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Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence>Year 1990 > February 1990 Decisions > G.R. No. 80157 February 6,
1990AMALIANARAZOv.EMPLOYEESCOMPENSATIONCOMMISSION,ETAL.:
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SECONDDIVISION
[G.R.No.80157.February6,1990.]
AMALIANARAZO,Petitioner,v.EMPLOYEESCOMPENSATIONCOMMISSIONAND
GOVERNMENTSERVICEINSURANCESYSTEM(ProvincialGovernorsOffice,Negros
Occidental),Respondents.
CitizensLegalAssistanceOfficeforpetitioner.
DECISION
PADILLA,J.:
ThisisapetitionforreviewofthedecisionoftheEmployeesCompensationCommission(ECC)dated
19May1987,1denyingpetitionersclaimforcompensationbenefitsunderPD626,asamended,for
thedeathofherhusband,GeronimoNarazo.
Geronimo Narazo was employed for thirty eight (38) years as Budget Examiner in the Office of the
Governor, Province of Negros Occidental. His duties included preparation of the budget of the
Province,financialreportsandrevieworexaminationofthebudgetofsomeprovincialandmunicipal
offices.
c h a n r o b le s .c o m: v ir t u a la wlib r a r y
DebtKollectCompany,Inc. On 14 May 1984, Narazo died at the age of fifty seven (57). His medical records show that he was
confined three (3) times at the Doa Corazon L. Montelibano Hospital in Bacolod City, for urinary
retention,abdominalpainandanemia.Hewasthereafterdiagnosedtobesufferingfrom"obstructive
nepropathyduetobenignprostatichypertrophy",commonlyknownas"Uremia." c r a la wv ir t u a 1 a wlib r a r y
Petitioner, as the widow of the deceased, filed a claim with the Government Service Insurance
System(GSIS)fordeathbenefitsforthedeathofherhusband,undertheEmployeesCompensation
Law(PD626,asamended).However,saidclaimwasdeniedonthegroundthatthecauseofdeathof
Narazo is not listed as an occupational disease, and that there is no showing that the position and
duties of the deceased as Budget Examiner had increased the risk of contracting "Uremia." 2
Petitioner moved for reconsideration of said decision, claiming that although the cause of her
husbands death is not considered as an occupational disease, nevertheless, his job as Budget
Examinerwhichrequiredlonghoursofsedentarywork,coupledwithstressandpressure,causedhim
many times to delay urination, which eventually led to the development of his ailments. The GSIS
deniedsaidmotionforreconsideration.
On appeal, the Employees Compensation Commission affirmed the decision of the GSIS on the
ground that the ailments of the deceased could not be attributed to employment factors and as
impressedbymedicalexperts,benignprostatichypertrophyisquitecommonamongmenoverfifty
(50) years of age, regardless of occupation, while uremia is a complication of obstructive
nephtropathyduetobenignprostatichypertrophy3hence,thispetition.
ChanRoblesIntellectualProperty
Division Petitioneraversthatthenature,lengthoftime,andcircumstancesoftheoccupationofthedeceased
werenotconsideredindeterminingwhethertheworkofthesaiddeceasedhadincreasedtherisksof
contracting the ailments which caused his death. The work of the deceased, which required long
sedentaryworkunderpressure,aggravatedtheriskofcontractingthediseaseleadingtohishospital
confinementanddeath.4
In controversion, the ECC argues that petitioner failed to show proof that the disease which caused
the death of her husband is workconnected and that no credence could be given to petitioners
claimthatherhusbandsdelayedurinationgaverisetothedevelopmentofhisailments,forlackof
medical bases. All that petitioner has shown, according to the ECC, are mere aggravation, and not
workconnectioncauses.5
Rule III, section 1, paragraph 3(b) of Presidential Decree No. 626, as amended, defines a
"compensable sickness" as any illness definitely accepted as an occupational disease listed by the
ECC or any illness caused by employment subject to proof by the employee that the risk of
contractingthesameisincreasedbyworkingconditions.6TheECCisempoweredtodetermineand
approve occupational diseases and workrelated illnesses that may be considered compensable
basedonpeculiarhazardsofemployment.7
Thus, a sickness or death caused by said sickness is compensable if the same is listed as an
occupational disease. If it is not so listed, compensation may still be recovered if the illness was
aggravatedbyemployment.However,itisincumbentupontheclaimanttoshowproofthattheriskof
contractingtheillnesswasincreasedbyhisworkingconditions.
