ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | May 8, 2022
Palagain nating naririnig na ang ating mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) ang mga bagong bayani dahil sa mga dolyar na ipinapasok nila sa ating bayan mula sa banyagang bansa na kanilang mga pinagtatrabahuhan.
Kaugnay nito, sila ay pinagkakalooban ng batas ng mga karapatan at benepisyo para maprotektahan ang kanilang kapakanan bilang mga mamamayang nagsasakripisyo sa ibayong dagat. Isa sa mga benepisyo nila ay ang hindi pagkakaltas ng buwis na ipinapataw ng Taxation Law ng Pilipinas sa kanilang mga sahod mula sa ibang bansa. Ngunit sila ay magbabayad pa rin ng labing-dalawang porsyento (12%) na Value Added Tax (VAT) sa kanilang mga transaksyon na pinapatawan ng nabanggit na buwis.
Ang pangunahing proteksyon ng isang OFW ay ang mga nakasaad na istipulasyon sa kanyang Contract of Employment sapagkat dito nakasaad ang lahat ng responsibilidad na kanyang gagampanan at ng kompanyang kanyang pinaglilingkuran kasama na ang mga benepisyo na kanyang tatanggapin. Alinman sa mga probisyong ito ang nilabag ng kanilang mga employer, may karampatang batas tayo na poprotekta sa kanila.
Sa panahon na ang OFWs ay nagkakaproblema sa kanilang mga employers, may karapatan ang mga ito para humingi ng tulong mula sa embahada ng Pilipinas na nasa bansang kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan kung saan may mga nakatalagang tao para tumulong sa kanila.
Ang Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ay may mandato na magbigay ng libreng serbisyong legal sa mga biktima ng illegal recruitment at iba pang mga kasong administratibo o kriminal sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng payong legal at pag-asiste sa paggawa ng mga papel kung saan nakasaad ang kanilang mga reklamo.
Ang mga OFWs ay may karapatan upang magsampa ng sibil, administratibo o kriminal na kaso laban sa banyagang employer na kanilang pinaglilingkuran. Sa pagpasa ng Republic Act No. 8042 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995), na inamyendahan ng Republic Act No. 10022, ang mga labor arbiters ay may hurisdiksyon upang dinggin at pagpasiyahan ang lahat ng usapin na nagmula sa relasyon ng isang empleyado at ng kanilang employer sa ibayong dagat. Ito ay malinaw na nakasaad sa batas kung saan sinabi:
“Section 7. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 10. Money Claims. - Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Labor Arbiters of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) shall have the original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within ninety (90) calendar days after the filing of the complaint, the claims arising out of an employer-employee relationship or by virtue of any law or contract involving Filipino workers for overseas deployment including claims for actual, moral, exemplary and other forms of damage. Consistent with this mandate, the NLRC shall endeavor to update and keep abreast with the developments in the global services industry.
"The liability of the principal/employer and the recruitment/placement agency for any and all claims under this section shall be joint and several. This provision shall be incorporated in the contract for overseas employment and shall be a condition precedent for its approval. The performance bond to de filed by the recruitment/placement agency, as provided by law, shall be answerable for all money claims or damages that may be awarded to the workers. If the recruitment/placement agency is a juridical being, the corporate officers and directors and partners as the case may be, shall themselves be jointly and solidarily liable with the corporation or partnership for the aforesaid claims and damages.”
Malinaw din sa nabanggit na probisyon ng batas na maaaring papanagutin na magbayad ang employer ng danyos. Maging ang mga pinsalang pansalapi na natamo ng mga Pilipinong nagtatrabaho sa ibayong dagat dahil sa paglabag ng kanilang employer sa mga batas at sa mga nilalamang probisyon ng kontrata. Sa ganitong kaso, maaaring isama ang anumang kahilingan para sa aktwal, moral at iba pang anyo ng kapinsalaan. Ang pagbabayad sa mga ito ay parehong pananagutan ng principal employer at ng recruitment agency at marapat na nasa istipulasyon ng kontrata.
