Justice in Every Step: Constructive Dismissal, Sexual Harassment

The courage of a Filipina to work as a household helper in a foreign land deserves much more than a cursory evaluation of the evidence on record. Failure of the Court of Appeals to appreciate the totality of the evidence which supports the claim of sexual harassment, maltreatment, and involuntary escape is definitely grave abuse of discretion correctible by this Court.

Constructive dismissal does not necessarily entail a "forthright dismissal or diminution in rank, compensation, benefit and privileges. Constructive dismissal also exists in cases where "an act of clear discrimination, insensibility, or disdain by an employer becomes so unbearable on the part of the employee that it could foreclose any choice by him [or her] except to forego his [or her] continued employment.

A review of the records shows that petitioner, as aptly found by the Labor Arbiter, was able to categorically relate the following circumstances:

Dumating po ako sa bansang Riyadh noon[g] January 12, 2015 at hinatid po ako ng amo ko sa agency ng Riyadh. Ako po ay dinala sa amo ko na si Abdulaziz Masser Adulaziz Al Masoud. Noong January 31, [2015] ng tanghali habang ako ay naghuhugas ng mga plato nagulat ako ng may lumapat na matigas na ari ng [amo] kong lalaki sa likod ko. Nagulat ako kasi gusto niya [akong] gahasain. Tumakbo ako sa third floor para magsumbong sa [amo] [kong] babae. Pero ayaw maniwala ang [amo] [kong] babae at ang sabi sinungaling daw ako. Kaya wala akong magawa kundi umiyak na lang. Ang sabi pa sakin ng [amo] [kong] babae wag daw ako madalas maligo at huwag daw ako [tumingin] sa mga mata ng [amo] [kong] lalaki. At kailangan nakatakip lahat maliban sa mata ko ang lumabas. At kai1angan nakatingin ako lagi sa lupa o sahig. Mula noon lagi nalang akong sinasaktan ng amo [kong] babae. Pag basa ang buhok ko lagi siya galit sa akin. Noong February 16, 2015 ako ay pinukpok ng sapatos at hinagisan ng sapatos ng amo kong babae. Kaya ako ay tumakas papunta sa agency sa Saudi. Subalit pagdating ko po doon sa agency nadatnan ko po si Roselie Bermido na taga Bicol. Ganon din nangyari sa kanya minaltrato din siya ng employer niya at muntik din gahasain ng among lalaki. Halos hindi po makatayo si Rosalie Bermido dahil sa gutom dahil hindi po sya pinapakain [nang] maayos noong dumating po ako doon parang tatakas siya noong gabi din na yon mga 11:30 ng gabi ay binigyan kami ng pagkain. Ang sabi po sa akin ni Rosalie kumain kami para lumakas at tatakas daw kami sa dahilang ang mga babae doon sa agency ay inaabuso at sinasampal kung sino ang magugustuhan ng Arabo. Kaya po natakot kami at isa pa po [ibebenta] kami sa Arabo na magiging employer namin ulit. [Nang] dumating ang 3:00 A.M. doon kami dumaan sa may C.R. ng agency sa bintana nagdugtong dugtong kami ng mga damit pa doon sa bintana ng mga may naunang tumakas. Sarado po kasi ang pinto at kinandado ng agency. Natakot na po kami kaya tumakas na po kami yong kasama ko na si Rosalie Bermido. Nakababa [nang] maayos si Rosalie Bermido subalit ako po ay bumagsak kaya [nabali] ang spinal column ko sa likod di na [ako] makalakad ng oras na yon may nakakita sa amin [na] isang Arabo at tumawag ng [pulis]. Nagmakaawa po kami dahil nilamas na ang aming mga suso kahit ako ang hindi makatayo. Kinalkal lahat ng mga damit namin at kinuha nila lahat ang tanging natira sa amin ay mga suot namin. Nag makaawa kami na dalhin kami sa ospital dahil hindi na po aka makatayo. Tumawag po sila ng ambulance at dinala kami sa King Saudi Medical City. Nakalakip dito ay may marking bilang Annex "2" ang aking medical records. Ako po ay inoperahan noong February 28, 2015 at mga ilang araw po sinundo na aka ng OWWA at dinala sa bahay kalinga at doon na aka nag hintay na mabigyan ako ng ticket exit visa. Ganon din si Rosalie Bermido. (Emphasis supplied)

It is discernable from petitioner's declaration that the controversy emanated from the lewd actuations of her male foreign employer on January 31, 2015. To avert a commotion, she reported the matter to her female employer but unfortunately, she was merely discredited and even blamed for the incident. From then on, petitioner's female foreign employer treated her differently. Jacob was subjected to physical and verbal harm that she was left with no other choice but to relinquish her employment.

Certainly, the treatment petitioner experienced in the hands of her foreign employers fostered a hostile and unbearable work setting which impelled her not only to leave her employers but also, as in petitioner's words, to escape (tumakas). The conclusion is all too clear that there exists a well¬grounded fear on her part prompting her to run away despite having been employed overseas for barely two (2) months.

The cessation of petitioner's employment was not of her own doing but was brought about by unfavorable circumstances created by her foreign employers. To put in simply, if petitioner failed to continue her job, it was because she refused to be further subjected to the ordeal caused by her employers' conduct. All of these evidently constitute a case of constructive dismissal.

Constructive dismissal, otherwise known as constructive discharge, is a form of illegal dismissal. In Siemens Philippines v. Domingo, the Court defined it as follows:

Constructive dismissal is defined as quitting when continued employment is rendered impossible, unreasonable or unlikely as the offer of employment involves a demotion in rank or diminution in pay. It exists when the resignation on the part of the employee was involuntary due to the harsh, hostile and unfavorable conditions set by the employer. It is brought about by the clear discrimination, insensibility or disdain shown by an employer which becomes unbearable to the employee. An employee who is forced to surrender his position through the employer's unfair or unreasonable acts is deemed to have been illegally terminated and such termination is deemed to be involuntary. (Citations omitted; Emphasis supplied)

Constructive dismissal does not always entail a "forthright dismissal or diminution in rank, compensation, benefit and privileges. Pertinent in the case at hand, there can also be constructive dismissal in cases where "an act of clear discrimination, insensibility, or disdain by an employer becomes so unbearable on the part of the employee that it could foreclose any choice by him [or her] except to forego his [or her] continued employment.

To gauge if constructive dismissal exists, the test is whether a reasonable person in the employee's standing was impelled to surrender his or her post under the given situation. It is a dismissal in disguise because the doing equates to a "dismissal[,] but made to appear as if it were not." Hence, "the law recognizes and resolves this situation in favor of employees in order to protect their rights and interests from the coercive acts of the employer."

Sources:

Donna Jacob v. First Step Manpower Int’l Services, Inc., G.R. No. 229984, 08 July 2020.

Hyatt Taxi Services Inc. v. Catinoy, 412 Phil. 295 (2001) [Per J. Gonzaga-Reyes, Third Division].

Philippine Japan Active Carbon Corp. v. NLRC, 253 Phil. 149, 152-153 (1989) [Per J, Griño-Aquino, First Division].

582 Phil. 86 (2008) [Per J. Nachura, Third Division].

McMer Corp., Inc. v. National Labor Relations Commission, 735 Phil. 204, 214 (2014) [Per J. Peralta, Third Division].

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Balace Law is a full-service law office based in Quezon City headed by Atty. Arnulfo B. Balace.

Atty. Balace handles legal services which include:

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