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WATEROUSDRUGVS. NLRC

[280 SCRA 735 ; G.R.NO. 113271; 16 OCT1997]

Facts:

Catolico was hi!" as a #ha$acist %& #!titio'! (at!o)s *)+ Co#oatio'. Catolico !c!i,!" a$!$oa'")$ -o$ (ATRO/S ic! !si"!'tG!'!al a'a+! $$a R. Co wa'i'+ h! 'ot to"is#!'s! $!"ici'! to !$#lo&!!s cha+!a%l! to th! latt!4s acco)'ts %!ca)s! th! sa$! was a #ohi%it!"#actic!. O' th! sa$! "at! Co iss)!" a'oth! $!$oa'")$ to Catolico wa'i'+ h! 'ot to '!+otiat!with s)##li!s o- $!"ici'! witho)t co's)lti'+ th! )chasi'+ *!#at$!'t as this wo)l" i$#ai th!co$#a'&4s co'tol o- #)chas!s a'" %!si"!s sh! was 'ot a)thoi!" to "!al "i!ctl& with th! s)##li!s.

As !+a"s th! -ist $!$oa'")$ Catolico "i" 'ot "!'& h! !s#o'si%ilit& %)t !#lai'!" that h! act was")! to '!+li+!'c! si'c! -!llow !$#lo&!! !'! Soli,!' o%tai'!" th! $!"ici'!s i' %a" -aith a'" tho)+h$is!#!s!'tatio' wh!' sh! clai$!" that sh! was +i,!' a cha+! sli# %& th! A"$itti'+ *!#t. Catolicoth!' as:!" th! co$#a'& to loo: i'to th! -a)")l!'t acti,iti!s o- Soli,!'.

' a $!$oa'")$ (ATRO/S S)#!,iso ),i$i'"a . othwith i' h! $!$oa'")$ Co as:!" Catolico to !#lai' withi' tw!'t&-o) ho)s h! si"! o- th!!#ot!" i!+)lait&. Catolico as:!" -o a""itio'al ti$! to +i,! h! !#la'atio' a'" sh! was +a't!" a ?8ho) !t!'sio' -o$ 1 to 3 >!%)a& 1990. @ow!,! o' 2 >!%)a& 1990 sh! was i'-o$!" that !--!cti,!6 >!%)a& 1990 to 7 ach 1990 sh! wo)l" %! #lac!" o' #!,!'ti,! s)s#!'sio' to #ot!ct th! i't!!stso- th! co$#a'&.

' a l!tt! Catolico !)!st!" acc!ss to th! -il! co'tai'i'+ Sal!s ',oic! No. 266 -o h! to %! a%l! to$a:! a satis-acto& !#la'atio'. ' sai" l!tt! sh! #ot!st!" Sal"aBa4s i',asio' o- h! #i,ac& wh!'Sal"aBa o#!'!" a' !',!lo#! a""!ss!" to Catolico.

' a l!tt! to Co "at!" 10 >!%)a& 1990 Catolico tho)+h h! co)'s!l !#lai'!" that th! ch!c: sh!!c!i,!" -o$ =S was a Chist$as +i-t a'" 'ot a !-)'" o- o,!#ic!. Sh! also a,!!" that th!#!,!'ti,! s)s#!'sio' was ill$oti,at!" as it s#a'+ -o$ a' !ali! i'ci"!'t %!tw!!' h! a'" Co4s

s!c!ta& !'! Soli,!'.

O' 5 ach 1990 (ATRO/S S)#!,iso ),i$i'"a

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(ith th! s$o:i'+ +)' !,i"!'c! o- !s#o'"!'ts %!i'+ !'"!!" i'a"$issi%l! %& ,it)! o-th! co'stit)tio'al i+ht i',o:!" %& co$#lai'a'ts !s#o'"!'ts4 cas! -alls a#at as it is%!!-t o- !,i"!'c! which ca''ot %! )s!" as a l!+al %asis -o co$#lai'a't4s "is$issal.

