The Secretary of Labor May Issue An: The Employment of The Applicant Will Redound To The National Interest
The Secretary of Labor May Issue An: The Employment of The Applicant Will Redound To The National Interest
The Secretary of Labor May Issue An: The Employment of The Applicant Will Redound To The National Interest
"
CONE, petitioners, In any case, the term "non-resident alien" and its
vs. obverse "resident alien," here must be given their
HON. RUBEN D. TORRES, in his capacity as Secretary of technical connotation under our law on immigration.
Labor and Employment, HON. BIENVENIDO E.
LAGUESMA, in his capacity as Acting Secretary of Labor
and Employment, and BASKETBALL COACHES No impairment of the obligations of contracts. The
ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, respondents. provisions of the Labor Code and its Implementing
Rules and Regulations requiring alien employment
April 22, 1991 FELICIANO, J.: permits were in existence long before petitioners
entered into their contract of employment. It is firmly
settled that provisions of applicable laws, especially
FACTS:
provisions relating to matters affected with public
policy, are deemed written into contracts. Private
Earl Timothy Cone, a US citizen and sports consultant parties cannot constitutionally contract away the
and assistant coach for petitioner General Milling otherwise applicable provisions of law.
Corporation (GMC) was issued by DOLE an Alien
Employment Permit.
GMC and Cone entered into a contract of Petitioners' contention that respondent Secretary of
employment whereby the latter undertook to coach Labor should have deferred to the findings of
GMC's basketball team. Commission on Immigration and Deportation as to the
Cone's application for a change of admission status necessity of employing petitioner Cone, is, again,
from temporary visitor to pre-arranged employee was bereft of legal basis. The Labor Code itself specifically
later approved. empowers respondent Secretary to make a
Later, GMC requested renewal of Cone’s alien determination as to the availability of the services of a
employment permit and to be allowed to employ Cone "person in the Philippines who is competent, able and
as full-fledge coach. The DOLE Regional Director willing at the time of application to perform the
granted the request services for which an alien is desired." In short, the
Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines Department of Labor is the agency vested with
("BCAP") appealed the issuance of said alien jurisdiction to determine the question of availability of
employment permit to the respondent Secretary of local workers.
Labor who, on 23 April 1990, issued a decision
ordering cancellation of petitioner Cone's Petitioners apparently also question the validity of the
employment permit on the ground that there was no Implementing Rules and Regulations, specifically Section 6 (c),
showing that there is no person in the Philippines who Rule XIV, Book I of the Implementing Rules, as imposing a
is competent, able and willing to perform the services condition not found in the Labor Code itself. Section 6 (c), Rule
required nor that the hiring of petitioner Cone would XIV, Book I of the Implementing Rules, provides as follows:
redound to the national interest.
Petitioners filed for MFR but was denied by Secretary
of Labor Section 6. Issuance of Employment Permit –
– the Secretary of Labor may issue an
employment permit to the applicant based
ISSUE: WON Secretary of Labor gravely abused discretion NO on:
WON Labor Code does not empower Secretary to determine if
the employment of an alien would redound to national interest
NO, he is empowered Petition Dismissed a) Compliance by the applicant and his
employer with the requirements of Section 2
hereof;
RATIO: b) Report of the Bureau Director as to the
availability or non-availability of any person
Petitioners have failed to show any grave abuse of in the Philippines who is competent and
discretion or any act without or in excess of willing to do the job for which the services of
jurisdiction on the part of respondent Secretary of the applicant are desired.
Labor (c) His assessment as to whether or not
the employment of the applicant will
GMC's claim that hiring of a foreign coach is an redound to the national interest;
employer's prerogative has no legal basis at all. (d) Admissibility of the alien as certified by
Under Article 40 of the Labor Code, an employer the Commission on Immigration and
seeking employment of an alien must first obtain an Deportation;
employment permit from the Department of Labor. (e) The recommendation of the Board of
[Subject to statutory limits] Investments or other appropriate
government agencies if the applicant will be
employed in preferred areas of investments
Petitioners will not find solace in the equal protection or in accordance with the imperative of
clause of the Constitution. As pointed out by the economic development; (Emphasis
Solicitor-General, no comparison can be made supplied)
between petitioner Cone and Mr. Norman Black as
the latter is "a long time resident of the country," and Article 40 of the Labor Code reads as follows:
thus, not subject to the provisions of Article 40 of the
Art. 40. Employment per unit of non-resident
aliens. –– Any alien seeking admission to the
Philippines for employment purposes and
any domestic or foreign employer who
desires to engage an alien for employment in
the Philippines shall obtain an employment
permit from the Department of Labor.