Ibinasura ng National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) ang kasong isinampa ng ilang mga nagbitiw na empleyado laban sa Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE, Inc.) na pinamumunuan ng CEO at president nitong si Romeo Jalosjos.
Ayon sa ulat ng Manila Bulletin, siyam na resigned employees ng producer ng dating "Eat Bulaga!" (na naging Tahanang Pinakamasaya) ang nagsampa ng reklamong "illegal dismissal" at "non-payment of benefits including overtime" laban sa kanila. Ang mga nagreklamo ay dating production staff ng EB, na naglingkod sa kanila mula 1998 hanggang 2022. Nagbitiw sila sa serbisyo noong Mayo 31 at Hunyo 2, 2023, kasabay ng pag-alis nina Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, at Joey De Leon o TVJ sa TAPE kasama ang iba pang Dabarkads.
Paliwanag ng NLRC na nasa ilalim ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), ang inirereklamo ng mga nabanggit na empleyado ay “regularization, non-payment of overtime pay, holiday pay, holiday premium, 13th month pay and night shift differential, damages, attorney's fees and other causes of action, i.e., non-payment of special project, unexplainable deductions.”
"Wherefore, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered dismissing the present complaint,” saad ng NLRC.
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Ayon pa sa paliwanag ng NLRC, hindi raw napatunayan ng mga nagrereklamo na sila ay ilegal na tinanggal sa serbisyo.
“In illegal dismissal cases, before the employer must bear the burden of proving that the dismissal was legal, the employee must first establish by substantial evidence the fact of his dismissal from service. Obviously, if there is no dismissal, then there can be no question as to its legality or illegality," anila.
Makikita raw kasi sa records na ang mga nagrereklamo ay hindi tinanggal kundi nagbitiw sa kanilang tungkulin.
“There is no evidence more glaring and conclusive than the resignation letters written and submitted by complainants themselves. The voluntary nature of complainants’ action manifested itself clearly to this office and belies their claim of constructive dismissal. The totality of the evidence presented indubitably shows that complainants resigned from their employment without any coercion or compulsion from respondents,” anila.
“It is not enough for complainants to claim constructive dismissal because they were allegedly not properly paid their salary/ wages during their employment with respondents. Underpayment, by itself, does not constitute constructive dismissal as would entitle one to the reliefs for an illegally dismissed employee," dagdag pa.
Iginiit pa ng NLRC na ang mga nagreklamong resigned employees ay ganap na may kamalayan sa mga epekto at konsekwensya ng kanilang resignation o pagbibitiw sa kompanya.
Samantala, nagbigay naman ng pahayag tungkol dito ang legal counsel ng TAPE na si Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque.
“TAPE felt vindicated. From the start TAPE is for the employees. That was the reason why they continued to air ‘Eat Bulaga sans TVJ and other key employees who went with them for their new show at TV5. TAPE thought of the 200 employees left who will have no work if they did not continue with the show. This as a prelude, I hope the truth will start to come out,” aniya.
