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on petitioner. Also, since all medical tests and examinations were done by the
company-designated physician, petitioner’s physicians were not privies to his case from
the beginning. Thus, both Drs. Vicaldo and Caja’s findings were not adequate evidence
of petitioner’s loss of earning capacity due to ailment contracted during employment.
In a Resolution[21] dated July 4, 2005, the CA issued a TRO enjoining the NLRC from
enforcing the following issuances: a) NLRC Decision dated February 26, 2004; b) NLRC
Decision dated August 24, 2004; c) NLRC Resolution dated February 28, 2005; and d)
Writ of Execution issued by the Labor Arbiter on May 31, 2005 in NLRC NCR OFW 0111-2316-00. Thereafter, on September 28, 2005, a Writ of Preliminary Injunction was
issued upon respondents’ posting of a bond in the amount of P500,000.00.
The CA then rendered its Decision[22] on February 17, 2006. It found merit in the
petition and ruled that the NLRC gravely abused its discretion in relying on the
certification issued by Dr. Caja instead of the fit to work declaration of the companydesignated physician who, under the POEA-SEC, is the one tasked to assess petitioner’s
medical condition for purposes of claiming disability compensation. Besides, the
medical certificate of Dr. Caja cannot be considered as an accurate assessment of the
illness contracted by petitioner during the course of his employment with respondents.
It was based merely on the statements given to Dr. Caja by petitioner and same did not
even provide for any justification for the rating given. Also, the certification was made
10 months from the date petitioner was declared fit to work and almost one year from
the date of his repatriation. And the most notable of all, petitioner consulted Dr. Caja
only once. With regard to the release and quitclaim, the CA upheld the same
considering that it was voluntarily executed by petitioner and that the consideration for
its issuance was not unconscionable and unreasonable. It ruled that respondents were
already released from liability when petitioner was declared fit to return to work and
after they paid him sickness allowance for which he even executed a quitclaim. Thus,
the dispositive portion of the CA Decision states:
WHEREFORE, the assailed Decisions dated February 26, 2004, and August
24, 2004, and the Resolution dated February 28, 2005 issued by the NLRC in
NCR CA No. 034945-03 are REVERSED AND SET ASIDE. The Decision of
the Labor Arbiter, dated January 21, 2003, dismissing private respondents’
complaint is REINSTATED.
SO ORDERED.[23]
Petitioner filed his Motion for Reconsideration[24] but same was denied by the CA in a
Resolution[25] dated August 1, 2006.
Hence, this present petition.
Issues
Petitioner anchors his petition on the following assignment of errors:
elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/54687
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