315.Cadalinv.

POEA
G.R.No.104776
December5,1994
Sec.13righttospeedytrial
Facts:Cadalinetc.areoverseascontractworkersrecruitedbyrespondentappellantAIBCfor
itsaccreditedforeignprincipal,Brown&Root,onvariousdatesfrom1975to1983.Assuch,
theywerealldeployedatvariousprojectsinseveralcountriesintheMiddleEastaswellasin
SoutheastAsia,inIndonesiaandMalaysia.Thecasearosewhentheiroverseasemployment
contractswereterminatedevenbeforetheirexpiration.UnderBahrainlaw,wheresomeof
thecomplainantsweredeployed,theprescriptiveperiodforclaimsarisingoutofacontractof
employmentisoneyear.
Issue:whetheritistheBahrainlawonprescriptionofactionbasedontheAmiriDecreeNo.
23of1976oraPhilippinelawonprescriptionthatshallbethegoverninglaw
Held:
TheSupremeCourtheldthatasageneralruleaforeignprocedurallawwillnotbeappliedin
ourcountryaswemustadoptourownprocedurallaws.
EXCEPTION: Philippinesmay adopt foreign procedural law under
theBorrowingStatutesuchasSec.48oftheCivilProcedureRulestatingifbythelawsof
theStateorcountrywherethecauseofactionarosetheactionisbarred,itisalsobarredin
thePhilippines.Thus,Bahrain law must be applied.However, the court contends
thatBahrainslawonprescriptioncannotbeappliedbecausethecourtwillnotenforceany
foreignclaimthatisobnoxioustotheforumspublicpolicyandthe1yr.ruleonprescription
isagainstpublicpolicyonlaborasenshrinedinthePhilippineConstitution.
ThecourtruledthattheprescriptionperiodapplicabletothecaseshouldbeArt291ofthe
LaborCodeofthePhilippineswitha3yearsprescriptionperiodsincetheclaimarosefrom
laboremployment.
Itistruethattheconstitutionalrighttoaspeedydispositionofcasesisnotlimitedtothe
accusedincriminalproceedingsbutextendstoallpartiesinallcases,includingciviland
administrativecases,andinallproceedings,includingjudicialandquasijudicialhearings.
Hence,undertheConstitution,anypartytoacasemaydemandexpeditiousactiononall
officialswhoaretaskedwiththeadministrationofjustice.However,asheldinCaballerov.
Alfonso,Jr.,153SCRA153(1987),speedydispositionofcasesisarelativeterm.Justlike
the constitutional guarantee of speedy trial accorded to the accused in all criminal
proceedings,speedydispositionofcasesisaflexibleconcept.Itisconsistentwithdelays
and depends upon the circumstances of each case. What the Constitution prohibits are
unreasonable,arbitraryandoppressivedelayswhichrenderrightsnugatory.