G.R. No. 162445 - DIONISIO L. BACARRA, VS. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION AND WILSON LEDESMA.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

accordingly granted the petition for review. In his petition before the CA , petitioner raised the following: GROUND RESPONDENT NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION COMMITTED GRAVE ABUSE OF DISCRETION TANTAMOUNT TO LACK OF JURISDICTION IN GRANTING THE APPEAL AND MODIFYING THE APPEALED DECISION OF THE LABOR ARBITER NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THE APPEAL WAS NOT PERFECTED AS THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL BOND POSTED BY THE RESPONDENT WILSON TO COMPLETE THE MONETARY AWARD AS DIRECTED IN THE RESOLUTION OF RESPONDENT NLRC PROMULGATED ON JANUARY 25, 2002, AND IN GIVING CREDIT/WEIGHT TO THE APPLICATION OF CESSATION OF BUSINESS WHICH WAS FILED ONLY ON JUNE 8, 2001 WHILE THE CASE FOR ILLEGAL DISMISSAL FILED AGAINST RESPONDENT WILSON WAS ALREADY SUBMITTED FOR DECISION . [21] (Emphasis and underscoring supplied) The ground raised before the CA thus raised two issues, namely: (1) whether the NLRC gravely abused its discretion in giving the appeal due course despite the non-posting of the additional bond which the NLRC required in its January 25, 2002 Resolution; and (2) whether the NLRC gravely abused its discretion in justifying the dismissal of petitioner on the cessation of business of respondent application for which was filed only on June 8, 2001 or long after petitioner was dismissed on February 18, 1999. Respecting the first issue raised before the CA, from the NLRC records of the case, it appears that, as claimed by respondent, it complied with the NLRC Resolution of January 25, 2002 by filing a bond in the amount of P344,600.00. [22] It is with respect to the second issue raised by petitioner before the CA that this Court finds a relaxation of the 60-day rule to be warranted. For the records show that indeed, respondent filed its application "for retirement" of its business, effective July 30, 1998, only in June 2001. [23] That petitioner filed the petition before the CA seven days beyond the 60-day reglementary period, which is still within the allowable 15-day period of extension, without awaiting the appellate court's resolution on his timely filed Motion for Extension, shows that he did not intend to unreasonably delay the disposition of the case. The rules, while designed to ensure a fair, orderly, and expeditious disposition of cases, are not meant to allow hasty judgments at the price of great injustice. [24] Gutierrez v. Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment [25] teaches: The emerging trend in the rulings of this Court is to afford every party-litigant the amplest opportunity for the proper and just determination of his cause, free from the constraints of technicalities . This is in line with the time-honored principle that cases should be decided only after giving all the parties the chance to argue their causes and defenses. For, it is far better to dispose of a case on the merits which is a primordial end rather than on a technicality, if it be the case that may result in injustice . [26] (Underscoring supplied) WHEREFORE , the a