Thedeathofpetitionershusbandwascausedby"Uremiaduetoobstructivenephropathyandbenign
prostatichypertrophy,"whichisadmittedlynotamongthoselistedasoccupationaldiseases.8Asper
finding of the ECC, "Uremia is a toxic clinical condition characterized by restlessness, muscular
twitchings, mental disturbance, nausea, and vomiting associated with renal insufficiency brought
about by the retention in blood of nitrogeneous urinary waste products." One of its causes is the
obstructionintheflowofurinarywasteproducts.9
Underthecircumstances,theburdenofproofwasuponpetitionertoshowthattheconditionsunder
whichherdeceasedhusbandwasthenworkinghadincreasedtheriskofcontractingtheillnesswhich
causedhisdeath. c r a la wn a d
To establish compensability under the increased risk theory, the claimant must show proof of
reasonable workconnection, not necessarily direct causal relation. The degree of proof required is
merelysubstantialevidencewhichmeanssuchrelevantevidenceaswillsupportadecision,orclear
andconvincingevidence.Strictrulesofevidencearenotapplicable.Torequireproofofactualcauses
orfactorswhichleadtoanailmentwouldnotbeconsistentwiththeliberalinterpretationoftheLabor
Codeandthesocialjusticeguaranteeinfavoroftheworkers.10Althoughstrictrolesofevidenceare
notapplicable,yetthebasicrulethatmereallegationisnotevidencecannotbedisregarded.11
ThenatureoftheworkofthedeceasedasBudgetExaminerintheOfficeoftheGovernordealtwith
thedetailedpreparationofthebudget,financialreportsandreviewand/orexaminationofthebudget
of other provincial and municipal offices. Full concentration and thorough study of the entries of
accountsinthebudgetand/orfinancialreportswerenecessary,suchthatthedeceasedhadtositfor
hours,andmoreoftenthatnot,delayandevenforegourinationinordernottointerrupttheflowof
concentration. In addition, tension and pressure must have aggravated the situation. In the case of
Cenizav.ECC,12theCourtheldthat: jg c : c h a n r o b le s .c o m.p h
". . . . It may be added that teachers have a tendency to sit for hours on end, and to put off or
postponeemptyingtheirbladderswhenitinterfereswiththeirteachinghoursorpreparationoflesson
plans.Fromhumanexperience,prolongedsittingdownandputtingoffurinationresultinstagnationof
the urine. This encourages the growth of bacteria in the urine, and affects the delicate balance
between bacterial multiplication rates and the host defense mechanisms. Delayed excretion may
permit the retention and survival of microorganisms which multiply rapidly, and infect the urinary
tract.Thesearepredisposingfactorstopyelonephritisanduremia.Thus,whileWemayconcedethat
theseillnessesarenotdirectlycausedbythenatureofthedutiesofateacher,theriskofcontracting
thesameiscertainlyaggravatedbytheirworkinghabitsnecessitatedbydemandsofjobefficiency." c r a la w
February1990Jurisprudence v ir t u a 1 a wlib r a r y
Undertheforegoingcircumstances,wearepersuadedtoholdthatthecauseofdeathofpetitioners
G.R.No.48494February5,1990BRENTSCHOOL,
husband is workconnected, i.e. the risk of contracting the illness was aggravated by the nature of
INC.,ETAL.v.RONALDOZAMORA,ETAL.
thework,somuchsothatpetitionerisentitledtoreceivecompensationbenefitsforthedeathofher
G.R. No. 66394 February 5, 1990 PARADISE husband.
SAUNA,ETAL.v.ALEJANDRONG,ETAL.
WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED. The decision of the Employees Compensation Commission
G.R. No. 75909 February 6, 1990 RAMON denying petitioners claim for benefits under PD 626, as amended, arising from the death of her
FRANCISCO, ET AL. v. INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE husband,isherebyREVERSEDandSETASIDE. c h a n r o b le s la wlib r a r y : r e d n a d
COURT,ETAL.
SOORDERED.
G.R. No. 77457 February 5, 1990 ANITA LLOSA
TANv.SILAHISINTERNATIONALHOTEL,ETAL. MelencioHerrera(Chairman),Paras,SarmientoandRegalado,JJ.,concur.
G.R.No.77777February5,1990PEOPLEOFTHE
PHIL.v.DOMINGOBAGANO
Endnotes:
G.R. No. 81322 February 5, 1990 GREGORIO D.
CANEDA,JR.v.COURTOFAPPEALS,ETAL.
1.Rollo,pp.811.
G.R. No. 86603 February 5, 1990 ACTIVE WOOD
PRODUCTSCO.,INC.v.COURTOFAPPEALS,ETAL. 2.Ibid.,p.9.
G.R. No. 86647 February 5, 1990 VIRGILIO P.
3.Ibid.,p.10.
ROBLES v. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTORAL
TRIBUNAL.,ETAL.
4.Petition,Rollo,pp.26.
G.R. No. 88623 February 5, 1990 REGISTER OF
DEEDSOFMALABON,ETAL.v.RTC,MALABON,ETAL. 5.CommentbyECC,Rollo,pp.8183.
G.R. No. 40399 February 6, 1990 MARCELINO C. 6. Sierra v. GSIS, G.R. No. 50954, 8 February 1989 Carbajal v. GSIS, G.R No. L
AGNE,ETAL.v.DIRECTOROFLANDS,ETAL. 46654,August9,1988,164SCRA204.
G.R.No.77713February6,1990PEOPLEOFTHE 12.G.R.No.55645,2November1982,118SCRA138.
PHIL.v.ALFREDOAGAN
G.R. No. 77867 February 6, 1990 ISABEL DE LA
PUERTAv.COURTOFAPPEALS,ETAL.
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