Bisa ng non-compete clause

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Pebrero 11, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Nagbabalak akong lumipat ng trabaho dahil hindi ko na nakikitang uusad ang aking karera sa kanila. Ngunit nang balikan ko ang aking employment contract, napansin ko na mayroon palang nakasaad na non-compete clause. May bisa ba ang nasabing clause? – Jemmy

Dear Jemmy,

Ang iyong katanungan ay nasagot ng Kagalang-galang na Korte Suprema sa kasong Daisy B. Tiu vs. Platinum Plans Phil. Inc., G.R. No. 163512, 28 February 2007, sa panunulat ng Kagalang-galang na dating Associate Justice Leonardo A. Quisumbing, kung saan pinasyahan ang mga sumusunod:

“As early as 1916, we already had the occasion to discuss the validity of a non-involvement clause. In Ferrazzini v. Gsell, we said that such clause was unreasonable restraint of trade and therefore against public policy. In Ferrazzini, the employee was prohibited from engaging in any business or occupation in the Philippines for a period of five years after the termination of his employment contract and must first get the written permission of his employer if he were to do so. The Court ruled that while the stipulation was indeed limited as to time and space, it was not limited as to trade. Such prohibition, in effect, forces an employee to leave the Philippines to work should his employer refuse to give a written permission.

Conformably then with the aforementioned pronouncements, a non-involvement clause is not necessarily void for being in restraint of trade as long as there are reasonable limitations as to time, trade, and place.

In any event, Article 1306 of the Civil Code provides that parties to a contract may establish such stipulations, clauses, terms and conditions as they may deem convenient, provided they are not contrary to law, morals, good customs, public order, or public policy.

Article 1159 of the same Code also provides that obligations arising from contracts have the force of law between the contracting parties and should be complied with in good faith.

Not being contrary to public policy, the non-involvement clause, which petitioner and respondent freely agreed upon, has the force of law between them, and thus, should be complied with in good faith.”

Ayon sa nasabing kaso, ang non-compete o non-involvement clause ay hindi maituturing na walang bisa hangga’t may mga makatwirang limitasyon ito, partikular sa oras, kalakalan, at lugar.

Hindi salungat sa pampublikong patakaran ang non-involvement clause, na malayang napagkasunduan. Sa pagitan ng mga nagkasundong partido, ito ay may puwersa ng batas, at sa gayun ay dapat na sundin nang may mabuting loob.

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.