G.R. No. L-18026




Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. L-18026 May 30, 1962 SAN FELIPE IRON MINES, INC., petitioner-appellant, vs. JOSE A. NALDO, as Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor, ATANASIO A. NARDO, as Hearing Officer of the Department of Labor, THE SHERIFF OF THE CITY OF MANILA, TEOPILO P. PAANO, PABLO VALDEZ, ET AL., respondents-appellees. Roxas and Sarmiento for petitioner-appellant. N. A. Calupitan and R. T. Cabal for respondents-appellees. REYES, J.B.L., J.: On February 6, 1958, Teofilo P. Paano, et al., filed a complaint in the Department of Labor, Regional Office No. 3, Manila, for the recovery of overtime pay, separation pay, and attorney's fees against the San Felipe Iron Mines, Inc. (RO3-LS Case No. 1075). After trial, the hearing officer before whom the case was tried rendered judgment on June 30, 1959 for all the claimants, with the exception of those who failed to appear at the hearing and to introduce evidence in their behalf. On October 10, 1960, the Regional Administrator issued a writ for the execution of the judgment, commanding the Sheriff of Manila to execute the same under authority of Section 12, Article III, and par. XX (C), Article IV, of Reorganization Plan No. 20-A, issued in accordance with R.A. No. 997, as amended by R. A. No. 1241.1äwphï1.ñët Contending that the Department of Labor, Regional Office No. 3, Manila, has no authority to hear and decide the subject-matter of RO3-LS Case No. 1075, as well as to issue a writ of execution to enforce its award therein, because Reorganization Plan No. 20-A is unconstitutional and void, the San Felipe Iron Mines, Inc. filed on October 28, 1960, a petition in the Court of First Instance of Manila (C.C. No. 44582), praying for the annulment of the award and writ of execution in said case and for a permanent order enjoining the Sheriff of Manila from enforcing said award and writ of execution. On December 19, 1960, the trial court rendered judgment sustaining the validity of Reorganization Plan No. 20-A and dismissing the petition for injunction. The petitioner San Felipe Iron Mines, Inc. moved for reconsideration, which was denied. Whereupon, said company appealed to this Court. It has already been settled in a long line of cases decided by this Court¹ that Reorganization Plan No. 20-A, in so far as it confers judicial power upon the regional offices of the Department of Labor over money claims of laborers other than those falling under the Workmen's Compensation Act, is null and void and of no effect whatsoever, it not having been the intention of Congress in enacting Republic Act No. 997 to deprive the courts of jurisdiction over money claims and transfer them to the regional offices of the Department of Labor. For this reason, the appealed judgment is erroneous, and the decision of June 30, 1959 and writ of execution of October 10, 1960 of Regional Office No. 3, Department of Labor, are both illegal and void. WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered reversing the decision appealed from, and another one entered declaring the decision and writ of execution in RO3-LS Case No. 1075 of Regional Office No. 3 of the Department of Labor null and void and permanently enjoining the Sheriff of Manila from enforcing said decision and writ of execution. No costs. Padilla, Bautista Angelo, Labrador, Concepcion, Barrera, Paredes and Dizon, JJ., concur. Footnotes ¹Equitable Banking Corp. v. Regional Office 3, L-14442, June 30, 1961; Corominas, Jr., et al. v. Labor Comm., L-14837, and companion cases, June 30, 1961; Sebastian v. Gerardo, L-1549, June 30, 1961; Miller v. Mardo, L-15138, July 31, 1961; Philippine Tobacco Fluecuring Corp. v. Sabugo, L-16017, Aug. 31, 1961; Tan v. De Leon, L-15254, Sept. 16, 1961; La Mallorca v. Ramos, L-15476, Sept. 19, 1961; Gagalawan v. Canteen, L-16031, Oct. 31, 1961; Tiberio v. Manila Pilots Assn., L-17661, Dec. 28, x1961; among other cases. The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation