THE HERITAGE HOTEL MANILA (OWNED AND OPERATED BY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL

CORPORATION) vs. PINAG-ISANG GALING AT LAKAS NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA

HERITAGE MANILA (PIGLAS-HERITAGE)

G.R. No. 177024, October 30, 2009
Abad, J.:
DOCTRINES: The Labor Code and its implementing rules do not require that the number of members
appearing on the documents in question should completely dovetail. For as long as the documents and
signatures are shon to be genuine and regular and the constitution and by!las democratically ratified,
the union is deemed to have complied ith registration requirements.
Labor las are liberally construed in favor of labor especially if doing so ould affirm its
constitutionally guaranteed right to self!organi"ation.
The right of any person to #oin an organi"ation also includes the right to leave that organi"ation
and #oin another one.
FACTS: The Heritage Hotel Emlo!ees "#io# $HHE% &as 'orme( i# 2000 b! certai# ra#) a#( 'ile
emlo!ees o' herei# etitio#er Heritage Hotel *a#ila, to &hich the +eartme#t o' ,abor a#(
Emlo!me#t-Natio#al .aital Regio# iss/e( a certi'icate o' registratio#. HHE 'ile( a etitio# 'or
certi'icatio# electio# &hich etitio#er oose( o# the gro/#( that HHE misrerese#te( itsel' to be a#
i#(ee#(e#t /#io#, &he# i# 'act it &as a local chater o' the Natio#al "#io# o' 0or)ers i# Hotel a#(
Resta/ra#t a#( 1llie( 2#(/stries $N"0HR12N%. 2t &as also allege( that s/ch omitte( (isclos/re &as
i#te#tio#al beca/se etitio#er3s s/ervisors /#io# &as alrea(! a''iliate( &ith it. 4etitio#er also 'ile( a
etitio# to ca#cel the /#io#3s registratio# certi'icate. The *e(-1rbiter #evertheless gra#te( HHE3s
etitio# 'or certi'icatio# electio#.
4etitio#er aeale( to the 5ecretar! o' ,abor b/t it &as (e#ie( as &ell as its motio# 'or
reco#si(eratio#, romti#g etitio#er to 'ile a etitio# 'or certiorari &ith the .o/rt o' 1eals. The .1
iss/e( a &rit o' i#6/#ctio# agai#st the hol(i#g o' HHE3s certi'icatio# electio# /#til the etitio# 'or
ca#cellatio# o' its registratio# shall have bee# resolve( &ith 'i#alit!.
2# 2003, a#other /#io#, herei# reso#(e#t 4i#ag-2sa#g Gali#g at ,a)as #g mga *a#ggaga&a sa
Heritage *a#ila $42G,15%, &as 'orme( b! certai# ra#) a#( 'ile emlo!ees o' etitio#er at a meeti#g.
42G,15 &as iss/e( its registratio# certi'icate b! the +O,E-N.R i# 2004. HHE later o# a(ote( a
resol/tio# 'or its (issol/tio# a#( the# 'ile( a etitio# 'or ca#cellatio# o' its /#io# registratio#.
42G,15 'ile( a etitio# 'or certi'icatio# electio# &hich etitio#er oose( allegi#g that the #e&
/#io#3s o''icers a#( members &ere also those &ho comrise( the ol( /#io#. 4etitio#er li)e&ise allege(
that 42G,15 &as 'orme( to circ/mve#t the .13s i#6/#ctio# earlier iss/e(. The *e(-1rbiter #evertheless
gra#te( the etitio# 'or certi'icatio# electio#.
4etitio#er 'ile( a etitio# to ca#cel 42G,153 registratio#, claimi#g that the (oc/me#ts s/bmitte(
&ith the /#io#3s alicatio# 'or registratio# bore the 'ollo&i#g 'alse i#'ormatio#7
$a% The ,ist o' *embers sho&e( that the 42G,15 /#io# ha( 100 /#io# members8
$b% The Orga#i9atio#al *i#/tes sai( that 90 emlo!ees atte#(e( the meeti#g o#
+ecember 10, 20038
$c% The 1tte#(a#ce 5heet o' the meeti#g o' +ecember 10, 2003 bore the sig#at/re o'
127 members &ho rati'ie( the /#io#3s .o#stit/tio# a#( :!-,a&s8 a#(
$(% The 5ig#at/re 5heet bore 12; sig#at/res o' those &ho atte#(e( that meeti#g.
4etitio#er allege( that the misrerese#tatio# &as evi(e#ce( b! the (iscrea#c! i# the #/mber o'
/#io# members aeari#g i# the alicatio# a#( the list as &ell as the #/mber o' sig#atories to the
atte#(a#ce a#( sig#at/re sheets. The mi#/tes reorte( o#l! 90 emlo!ees atte#(e( the meeti#g. 4etitio#er
