Arbiter, following the well-settled rule that jurisdiction is determined by law and not by consent or agreement of the parties or by estoppel.[14] Finally, the appellate court ruled that a case falling under the jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiter as provided under Art. 217 of the Labor Code may be lodged instead with a Voluntary Arbitrator because the law prefers, or gives primacy, to voluntary arbitration instead of compulsoryarbitration.[15] Consequently, the contention that the NLRC would be deprived of its jurisdiction to try, hear and decide termination disputes under Art. 217 of the Labor Code, should the instant dispute be referred to the Voluntary Arbitration Committee, is clearly bereft of merit.[16] Besides, the Voluntary Arbitrator, whether acting solely or in a panel, enjoys in law the status of a quasi-judicial agency independent of, and apart from, the NLRC since his decisions are not appealable to the latter. [17] Celestino Vivero, in his petition for review assailing the Decision of the Court of Appeals, alleges that the appellate court committed grave abuse of discretion in holding that a Voluntary Arbitrator or Panel of Voluntary Arbitrators, and not the Adjudication Branch of the NLRC, has jurisdiction over his complaint for illegal dismissal. He claims that his complaint for illegal dismissal was undeniably a termination dispute and did not, in any way, involve an "interpretation or implementation of collective bargaining agreement" or "interpretation" or "enforcement" of company personnel policies. Thus, it should fall within the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the NLRC and its Labor Arbiter, and not with a Voluntary Arbitrator, in accordance with Art. 217 of the Labor Code. Private respondents, on the other hand, allege that the case is clearly one "involving the proper interpretation and implementation of theGrievance Procedure found in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the parties"[18] because of petitioners allegation in his claim/assistance request form submitted to the Union, to wit: NATURE OF COMPLAINT 3. Illegal Dismissal - Reason: (1) That in this case it was the master of M.V. SUNNY PRINCE Capt. Andersen who created the trouble with physical injury and stating false allegation; (2) That there was no proper procedure of grievance; (3) No proper notice of dismissal. Is there a Notice of dismissal? _x_ Yes or ____ No What date? 11 July 1994 Is there a Grievance Procedure observed? ____ Yes or _x_ No[19] Private respondents further allege that the fact that petitioner sought the assistance of his Union evidently shows that he himself was convinced that his Complaint was within the ambit of the jurisdiction of the grievance machinery and subsequently by a Panel of Voluntary Arbitrators as provided for in their CBA, and as explicitly mandated by Art. 261 of the Labor Code.[20]