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SAMEER OVERSEAS PLACEMENT AGENCY, INC., Petitioner,

vs.
JOY C. CABILES, Respondent.
G.R. No. 170139 August 5, 2014

TOPIC: Section 10 of RA 8042 vis-a-vis Section 7 of RA 10022

FACTS:
Petitioner, Sameer Overseas Placement Agency, Inc., is a recruitment and placement
agency.
Respondent Joy Cabiles was hired thus signed a one-year employment contract for a
monthly salary of NT$15,360.00. Joy was deployed to work for Taiwan Wacoal, Co. Ltd.
(Wacoal) on June 26, 1997. She alleged that in her employment contract, she agreed to work as
quality control for one year. In Taiwan, she was asked to work as a cutter.
Sameer claims that on July 14, 1997, a certain Mr. Huwang from Wacoal informed
Joy, without prior notice, that she was terminated and that she should immediately report to
their office to get her salary and passport. She was asked to prepare for immediate
repatriation. Joy claims that she was told that from June 26 to July 14, 1997, she only earned a
total of NT$9,000.15 According to her, Wacoal deducted NT$3,000 to cover her plane ticket to
Manila.
On October 15, 1997, Joy filed a complaint for illegal dismissal with the NLRC against
petitioner and Wacoal. LA dismissed the complaint. NLRC reversed LAs decision. CA affirmed
the ruling of the National Labor Relations Commission finding respondent illegally dismissed
and awarding her three months worth of salary, the reimbursement of the cost of her
repatriation, and attorneys fees
ISSUE: Whether or not Cabiles was entitled to the unexpired portion of her salary due to illegal
dismissal.
HELD: YES. The Court held that the award of the three-month equivalent of respondents salary
should be increased to the amount equivalent to the unexpired term of the employment contract.
In Serrano v. Gallant Maritime Services, Inc. and Marlow Navigation Co., Inc., this
court ruled that the clause or for three (3) months for every year of the unexpired term,
whichever is less is unconstitutional for violating the equal protection clause and substantive
due process.
A statute or provision which was declared unconstitutional is not a law. It confers no
rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is inoperative as if it
has not been passed at all.
The Court said that they are aware that the clause or for three (3) months for every
year of the unexpired term, whichever is less was reinstated in Republic Act No. 8042 upon
promulgation of Republic Act No. 10022 in 2010.
Ruling on the constitutional issue
In the hierarchy of laws, the Constitution is supreme. No branch or office of the
government may exercise its powers in any manner inconsistent with the Constitution,
regardless of the existence of any law that supports such exercise. The Constitution cannot be
trumped by any other law. All laws must be read in light of the Constitution. Any law that is
inconsistent with it is a nullity.
Thus, when a law or a provision of law is null because it is inconsistent with the
Constitution, the nullity cannot be cured by reincorporation or reenactment of the same or a
similar law or provision. A law or provision of law that was already declared unconstitutional
remains as such unless circumstances have so changed as to warrant a reverse conclusion.
The Court observed that the reinstated clause, this time as provided in Republic Act.
No. 10022, violates the constitutional rights to equal protection and due process.96 Petitioner as
well as the Solicitor General have failed to show any compelling change in the circumstances
that would warrant us to revisit the precedent.
The Court declared, once again, the clause, or for three (3) months for every year of
the unexpired term, whichever is less in Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10022 amending Section
10 of Republic Act No. 8042 is declared unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void.