Case Digest: Vergara v. Coca-Cola
G.R. No. 176985 : April 1, 2013
RICARDO E. VERGARA, JR., Petitioner, v. COCA-COLA BOTTLERS PHILIPPINES, INC., Respondent.
PERALTA,J.:
FACTS:
Petitioner Ricardo E. Vergara, Jr. was an employee of respondent Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. from May 1968 until he retired on January 31, 2002 as a District Sales Supervisor (DSS) for Las Pis City, Metro Manila. As stipulated in respondents existing Retirement Plan Rules and Regulations at the time, the Annual Performance Incentive Pay of RSMs, DSSs, and SSSs shall be considered in the computation of retirement benefits.
Claiming his entitlement to an additional PhP474,600.00 as Sales Management Incentives (SMI) and to the amount of PhP496,016.67 which respondent allegedly deducted illegally, representing the unpaid accounts of two dealers within his jurisdiction, petitioner filed a complaint before the NLRC on June 11, 2002 for the payment of his Full Retirement Benefits, Merit Increase, Commission/Incentives, Length of Service, Actual, Moral and Exemplary Damages, and Attorneys Fees. Subsequently, they filed their respective Position Paper and Reply thereto dealing on the two remaining issues of SMI entitlement and illegal deduction.
The LA rendered a Decision in favor of petitioner, directing respondent to reimburse the amount illegally deducted from petitioners retirement package and to integrate therein his SMI privilege. Upon appeal of respondent, however, the NLRC modified the award and deleted the payment of SMI.
Petitioner then moved to partially execute the reimbursement of illegal deduction, which the LA granted despite respondents opposition. Later, without prejudice to the pendency of petitioners petition for certiorari before the CA, the parties executed a Compromise Agreementon October 4, 2006, whereby petitioner acknowledged full payment by respondent of the amount of PhP496,016.67 covering the amount illegally deducted.
The CA dismissed petitioners case on January 9, 2007 and denied his motion for reconsideration thereafter. Hence, this present petition to resolve the singular issue of whether the SMI should be included in the computation of petitioners retirement benefits on the ground of consistent company practice. Petitioner insistently avers that many DSSs who retired without achieving the sales and collection targets were given the average SMI in their retirement package.
ISSUE: Whether or not petitioner is entitled to the payment of SMI
HELD: No. CA decision affirmed.
Labor Law- To be considered as a regular company practice, the employee must prove by substantial evidence that the giving of the benefit is done over a long period of time, and that it has been made consistently and deliberately.
There is diminution of benefits when the following requisites are present: (1) the grant or benefit is founded on a policy or has ripened into a practice over a long period of time; (2) the practice is consistent and deliberate; (3) the practice is not due to error in the construction or application of a doubtful or difficult question of law; and (4) the diminution or discontinuance is done unilaterally by the employer.
To be considered as a regular company practice, the employee must prove by substantial evidence that the giving of the benefit is done over a long period of time, and that it has been made consistently and deliberately. Jurisprudence has not laid down any hard-and-fast rule as to the length of time that company practice should have been exercised in order to constitute voluntary employer practice.The common denominator in previously decided cases appears to be the regularity and deliberateness of the grant of benefits over a significant period of time. It requires an indubitable showing that the employer agreed to continue giving the benefit knowing fully well that the employees are not covered by any provision of the law or agreement requiring payment thereof. In sum, the benefit must be characterized by regularity, voluntary and deliberate intent of the employer to grant the benefit over a considerable period of time.
Upon review of the entire case records, the SC finds no substantial evidence to prove that the grant of SMI to all retired DSSs regardless of whether or not they qualify to the same had ripened into company practice. Despite more than sufficient opportunity given him while his case was pending before the NLRC, the CA, and even to this Court, petitioner utterly failed to adduce proof to establish his allegation that SMI has been consistently, deliberately and voluntarily granted to all retired DSSs without any qualification or conditions whatsoever.
