mga taong mabubuti ang loob na nag-aampon ng bata na itinuturing nilang anak at itinatala bilang kanilang anak sa Civil Registry na hindi dumaan sa legal na proseso ng “adoption” o pag-aampon. Isa sa malimit na ginagawa ay ang tinatawag na “simulation of birth.”

Ang simulation of birth ay pagkukunwaring ariing anak ang isang bata at pagtala rito bilang sariling anak sa sertipikasyon ng kapanganakan (birth certificate), kahit na ang nasabing bata ay hindi nanggaling sa kanyang sinapupunan at ito ay anak ng ibang tao.

Ang simulation of birth ay isang uri ng krimen sa ilalim ng Act No. 3815 o mas kilala sa tawag na Revised Penal Code (RPC) kung saan nakasaad ang mga sumusunod:

Article 347. Simulation of births, substitution of one child for another and concealment or abandonment of a legitimate child. - The simulation of births and the substitution of one child for another shall be punished by prision mayor and a fine of not exceeding 1,000 pesos.

Any physician or surgeon or public officer who, in violation of the duties of his profession or office, shall cooperate in the execution of any of the crimes mentioned in the two next preceding paragraphs, shall suffer the penalties therein prescribed and also the penalty of temporary special disqualification.

Subalit kalaunan ay ipinasa ang Republic Act No. 11222 na pinamagatang “Simulated Birth Rectification Act,” upang maitama ang pagkakamaling nagawa, at ang mga taong nagsagawa nito at iba pang may kinalaman sa simulation of birth ay hindi na makasuhan pa ng administratibo, sibil o kriminal.

Ayon sa Section 2 ng batas, ang mga layunin nito ay ang mga sumusunod:

a. To grant amnesty and allow the rectification of the simulated birth of a child where the simulation was made for the best interest of the child, and that such child has been consistently considered and treated by the person or persons who simulated such birth as her, his, or their own daughter or son;

b. To fix the status and filiation of a child whose birth was simulated by giving such child all the benefits of adoption and ensuring that the child shall be entitled to all the rights provided by law to legally adopted children, without any discrimination of any kind, as well as to love, guidance, and support from the child’s adoptive family;

c. To exempt from criminal, civil, and administrative liability those who simulated the birth record of a child prior to the effectivity of this Act: Provided, that a petition for adoption with an application for the rectification of the simulated birth record is filed within ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act;

d. To provide for and allow a simpler and less costly administrative adoption proceeding where the child has been living with the person or persons who simulated her or his birth record for at least three (3) years before the effectivity of this Act;

e. To educate and inform the public about the rectification of simulated births, and to encourage people to avail of the benefits of this Act.

Makikita sa mga nabanggit na probisyon na binibigyan ng estado ng pagkakataon ang mga taong nagsagawa ng simulation of birth upang maitama ang kanilang kamaliang nagawa kung ang nasabing simulation ay para sa pinakamabuting interes ng bata at ang huli ay itinuring ng taong nagsagawa ng simulation bilang kanyang sariling anak. Kinakailangan lamang na sila ay maghain ng isang “petition for adoption with an application for the rectification of the simulated birth record” sa loob ng 10 taon mula nang naging epektibo ang batas. (Section 4)

Ang petisyon ay maaaring ihain kapag ang bata ay may 3 taon nang nakatira sa poder ng taong nagsagawa ng simulation of birth bago naging epektibo ang batas na ito at mayroong “Certificate Declaring the Child Legally Available for Adoption” (CDCLAA) na inilabas ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). (Section 5)

Ang CDCLAA ay hindi na kailangan kung ang aampunin ay nasa tamang edad na o kung siya ay kamag-anak ng mag-aampon sa loob ng 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity. (Section 9)

Ang nasabing petition ay nararapat na umayon sa mga sumusunod na patakaran:

Section 9. Petition. - The petition for adoption with an application for rectification of simulated birth record shall be in the form of an affidavit and shall be subscribed and sworn to by the petitioner or petitioners before any person authorized by law to administer affirmations and oaths. It shall state the facts necessary to establish the merits of the petition, and the circumstances surrounding the simulation of the birth of the child. The petition shall be supported by the following:

(a) A copy of simulated birth or foundling certificate of the child;

(b) Affidavit of admission if the simulation of birth was done by a third person;

(c) Certification issued and signed by the punong barangay attesting that the petitioner or petitioners is a resident or are residents of the barangay, and that the child has been living with the petitioner or petitioners for at least three (3) years prior to the effectivity of this Act;

(d) Affidavits of at least two (2) disinterested persons, who reside in the same barangay where the child resides, attesting that the child has been living with the petitioner for at least three (3) years prior to the effectivity of this Act;

(e) CDCLAA issued by the DSWD;

(f) Photographs of the child and the petitioner or petitioners taken within the last three (3) months prior to the filing of the petition.

P5M multa at 2 Yrs. kulong sa nagpalsipika ng pagpaparehistro ng foundling

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | July 8, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Mayroon bang maikakaso sa isang tao na posibleng nagdoktor o nagpalsipika ng dokumento kaugnay sa pagpaparehistro ng isang bata bilang “foundling”? Mayroon kasing nakapagsabi sa kakilala ko na naparehistro diumano ang nawala niyang anak bilang isang “foundling”. Ang alam ko ay inaasikaso na ng kakilala ko ang paghahain ng reklamong kidnapping o serious illegal detention sa kumuha sa kanyang anak, ngunit ang nais niyang malaman ngayon ay kung mayroon din ba siyang maikakaso sa taong posibleng nagdoktor sa anumang dokumento na mayroong kaugnayan sa pagpaparehistro sa kanyang anak bilang “foundling”. Sana ay makapagbigay kayo ng payo sa akin. - Mario

Dear Mario,

Mayroon tayong partikular na batas na sumasaklaw sa pagkilala at pagbibigay ng proteksyon sa mga tao na kinokonsidera bilang mga “foundlings” o mga inabandonang bata na walang pagkakakilanlan ang mga magulang o impormasyon ng kapanganakan.

Ito ay ang Republic Act (R.A) No. 11767, o mas kilala bilang “Foundling Recognition and Protection Act.” Layunin ng R.A. No. 11767 na masiguro na maibibigay ang angkop na proteksyon sa pamamagitan ng masikap at maagap na pagsisiyasat at pangangalap ng impormasyon ukol sa mga bata na inabandona o pinabayaan ng kanilang mga magulang upang mabawasan o maiwasan ang pagkawala ng kanilang estado o “statelessness”. (Section 2, id)

Alinsunod sa Section 13 ng R.A. No. 11767, maaaring magsampa ng reklamo sa sinumang sangkot sa pagpalsipika ng dokumento na mayroong kaugnayan sa pagpaparehistro ng isang foundling. Mayroong higit na mabigat na kaparusahang pagkakakulong at multa sa sinumang sangkot sa palsipikasyon na mayroong kaugnayan sa kidnapping o trafficking in persons. Batay sa Section 17 ng naturang batas:

“Section 17. Penalties. - The following penalties shall be imposed:

a. The penalty of imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than six (6) years shall be imposed on any person who falsifies or is involved in the falsification of the registration of the supposed foundling, including the documents required therefor: Provided, That a public officer found to have been involved in such act of falsification shall be punished by the penalty next higher in degree;

1. Without prejudice to criminal liability under other laws, a fine ranging from One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) to Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than three (3) months but not more than two (2) years, or both, shall be imposed on any person who falsifies or is involved in the falsification of the registration of the supposed foundling, including the documents required therefor, to facilitate the crime of kidnapping or trafficking in persons: Provided, That a public officer found to have been involved in such act of falsification shall be punished by the penalty next higher in degree and shall perpetually disqualified from office.

The penalties under this section are without prejudice to other liabilities arising from existing civil, administrative and criminal laws for the same act or violation.”

Para sa karagdagang legal na payo, maaaring sumangguni ang iyong kakilala sa PAO District Office ng lugar kung saan siya nakatira. Mangyaring dalhin ang lahat ng mga dokumento na mayroong kaugnayan sa kanyang nabanggit na suliranin upang mapag-aralan ang angkop na legal na hakbang na maaari niyang gawin.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.