Rez Kristofferjun Z.

Catedral
Section JD 1B
Constitutional Law 1

SEAFDEC v. NLRC G.R. No. 86773 February 14, 1992

FACTS:

SEAFDEC (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center) is a department of an international

organization, a Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center organized through an agreement
with governments of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines in
Bangkok, Thailand on December 28, 1967
Juvenal Lazaga was appointed as Professional III and designated as Head of External Affairs
Office of SEAFDEC. Lacanilao as Chief of SEAFDEC-AQD’s department, fired Lazaga out of
his office.
Petitioner’s failure to pay the private respodent of his separation pay caused him to file a case
with National Labor Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). The Labor Arbiter of NLRC ruled
in favor of Lazaga. Thus, SEAFDEC-AQD appealed cliaming to be an international inter-
government organization and is immune from suit, to which NLRC has no jurisdiction.

ISSUE:

Whether or not the petitioner is immune from suit.

HELD:

The court ruled in favor of the petitioner SEAFDEC is an international agency beyond the
jurisdiction of public respondent NLRC. It is one of the powers of the international organization
that they cannot be sued. Eventhough located in the Philippine territory, SEAFDEC being an
inter governmental organization, is free from sue. Furthermore, permanent international
commissions and administratrive bodies have been created by the agreement of a considerable
number of States for a variety of international purposes, economic or social and mainly non-
political. In so far as they are autonomous and beyond the control of any one State, they have
dinstinct juriducal personality independent of the municipal law of the state where they are
situated.