Th! NRC th!' "is$iss!" th! a##!al -o lac: o- $!it %)t $o"i-i!" th! "is#ositi,! #otio' o- th!a##!al!" "!cisio' %& "!l!ti'+ th! awa" -o ill!+al s)s#!'sio' as th! sa$! was al!a"& i'cl)"!" i' th!co$#)tatio' o- th! a++!+at! o- th! awa"s i' th! a$o)'t o- 35?01.86.

Issue:

(h!th! o Not th! "is$issal o- th! #i,at! !s#o'"!'t is i' ,iolatio' o- th! Co'stit)tio' )'"! th!

Catolico was "!'i!" ")! #oc!ss. oc!")al ")! #oc!ss !)i!s that a' !$#lo&!! %! a##is!" o- th!cha+! a+ai'st hi$ +i,!' !aso'a%l! ti$! to a'sw! th! cha+! allow!" a$#l! o##ot)'it& to %! h!a"a'" "!-!'" hi$s!l- a'" assist!" %& a !#!s!'tati,! i- th! !$#lo&!! so "!si!s. A$#l! o##ot)'it&

co''ot!s !,!& :i'" o- assista'c! that $a'a+!$!'t $)st acco" th! !$#lo&!! to !'a%l! hi$ to #!#a!a"!)at!l& -o his "!-!'s! i'cl)"i'+ l!+al !#!s!'tatio'. ' th! cas! at %a altho)+h Catolico was +i,!'a' o##ot)'it& to !#lai' h! si"! sh! was "is$iss!" -o$ th! s!,ic! i' th! $!$oa'")$ o- 5 ach1990 iss)!" %& h! S)#!,iso a-t! !c!i#t o- h! l!tt! a'" that o- h! co)'s!l. No h!ai'+ was !,!co'")ct!" a-t! th! iss)!s w!! oi'!" tho)+h sai" l!tt!s.

Catolico was also )')stl& "is$iss!". t is s!ttl!" that th! %)"!' is o' th! !$#lo&! to #o,! )st a'",ali" ca)s! -o "is$issi'+ a' !$#lo&!! a'" its -ail)! to "ischa+! that %)"!' wo)l" !s)lt i' a -i'"i'+that th! "is$issal is )')sti-i!". t cl!al& a##!as th!' that Catolico4s "is$issal was %as!" o' h!asa&i'-o$atio'. Catolico4s "is$issal th!' was o%,io)sl& +o)'"!" o' $!! s)s#icio' which i' 'o cas! ca'

)sti-& a' !$#lo&!!4s "is$issal. S)s#icio' is 'ot a$o'+ th! ,ali" ca)s!s #o,i"!" %& th! a%o Co"! -oth! t!$i'atio' o- !$#lo&$!'t;a'" !,!' th! "is$issal o- a' !$#lo&!! -o loss o- t)st a'" co'-i"!'c!$)st !st o' s)%sta'tial +o)'"s a'" 'ot o' th! !$#lo&!4s a%itai'!ss whi$s ca#ic!s o s)s#icio'.

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A%it! o#! co$#)t!" th! s!#aatio' #a& at o'!hal- $o'th4s sala& -o !,!& &!a o- s!,ic!. Catolico"i" 'ot o##os! o ais! a' o%!ctio'. As s)ch w! will )#hol" th! awa" o- s!#aatio' #a& as -i!" %& th!a%o A%it!.

(@R>OR th! i'sta't #!titio' is h!!%& *SSS* a'" th! chall!'+!" "!cisio' a'" !sol)tio' o-th! Natio'al a%o R!latio's Co$$issio' "at!" 30 S!#t!$%! 1993 a'" 2 *!c!$%! 1993 !s#!cti,!l&i' NRCNCR CA No. 00516093 a! A>>R* !c!#t as to its !aso' -o )#hol"i'+ th! a%o

A%it!4s "!cisio' viz. that th! !,i"!'c! a+ai'st #i,at! !s#o'"!'t was i'a"$issi%l! -o ha,i'+ %!!'o%tai'!" i' ,iolatio' o- h! co'stit)tio'al i+hts o- #i,ac& o- co$$)'icatio' a'" a+ai'st )'!aso'a%l!s!ach!s a'" s!i)!s which is h!!%& s!t asi"!.