also allege( that 33 members o' 42G,15 &ere members o' HHE, &hich is i# violatio# o' the olic!
agai#st (/al /#io#ism.
+O,E-N.R (e#ie( etitio#er3s etitio# to ca#cel 42G,153 registratio# beca/se the (iscrea#cies
i# the #/mber o' members i# the alicatio#3s s/orti#g (oc/me#ts &ere #ot material a#( (i( #ot
co#stit/te misrerese#tatio#. The (/al /#io#ism is also #ot a gro/#( 'or ca#celi#g registratio#, si#ce the
members o' HHE siml! e<ercise( their right to sel'-orga#i9atio# a#( 'ree(om o' associatio# &he# the!
6oi#e( 42G,15. The :/rea/ o' ,abor Relatio#s a''irme( the +O,E-N.R, b! reaso#i#g that 42G,153
orga#i9atio# meeti#g laste( 'or 12 ho/rs. Th/s, it &as ossible 'or the #/mber o' atte#(ees to have
i#crease( as the meeti#g rogresse(. :esi(es, the /#io# o#l! #ee(e( =0 members o' the total o' 2=0
emlo!ees i# the bargai#i#g /#it to coml! &ith the 20> membershi re?/ireme#t. 4etitio#er 'ile( a
etitio# 'or certiorari &ith the .o/rt o' 1eals b/t it &as (e#ie( as &ell as etitio#er3s motio# 'or
reco#si(eratio#. He#ce, this etitio# 'or revie& /#(er R/le 4=.
ISSUES: (1) 0hether or #ot the /#io# ma(e 'atal misrerese#tatio# i# its alicatio# 'or /#io#
registratio#
(2) 0hether or #ot (/al /#io#ism is a gro/#( 'or ca#celi#g a /#io#3s registratio#.
HELD: (1) NO. 4etitio#er has #o evi(e#ce o' the allege( misrerese#tatio#. The (iscrea#cies alo#e
ca##ot be ta)e# as i#(icatio# that 42G,15 misrerese#te( the i#'ormatio# co#tai#e( i# these (oc/me#ts.
.harges o' 'ra/( a#( misrerese#tatio# sho/l( be clearl! establishe( b! evi(e#ce a#( s/rro/#(i#g
circ/msta#ces beca/se o#ce it is rove(, the labor /#io# ac?/ires #o#e o' the rights accor(e( to registere(
orga#i9atio#s.
The (iscrea#cies ca# be e<lai#e(. 0hile it aears that i# the mi#/tes o' the +ecember 10,
2003 orga#i9atio#al meeti#g, o#l! 90 emlo!ees reso#(e( to the roll call at the begi##i#g, it ca##ot be
ass/me( that s/ch #/mber co/l( #ot gro& to 12; as re'lecte( o# the sig#at/re sheet 'or atte#(a#ce. The
meeti#g laste( 12 ho/rs 'rom 11700am to 11700m. There is #o evi(e#ce that the meeti#g hall &as loc)e(
/ to e<cl/(e late atte#(ees. 1s to the 'act that o#l! 127 members rati'ie( the /#io#3s co#stit/tio# a#( b!-
la&s &he# 12; sig#e( the atte#(a#ce sheet, it ca##ot be ass/me( that all those &ho atte#(e( arove( o'
s/ch. 1#! member ha( the right to hol( o/t a#( re'rai# 'rom rati'!i#g those (oc/me#ts or to siml!
ig#ore the rocess. The Labor Code and its implementing rules do not require that the number of
members appearing on the documents in question should completely dovetail. For as long as the
documents and signatures are shown to be genuine and regular and the constitution and by-laws
democratically ratified, the union is deemed to have complied with registration requirements.
The (iscrea#c! i# the list o' members $sho&i#g o#l! 100 members% a#( the sig#at/re a#(
atte#(a#ce sheets $sho&i#g 127 or 12; members% s/bmitte( is immaterial. 1 comariso# o' the
(oc/me#ts sho&s that e<cet 'or si< members, the #ames 'o/#( i# the list are also i# the atte#(a#ce a#(
sig#at/re sheets. 42G,15 more tha# comlie( &ith the 20> re?/ireme#t si#ce o#l! =0 emlo!ees o/t o'
2=0 emlo!ees i# the bargai#i#g /#it &ere re?/ire( to /#io#i9e.
Labor laws are liberally construed in favor of labor especially if doing so would affirm its
constitutionally guaranteed right to self-organization. 42G,15 /#io#3s s/orti#g (oc/me#ts reveal
the /#mista)able !ear#i#g o' etitio#er coma#!3s ra#) a#( 'ile emlo!ees to orga#i9e. This !ear#i#g
sho/l( #ot be 'r/strate( b! i#co#se?/e#tial tech#icalities.
(2) NO. The right of any person to oin an organization also includes the right to leave that
organization and oin another one. HHE /#io# cease( to e<ist, its certi'icate o' registratio# bei#g alrea(!
ca#celle(.
Th/s, the etitio# is (e#ie(.