CA affirms ruling vs Napoles firm

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed a ruling of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) which found that Janet Lim-Napoles’ firm, JLN Corporation, illegally dismissed two of its employees.

In a decision written by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, the CA dismissed the appeal filed by Napoles and JLN on the case of Mary Arlen Baltazar and Marina C. Sula.

Baltazar and Sula are among the witnesses on the graft and plunder cases filed against Napoles and several other persons in connection with the alleged misuse of the outlawed Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the so called pork barrel scam.

In its ruling dated Feb. 27, 2015, the NLRC ordered Napoles and JLN to pay Baltazar and Sula their separation pay, back wages, and unpaid salaries and 10 per cent of the award as attorney’s fees.

Dismissing the appeal of Napoles and JLN, the CA said that the challenged against the NLRC decision must fail.

“Petitioners’ (Napoles and JLN) bare denial of the authenticity of the payslips and IDs presented by private respondents [employees]… cannot prevail over the probative value of these documents and the credence given them by the labor tribunals which had the opportunity of closely scrutinizing them. These documents clearly indicate that private respondents were regular employees of JLN Corporation,” the CA said.