ELECTRO SYSTEM INDUSTRIES CORPORATION vs.

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS

COMMISSION and NOEL BALTAZAR A. SUMACULUB G.R. No. 165282 October 5, 2005

For termination of employment based on just causes as defined in Article 282 of the Labor
Code:

(i) A written notice served on the employee specifying the ground or grounds for termination,
and giving said employee reasonable opportunity within which to explain his side.

(ii) A hearing or conference during which the employee concerned, with the assistance of
counsel if he so desires is given opportunity to respond to the charge, present his evidence,
or rebut the evidence presented against him.

(iii) A written notice of termination served on the employee, indicating that upon due
consideration of all the circumstances, grounds have been established to justify his
termination.

In dismissing an employee, the employer has the burden of proving that the former worker
has been served two notices: (1) one to apprise him of the particular acts or omissions for
which his dismissal is sought, and (2) the other to inform him of his employer’s decision to
dismiss him.8 In Tan v. NLRC,9 it was held that the first notice must state that dismissal
is sought for the act or omission charged against the employee, otherwise, the notice
cannot be considered sufficient compliance with the rules.

Also, in Maquiling v. Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc.,10 it was stressed that the first
notice must inform outright the employee that an investigation will be conducted on
the charges particularized therein which, if proven, will result to his dismissal. Such
notice must not only contain a plain statement of the charges of malfeasance or
misfeasance but must categorically state the effect on his employment if the charges
are proven to be true. The rationale for this rule was explained by the Court as follows:

This notice will afford the employee an opportunity to avail all defenses and exhaust all
remedies to refute the allegations hurled against him for what is at stake is his very life and
limb his employment. Otherwise, the employee may just disregard the
notice as a warning without any disastrous consequence to be
anticipated. Absent such statement, the first notice falls short of
the requirement of due process. One’s work is everything, thus, it is not too
exacting to impose this strict requirement on the part of the employer before the dismissal
process be validly effected. This is in consonance with the rule that all doubts in the
implementation and interpretation of the provisions of the Labor Code, including its
implementing rules and regulations, shall be resolved in favor of labor.

In the instant case, the first notice issued by petitioner fell short of the requirement of the law
because it merely referred to the section of the company rule allegedly violated by private
respondent. The notice failed to specify the penalty for the charges which is dismissal, and to
indicate the precise act or omission which constituted as the ground for which dismissal is
sought. The full text of the notice reads:
You are hereby notified to appear for an administrative investigation scheduled on 10 August
1998 due to violation of Rule 34 of Company Rules & Regulation that occurred on 07 August
1998. This is the third time that you have committed offense of similar nature.

You are enjoined to attend this meeting. 11

There is no showing that private respondent was actually served with the required two
notices. The first notice did not bear the signature of private respondent. In the second
notice, there was a notation that private respondent refused to sign. This notation is not
sufficient proof that petitioner attempted to serve the second notice to private respondent.

In sum, other than petitioner’s bare assertions that private respondent was furnished with
copies of the notices and that he attended the hearing on the charges, it presented no other
proof to establish the same. Mere allegation is not equivalent to proof or evidence. 12 Clearly
therefore, petitioner was not able to discharge the burden of proving compliance with the
employee’s right to statutory due process in termination proceedings.

In the case of Grande vs PNTC (GR 213137) just decided by the Supreme
Court on March 1 2017, the highest court of the land enunciated once again the
need to respect the employees’ right to security of tenure. The Supreme Court
the immediate filing of a complaint for illegal
held that
dismissal would be the best evidence that contradicts
what employers allege as voluntary resignation. In this case,
the employee was subjected to an investigation for certain alleged offense.
Then in the middle of due process, suddenly the employee tendered a very
terse, curt and hurriedly done resignation. The clearance to facilitate her exit
was rushed and she was allowed to go even when she had some unpaid
accounts.

Read more at
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2017/06/01/1705985/forced-
resignation-illegal-dismissal#XDVmhLKGeiwUFOA4.99

In Unilever Philippines, Inc. v. Rivera,  this Court laid down the guidelines on how to comply
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with procedural due process in terminating an employee, to wit:

(1) The first written notice to be served on the employees should contain the specific
causes or grounds for termination against them, and a directive that the employees are given
the opportunity to submit their written explanation within a reasonable period. "Reasonable
opportunity" under the Omnibus Rules means every kind of assistance that management
must accord to the employees to enable them to prepare adequately for their defense. This
should be construed as a period of at least five (5) calendar days from receipt of the notice to
give the employees an opportunity to study the accusation against them, consult a union
official or lawyer, gather data and evidence, and decide on the defenses they will raise
against the complaint. Moreover, in order to enable the employees to intelligently prepare
their explanation and defenses, the notice should contain a detailed narration of the facts
and circumstances that will serve as basis for the charge against the employees. A general
description of the charge will not suffice. Lastly, the notice should
specifically mention which company rules, if any, are violated
and/or which among the grounds under Art. 282 is being
charged against the employees.
(2) After serving the first notice, the employers should schedule and conduct a hearing or
conference wherein the employees will be given the opportunity to: (1) explain and clarify
their defenses to the charge against them; (2) present evidence in support of their defenses;
and (3) rebut the evidence presented against them by the management. During the hearing
or conference, the employees are given the chance to defend themselves personally, with
the assistance of a representative or counsel of their choice. Moreover, this conference or
hearing could be used by the parties as an opportunity to come to an amicable settlement.

(3) After determining that termination of employment is justified, the employers shall serve
the employees a written notice of termination indicating that: (1) all circumstances
involving the charge against the employees have been considered; and (2) grounds have
been established to justify the severance of their employment. 33