!"#$%& () *$+, -.

//01
eLlLloners: PlLux, lnC. and MAx klLnLL
8espondenLs: nL8C and A18lClA L8!LS
L1l1lCn for revlew on cerLlorarl of a declslon of Lhe CourL of Appeals.
hllux, lnc., ls a corporaLlon engaged ln Lhe manufacLure and sale of wood furnlLures.
aLrlcla (aLrla) er[es was saleslady asslgned Lo Lhe hllux showroom aL SM SouLh mall and a
dally-pald regular employee.
aLrla senL leLLer Lo hllux LhaL naLlonal Labor unlon on her behalf flled a ComplalnL before Lhe
Labor ArblLer, praylng for Lhe moneLary clalms: monLhly commlsslon, underpald 30.00, 7 days
slck leave and 7 days vacaLlon leave, 13Lh monLh paymenL and damages and aLLorney's fees.
aLrla flled a ManlfesLaLlon and MoLlon Lo lnclude AddlLlonal ComplalnL for lllegal dlsmlssal
based on her Lransfer of work asslgnmenL from Lhe peLlLloner's showroom ln SM Las lnas Lo
SM Megamall, LuSA, Mandaluyong ClLy and demanded for her relnsLaLemenL Lo her former
poslLlon wlLh full backwages from May 12, 1999 up Lo her acLual relnsLaLemenL wlLhouL loss of
senlorlLy rlghLs and oLher prlvlleges.
$23 ordered parLles Lo submlL poslLlon papers.
ln hllux's oslLlon aper: Lhe clalms of Lhe aLrla have no basls aL all because deducLlons made
agalnsL her salary were auLhorlzed.
o ManagemenL suspecLed an anomaly ln Lhe reporLed sales of lLs showroom aL SM SouLh
Mall Lhen manned by lrancls CLong and aLrla and lnvesLlgaLlon was conducLed and
aLrla admlLLed LhaL she had knowledge and consenL LhaL lrancls CLong had been
manlpulaLlng Lhe sales record, enabllng Lhem Lo pockeL Lhe sum of 460,167.79,
o ManagemenL, for humanlLarlan reason accepLed Lhe admlsslon and Lhelr offer of re-
paymenL by payroll deducLlons.
o aLrla auLhorlzed ln wrlLlng Lhe deducLlons from her payroll Lo be applled Lo Lhe accounL
of Mr. CLong wlLh Lhe peLlLloner. Mr. CLong promlsed Lo relmburse Lhe prlvaLe
respondenL whaLever amounL deducLed from Lhe laLLer.
o ueducLlon was made wlLh her consenL 30.00 from her dally baslc salary plus her
commlsslon.
o 1ransfer was made for her Lo be supervlsed by oLher hllux employees and due Lo her
propenslLy Lo be absenL for fllmsy reasons whlch resulLed ln noL openlng Lhe sLore on
Llme and/or leavlng Lhe sLore manned only by one person.
$4567 27589:73 8uled ln favor of aLrla. She was lllegally dlsmlssed and ordered hllux Lo
relnsLaLe her and pay her backwages. aLrla vlolaLed company's pollcy buL managemenL
admlLLedly condoned Lhelr offense Lhus managemenL ls esLopped from dolng furLher acLs whlch
are deemed pre[udlclal Lo her lnLeresL, Lhus her Lransfer Lo anoLher branch whlch wlll cause
lnconvenlence Lo her and agalnsL her wlll and consenL amounL Lo consLrucLlve lllegal dlsmlssal.
!uly 14, 2000 - hllux recelved LA's declslon.
!uly 24, 2000- hllux flled a MoLlon for 8econslderaLlon and aLrla flled an CpposlLlon.
*$+,3 LreaLed Lhe hllux's M8 as an appeal from Lhe Labor ArblLer's declslon buL dlsmlssed Lhe
same for fallure of Lhe peLlLloners Lo posL a bond as mandaLed by law.
SepLember 23, 2000- hllux flled a MoLlon Lo 8elnsLaLe Appeal alleglng LhaL Lhls fallure Lo posL
an appeal bond was due Lo Lhe absence of Lhe offlcers of Lhe corporaLlon ln Lhe counLry aL Lhe
Llme Lhe appeal was flled. ALLached Lo Lhe moLlon was a supersedeas bond of Lhe same daLe.
CcLober 24, 2000, Lhe nL8C denled hllux's moLlon Lo relnsLaLe appeal whlch lL LreaLed as a
moLlon for reconslderaLlon of Lhe dlsmlssal of Lhelr appeal because whlle a sureLy bond was
posLed, Lhe same was flled beyond Lhe reglemenLary perlod Lo appeal.
hllux flled for peLlLlon for cerLlorarl 8ule 63 wlLh Lhe CA.
,23 dlsmlssed eLlLlon for CerLlorarl for lack of merlL.
hllux flled for peLlLlon for revlew under 8ule 43 wlLh SC.

