FIRST DIVISION [G.R. No. 110524. March 14, 2000] DOUGLAS MILLARES and ROGELIO LAGDA, petitioners, vs. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION, TRANS-GLOBAL MARITIME AGENCY, INC. and ESSO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CO., LTD., respondents. DECISION KAPUNAN, J.: Petitioners Douglas Millares and Rogelio Lagda seek the nullification of the decision, dated June 1, 1993, of the public respondent National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) rendered in POEA Case (M) Adj 89-10-961 entitled "Douglas Millares and Rogelio Lagda v. Trans-Global Maritime Agency, Inc. and ESSO International Shipping Co., Ltd., et. al." dismissing for lack of merit petitioners' appeal and motion for new trial and affirming the decision, dated July 17, 1991, rendered by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Mis spped The antecedent facts of the instant case are as follows: Petitioner Douglas Millares was employed by private respondent ESSO International Shipping Company Ltd. (Esso International, for brevity) through its local manning agency, private respondent Trans-Global Maritime Agency, Inc. (Trans-Global, for brevity) on November 16, 1968 as a machinist. In 1975, he was promoted as Chief Engineer which position he occupied until he opted to retire in 1989. He was then receiving a monthly salary of US $1,939.00.1[1] On June 13, 1989, petitioner Millares applied for a leave of absence for the period July 9 to August 7, 1989. In a letter dated June 14, 1989, Michael J. Estaniel, President of private respondent Trans-Global, approved the request for leave of absence.2[2] On June 21, 1989, petitioner Millares wrote G.S. Hanly, Operations Manager of Exxon International Co., (now Esso International) through Michael J. Estaniel, informing him of his intention to avail of the optional retirement plan under the Consecutive Enlistment Incentive Plan (CEIP) considering that he had already rendered more than twenty (20) years of continuous service. On July 13, 1989 respondent Esso International, through W.J. Vrints, Employee Relations Manager, denied petitioner Millares' request for 1[1] Rollo, p. 531. 2[2] Ibid.

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