Kapag ang isang OFW ay natanggal sa kanyang trabaho sa ibayong dagat na walang makatuwiran, balido o pinapayagang dahilan na itinalaga ng batas o ng kanyang kontrata, ang nasabing OFW ay may karapatan para ipasauli ang kanyang placement fee kasama ang tinatayang interes na labing-dalawang porsyento (12%) kada taon bukod sa kabayaran ng kanyang sweldo para sa natitirang panahon sa kanyang kontrata. Ito ay alinsunod sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema sa kaso na pinamagatang Donna B. Jacob versus First Step Manpower Int'l Services, Inc.,G.R. No. 229984, July 08, 2020), kung saan sinabi ng Korte Suprema sa pamamagitan ni Honorable Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen na:
“Petitioner, for having been illegally dismissed from employment, is also entitled to her salaries corresponding to the unexpired portion of her employment contract in accordance with Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10022 which, in part, reads:
SECTION 7. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
SEC. 10. Money Claims. — Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Labor Arbiters of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) shall have the original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within ninety (90) calendar days after the filing of the complaint, the claims arising out of an employer-employee relationship or by virtue of any law or contract involving Filipino workers for overseas deployment including claims for actual, moral, exemplary and other forms of damages. Consistent with this mandate, the NLRC shall endeavor to update and keep abreast with the developments in the global services industry.
The liability of the principal/employer and the recruitment/placement agency for any and all claims under this section shall be joint and several. This provision shall be incorporated in the contract for overseas employment and shall be a condition precedent for its approval. The performance bond to be filed by the recruitment/placement agency, as provided by law, shall be answerable for all money claims or damages that may be awarded to the workers. If the recruitment/placement agency is a juridical being, the corporate officers and directors and partners as the case may be, shall themselves be jointly and solidarily liable with the corporation or partnership for the aforesaid claims and damages.
Such liabilities shall continue during the entire period or duration of the employment contract and shall not be affected by any substitution, amendment or modification made locally or in a foreign country of the said contract.
Any compromise/amicable settlement or voluntary agreement on money claims inclusive of damages under this section shall be paid within thirty (30) days from the approval of the settlement by the appropriate authority.
In case of termination of overseas employment without just, valid or authorized cause as defined by law or contract, or any unauthorized deductions from the migrant worker's salary, the worker shall be entitled to the full reimbursement of his placement fee and the deductions made with interest at twelve percent (12%) per annum, plus his salaries for the unexpired portion of his employment contract or for three (3) months for every year of the unexpired term, whichever is less. (Emphasis supplied).
In Sameer Overseas Placement Agency, Inc. v. Cabiles, the phrase "or for three (3) months for every year of the unexpired term, whichever is less" in the above provision of Republic Act No. 10022 was struck down for violating "constitutional rights to equal protection and due process." Accordingly, as aptly ruled by the Labor Arbiter, petitioner is entitled to her salaries for the unexpired portion of her employment contract.
Nevertheless, this Court cannot grant petitioner's prayer that respondents be liable for an interest of "twelve (12%) percent per annum of the total judgment award" as allegedly stated under Republic Act No. 10022. The said 12% interest particularly pertains to the reimbursement of placement fees. Thus, in light of prevailing jurisprudence, an interest of six percent (6%) per annum shall be imposed on the total monetary awards from the time of the filing of the complaint until their full satisfaction.”
Kinikilala ng Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) ang kontribusyon ng mga OFWs sa ating bansa.Upang mas mapangalagaan pa at mabigyan ng proteksyon ang kanilang mga karapatan, nakasaad sa 2021 Revised PAO Operations Manual na maaaring tulungan at mabigyan ng libreng serbisyo legal ang mga kwalipikadong OFWs ayon sa sumusunod na probisyon:
“ARTICLE 5. Persons/Entities Qualified for Legal Assistance Pursuant to Memoranda of Agreement/Understanding, Department of Justice (DOJ) Directives and Special Laws, as follows:
Xxx xxx xxx
6) Qualified Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in all cases within the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) (Memorandum of Agreement between PAO and Department of Labor and Employment [DOLE], Philippine Overseas Employment Administration [POEA], National Labor Relations Commission [NLRC], Overseas Workers Welfare Administration [OWWA] and some non-government organizations (NGOs), dated April 2, 1993).”
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