G.R. No. 200094, 10 June 2013

FACTS:

PCCr is a non-stock educational institution, while the petitioners were janitors, janitresses and supervisor in the Maintenance Department of PCCr under the supervision and control of Atty. Florante A. Seril (Atty. Seril), PCCr’s Senior Vice President for Administration. The petitioners, however, were made to understand, upon application with respondent school, that they were under MBMSI, a corporation engaged in providing janitorial services to clients. Atty. Seril is also the President and General Manager of MBMSI.

Sometime in 2008, PCCr discovered that the Certificate of Incorporation of MBMSI had been revoked as of July 2, 2003. On March 16, 2009, PCCr, through its President, respondent Gregory Alan F. Bautista (Bautista), citing the revocation, terminated the school’s relationship with MBMSI, resulting in the dismissal of the employees or maintenance personnel under MBMSI, except Alfonso Bongot (Bongot) who was retired.

Illegal dismissal cases were filed by the petitioner.

On the other hand, PCCr and Bautista contended that (a) PCCr could not have illegally dismissed the complainants because it was not their direct employer; (b) MBMSI was the one who had complete and direct control over the complainants; and (c) PCCr had a contractual agreement with MBMSI, thus, making the latter their direct employer.

After due proceedings, the LA handed down his decision, finding that (a) PCCr was the real principal employer of the complainants ; (b) MBMSI was a mere adjunct or alter ego/labor-only contractor; (c) the complainants were regular employees of PCCr; and (d) PCCr/Bautista were in bad faith in dismissing the complainants.

ISSUE:

Whether or not their claims against the respondents were amicably settled by virtue of the releases, waivers and quitclaims which they had executed in favor of MBMSI.

Whether or not a dissolved corporation can enter into an agreement such as releases, waivers and quitclaims beyond the 3-year winding up period under Section 122 of the Corporation Code.

RULING:

No. Petitioners further argue that MBMSI had no legal personality to incur civil liabilities as it did not exist as a corporation on account of the fact that its Certificate of Incorporation had been revoked on July 2, 2003. Petitioners ask this Court to exempt MBMSI from its liabilities because it is no longer existing as a corporation.

The Court cannot accommodate the prayer of petitioners.

The executed releases, waivers and quitclaims are valid and binding notwithstanding the revocation of MBMSI’s Certificate of Incorporation. The revocation does not result in the termination of its liabilities. Section 12227 of the Corporation Code provides for a three-year winding up period for a corporation whose charter is annulled by forfeiture or otherwise to continue as a body corporate for the purpose, among others, of settling and closing its affairs.

Even if said documents were executed in 2009, six (6) years after MBMSI’s dissolution in 2003, the same are still valid and binding upon the parties and the dissolution will not terminate the liabilities incurred by the dissolved corporation pursuant to Sections 122 and 14528 of the Corporation Code. In the case of Premiere Development Bank v. Flores,29 the Court held that a corporation is allowed to settle and close its affairs even after the winding up period of three (3) years.

*Case Digest by Claudette Anne G. Sayson JD IV, S.Y. 2019-2020