DENIED
RICARDO E. VERGARA, JR., Petitioner, v. COCA-COLA BOTTLERS PHILIPPINES, INC., Respondent.
PERALTA,J.:
FACTS:
Petitioner Ricardo E. Vergara, Jr. was an employee of respondent Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. from May 1968 until he retired on January 31, 2002 as a District Sales Supervisor (DSS) for Las Pis City, Metro Manila. As stipulated in respondents existing Retirement Plan Rules and Regulations at the time, the Annual Performance Incentive Pay of RSMs, DSSs, and SSSs shall be considered in the computation of retirement benefits.
Claiming his entitlement to an additional PhP474,600.00 as Sales Management Incentives (SMI) and to the amount of PhP496,016.67 which respondent allegedly deducted illegally, representing the unpaid accounts of two dealers within his jurisdiction, petitioner filed a complaint before the NLRC on June 11, 2002 for the payment of his Full Retirement Benefits, Merit Increase, Commission/Incentives, Length of Service, Actual, Moral and Exemplary Damages, and Attorneys Fees. Subsequently, they filed their respective Position Paper and Reply thereto dealing on the two remaining issues of SMI entitlement and illegal deduction.
The LA rendered a Decision in favor of petitioner, directing respondent to reimburse the amount illegally deducted from petitioners retirement package and to integrate therein his SMI privilege. Upon appeal of respondent, however, the NLRC modified the award and deleted the payment of SMI.
Petitioner then moved to partially execute the reimbursement of illegal deduction, which the LA granted despite respondents opposition. Later, without prejudice to the pendency of petitioners petition for certiorari before the CA, the parties executed a Compromise Agreementon October 4, 2006, whereby petitioner acknowledged full payment by respondent of the amount of PhP496,016.67 covering the amount illegally deducted.
The CA dismissed petitioners case on January 9, 2007 and denied his motion for reconsideration thereafter. Hence, this present petition to resolve the singular issue of whether the SMI should be included in the computation of petitioners retirement benefits on the ground of consistent company practice. Petitioner insistently avers that many DSSs who retired without achieving the sales and collection targets were given the average SMI in their retirement package.
ISSUE: Whether or not petitioner is entitled to the payment of SMI
HELD: No. CA decision affirmed.
Labor Law- To be considered as a regular company practice, the employee must prove by substantial evidence that the giving of the benefit is done over a long period of time, and that it has been made consistently and deliberately.
There is diminution of benefits when the following requisites are present: (1) the grant or benefit is founded on a policy or has ripened into a practice over a long period of time; (2) the practice is consistent and deliberate; (3) the practice is not due to error in the construction or application of a doubtful or difficult question of law; and (4) the diminution or discontinuance is done unilaterally by the employer.
To be considered as a regular company practice, the employee must prove by substantial evidence that the giving of the benefit is done over a long period of time, and that it has been made consistently and deliberately. Jurisprudence has not laid down any hard-and-fast rule as to the length of time that company practice should have been exercised in order to constitute voluntary employer practice.The common denominator in previously decided cases appears to be the regularity and deliberateness of the grant of benefits over a significant period of time. It requires an indubitable showing that the employer agreed to continue giving the benefit knowing fully well that the employees are not covered by any provision of the law or agreement requiring payment thereof. In sum, the benefit must be characterized by regularity, voluntary and deliberate intent of the employer to grant the benefit over a considerable period of time.
Upon review of the entire case records, the SC finds no substantial evidence to prove that the grant of SMI to all retired DSSs regardless of whether or not they qualify to the same had ripened into company practice. Despite more than sufficient opportunity given him while his case was pending before the NLRC, the CA, and even to this Court, petitioner utterly failed to adduce proof to establish his allegation that SMI has been consistently, deliberately and voluntarily granted to all retired DSSs without any qualification or conditions whatsoever.
DENIED
