OFFICIAL RECORD

G.R. No. 178551, October 11, 2010

ATCI OVERSEAS CORPORATION, AMALIA G. IKDAL and MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH-KUWAIT,

Petitioners, vs. MA. JOSEFA ECHIN, Respondent.

FACTS:

Josefina Echin was hired by petitioner ATCI Overseas Corporation in behalf of the Ministry of Public Health of
Kuwait for the position of medical technologist under a two-year contract (“MOA”) with a monthly salary of
US$1,200.00. However, she was terminated from employment on February 17,2000 for failing the probationary
period. The Ministry denied respondent’s request for reconsideration, thus she returned to the Philippines on
March 17, 2001, shouldering her own air fare.

She then filed with the National Labor Relations Commission a complaint for illegal dismissal against petitioner
ATCI as the local recruitment agency, represented by petitioner, Amalia Ikdal (Ikdal), and the Ministry, as the
foreign principal. The Labor Arbiter found that ATCI neither showed that there was just cause to warrant
respondent’s dismissal nor that she failed to qualify as a regular employee, held that respondent was illegally
dismissed and accordingly ordered petitioners to pay her US$3,600.00, representing her salary for the three
months unexpired portion of her contract. On appeal, the NLRC affirmed the Labor Arbiter’s decision, denying
petitioners’ motion for reconsideration.

The petitioners claim that since the respondent’s employment contract specifically stipulates that her employment
shall be governed by the Civil Service Law and Regulations of Kuwait. To prove the Kuwaiti law, petitioners
submitted the following: MOA between respondent and the Ministry, as represented by ATCI, which provides
that the employee is subject to a probationary period of one (1) year and that the host country’s Civil Service Laws
and Regulations apply; a translated copy. (Arabic to English) of the termination letter to respondent stating that
she did not pass the probation terms, without specifying the grounds therefor, and a translated copy of the
certificate of termination, both of which documents were certified by Mr. Mustapha Alawi, Head of the
Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs Inslamic Certification and Translation Unit; and
respondent’s letter of reconsideration to the Ministry, wherein she noted that in her first eight (8) months of
employment, she was given a rating of “Excellent” albeit it changed due to changes in her shift of work schedule.

ISSUE: Whether or not the Kuwait Civil Service Laws applies.

RULING: NO.

It is hornbook principle, however, that the party invoking the application of a foreign law has the burden
of proving the law, under the doctrine of processual presumption which, in this case, petitioners failed to
discharge.

The Philippines does not take judicial notice of foreign laws, hence, they must not only be alleged; they
must be proven. To prove a foreign law, the party invoking it must present a copy thereof and comply with
Sections 24 and 25 of Rule 132 of the Revised Rules of Court which reads:

SEC. 24. Proof of official record. — The record of public documents referred to in
paragraph (a) of Section 19, when admissible for any purpose, may be evidenced by an official
publication thereof or by a copy attested by the officer having the legal custody of the record, or
by his deputy, and accompanied, if the record is not kept in the Philippines, with a certificate that
such officer has the custody. If the office in which the record is kept is in a foreign country, the
certificate may be made by a secretary of the embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice
consul, or consular agent or by any officer in the foreign service of the Philippines stationed in
 the foreign country in which the record is kept, and authenticated by the seal of his
office. (emphasis supplied)

SEC. 25. What attestation of copy must state. — Whenever a copy of a document or
record is attested for the purpose of the evidence, the attestation must state, in substance, that
the copy is a correct copy of the original, or a specific part thereof, as the case may be. The
attestation must be under the official seal of the attesting officer, if there be any, or if he be the
clerk of a court having a seal, under the seal of such court.

The documents presented by the petitioners as proof, whether taken singly or as a whole, do not
sufficiently prove that respondent was validly terminated as a probationary employee under Kuwaiti civil service
laws. Instead of submitting a copy of the pertinent Kuwaiti labor laws duly authenticated and translated by
Embassy officials thereat, as required under the Rules, what petitioners submitted were mere certifications
attesting only to the correctness of the translations of the MOA and the termination letter which does not prove
at all that Kuwaiti civil service laws differ from Philippine laws and that under such Kuwaiti laws, respondent
was validly terminated. Thus the subject certifications read:

xxxx

This is to certify that the herein attached translation/s from Arabic to English/Tagalog and
or vice versa was/were presented to this Office for review and certification and the same
was/were found to be in order. This Office, however, assumes no responsibility as to the
contents of the document/s.

This certification is being issued upon request of the interested party for whatever legal
purpose it may serve.

PETITION DENIED.