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THIRD DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 224521, February 17, 2020 ]
BISHOP SHINJI AMARI OF ABIKO BAPTIST CHURCH, REPRESENTED
BY SHINJI AMARI AND MISSIONARY BAPTIST INSTITUTE AND
SEMINARY, REPRESENTED BY ITS DIRECTOR JOEL P.
NEPOMUCENO, PETITIONERS, VS. RICARDO R. VILLAFLOR, JR.,
RESPONDENT.
DECISION
GESMUNDO, J.:
This is an appeal by certiorari seeking to reverse and set aside the October 27, 2015
Decision[1] and April 26, 2016 Resolution[2] of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. SP
No. 08067. The CA reversed and set aside the July 15, 2013 Decision[3] and September
30, 2013 Resolution[4] of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and
reinstated the February 12, 2013 Decision[5] of the Labor Arbiter (LA) with instructions
to the latter to re-compute the monetary awards of backwages, separation pay, and
attorney's fees based on the date of finality of the CA's Decision.
Antecedents
The controversy stemmed from the Letter dated November 24, 2011[6] where Ricardo
R. Villaflor, Jr. (respondent) was informed of his removal as a missionary of the Abiko
Baptist Church, cancellation of his American Baptist Association (ABA) recommendation
as a national missionary, and exclusion of his membership in the Abiko Baptist Church
in Japan.
Respondent believed that he was dismissed from his employment without the benefit of
due process and valid cause; thus, he filed a complaint before the NLRC. He claimed
that he was illegally dismissed from his work as missionary/minister because he
refused to sign a resignation letter and vacate the property where he had already
constructed a house and church building. Consequently, his salary was cut off.[7]
For their part, petitioners alleged that in 1999, respondent became a missionary
sponsored by Bishop Shinji Amari of the Abiko Baptist Church (BSAABC). Respondent
was appointed as an instructor at the Shinji Amari & Missionary Baptist Institute and
Seminary (MBIS; petitioner) effective June 1999.[8] However, a Certification issued by
MBIS Director Joel Nepomuceno states that sometime during the schoolyear 20062007, respondent told Bishop Shinji Amari that he cannot continue teaching due to the
distance between San Carlos City, where his mission work was, and MBIS, Minglanilla,
Cebu. His appointment as volunteer teacher was thereafter cancelled.[9]
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