#))%;3 W/n CA commlLLed serlous error by lnflexlbly applylng a sLrlngenL lnLerpreLaLlon of a mere
procedural rule such as Lhe posLlng of an appeal bond wlLhln Lhe Len (10)-day perlod provlded by law?

),<= +>?8@A3
o CA acLed ls correcL ln dlsmlsslng Lhe peLlLlon for cerLlorarl for fallure of hllux Lo posL
Lhe requlred appeal bond.
o An appeal from rullngs of Lhe Labor ArblLer Lo Lhe nL8C musL be perfecLed wlLhln Len
(10) calendar days from recelpL Lhereof, oLherwlse Lhe same shall become flnal and
execuLory. ln case of a [udgmenL lnvolvlng a moneLary award, Lhe appeal shall be
perfecLed only upon (1) paymenL of Lhe requlred appeal fee, (2) posLlng of a cash or
sureLy bond lssued by a repuLable bondlng company and (3) flllng of a memorandum of
appeal. 1he mere flllng of a noLlce of appeal wlLhouL complylng wlLh Lhe oLher requlslLes
menLloned shall noL sLop Lhe runnlng of Lhe perlod for perfecLlon of appeal.
o hllux recelved a copy of Lhe declslon of Lhe Labor ArblLer on !uly 14, 2000, flled a
MoLlon for 8econslderaLlon on !uly 24, 2000 whlch was Lhe ?4=9 B4C 96 D:7E:F9 4@
4DD:4?G *6 F4=H 67 =>7:9C 56@BI H6J:K:7I J4= D6=9:B 5C 9H: D:98986@:7=G 1he moLlon
havlng been LreaLed as an appeal by Lhe nL8C, Lhe lack of a bond ls faLal Lo Lhe sald
appeal. 1he [udgmenL ln quesLlon lnvolves a moneLary award and an appeal Lherefrom
by Lhe employer may be perfecLed only upon Lhe posLlng of a cash or sureLy bond ln Lhe
amounL equlvalenL Lo Lhe moneLary award ln Lhe [udgmenL appealed from.
o LH: F4=: B6:=@<9 E4?? >@B:7 9H: :MF:D986@
! N:@:74? +>?:3 A cllenL ls bound by Lhe acLs, even mlsLakes, of hls counsel ln Lhe
realm of procedural Lechnlque.
! ;MF:D986@3 When Lhe negllgence of counsel ls so gross, reckless and lnexcusable
LhaL Lhe cllenL ls deprlved of hls day ln courL, ln whlch case Lhe remedy Lhen ls
Lo reopen Lhe case and allow Lhe parLy who was denled hls day ln courL Lo
adduce hls evldence.
hllux were glven full opporLunlLy Lo be heard and presenL Lhelr slde Lo refuLe prlvaLe
respondenL's clalms agalnsL Lhe corporaLlon ln Lhe proceedlngs before Lhe labor arblLer, Lhe
fallure of peLlLloners' former counsel Lo posL Lhe bond amounLs Lo a slmple, noL gross,
negllgence LhaL wlll warranL Lhe appllcaLlon of Lhe excepLlon Lo Lhe general rule LhaL a cllenL ls
bound by Lhe acLs or mlsLakes of hls counsel.
1he law ls clear LhaL Lhe posLlng of a cash or sureLy bond by Lhe employer Lo be an lndlspensable
means by whlch an employer's appeal ls perfecLed or compleLed.
1he posLlng of a bond ls mandaLory, and Lhe perfecLlon of an appeal ln Lhe manner and wlLhln
Lhe perlod prescrlbed by law ls noL only mandaLory buL also [urlsdlcLlonal.
1he negllgence and/or lgnorance of Lhe rules of peLlLloners' former counsel ls noL sufflclenL
[usLlflcaLlon for Lhelr fallure Lo comply wlLh Lhe posLlng of Lhe bond wlLhln Lhe reglemenLary
perlod. nelLher can peLlLloners' subsequenL buL belaLed posLlng of Lhe bond be consldered as
subsLanLlal compllance warranLlng Lhe relaxaLlon of Lhe rules ln Lhe lnLeresL of [usLlce.
eLlLlon ls uLnlLu.