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681 Phil. 427
SECOND DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 175558, February 08, 2012 ]
SKIPPERS UNITED PACIFIC, INC. AND SKIPPERS MARITIME
SERVICES, INC., LTD., PETITIONERS, VS. NATHANIEL DOZA,
NAPOLEON DE GRACIA, ISIDRO L. LATA, AND CHARLIE APROSTA,
RESPONDENTS.
DECISION
CARPIO, J.:
The Case
This is a Petition for Review under Rule 45 assailing the 5 July 2006 Decision[1] and 7
November 2006 Resolution[2] of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. SP No. 88148.[3]
This arose from consolidated labor case[4] filed by seafarers Napoleon De Gracia (De
Gracia), Isidro L. Lata (Lata), Charlie Aprosta (Aprosta), and Nathaniel Doza (Doza)
against local manning agency Skippers United Pacific, Inc. and its foreign principal,
Skippers Maritime Services, Inc., Ltd. (Skippers) for unremitted home allotment for the
month of December 1998, salaries for the unexpired portion of their employment
contracts, moral damages, exemplary damages, and attorney's fees. Skippers, on the
other hand, answered with a claim for reimbursement of De Gracia, Aprosta and Lata's
repatriation expenses, as well as award of moral damages and attorney's fees.
De Gracia, Lata, Aprosta and Doza's (De Gracia, et al.) claims were dismissed by the
Labor Arbiter for lack of merit.[5] The Labor Arbiter also dismissed Skippers' claims.[6]
De Gracia, et al. appealed[7] the Labor Arbiter's decision with the National Labor
Relations Commission (NLRC), but the First Division of the NLRC dismissed the appeal
for lack of merit.[8] Doza, et al.'s Motion for Reconsideration was likewise denied by the
NLRC,[9] so they filed a Petition for Certiorari with the Court of Appeals (CA).[10]
The CA granted the petition, reversed the Labor Arbiter and NLRC Decisions, and
awarded to De Gracia, Lata and Aprosta their unremitted home allotment, three
months salary each representing the unexpired portion of their employment contracts
and attorney's fees.[11] No award was given to Doza for lack of factual basis.[12] The
CA denied Skippers' Motion for Partial Reconsideration.[13] Hence, this Petition.
The Facts
Skippers United Pacific, Inc. deployed, in behalf of Skippers, De Gracia, Lata, and
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