Paflu V Bureau of Labor Relations
Paflu V Bureau of Labor Relations
FACTS:
In the case at bar, petitioner is assailing that Director Noriel committed grave abuse of discretion
when he did not follow the doctrine of Allied Workers Association of the Philippines v. Court of
Industrial Relations which states that during certification elections, spoiled ballots should be
counted in determining the valid votes cast. Spoiled ballots are those that are torn, defaced or
marked. It is the belief of the petitioner that they would have won over the respondent had the
17 spoiled votes been counted during the elections.
Respondents argue that said doctrine arose during a time when the Industrial Peace Act was in
effect. Since the Labor Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations now govern labor
relations, the doctrine from the Allied Workers c ase is not anymore applicable.
ISSUE/S:
Whether or not the Director of Bureau of Labor Relations committed grave abuse of discretion
when he did not follow the Allied Workers doctrine? (NO)
RULING:
The Supreme Court ruled that the Director Noriel did not commit grave abuse of discretion when
octrine. The Director simply complied with the Rules and
he did not apply the Allied Workers d
Regulations of the present Labor Code when he did not deem the spoiled votes as “valid votes.”
The Court also held that in construing a law, great respect is afforded to the way a statute is
being construed by the executive official who is in charge of executing it.
More importantly, in this case, even if the spoiled votes have been counted, only 10 out of 17
would be intended for the petitioner. Hence, it would still not suffice for it to be granted the
certification to be the sole bargaining agent of the company’s employees.
In Re: Allen provides that, “The principle of extemporaneous construction of a statute by the
executive officers of the government, whose duty it is to execute it, is entitled with great respect,
and should ordinarily control the construction of the statute by the courts …”