G.R. NO. 152322 -

Ruling

accordingly approved the manner and/or actions undertaken in pursuing said difficult task of arriving at a most beneficial agreement for the general membership; NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved that: . . . b) the general membership reiterate its loyalty to the Association and commends the Association officers for their effort expended in working for the benefit of the whole membership. APPROVED. Manila. 10 December 1997. On 22 November 1999, a decision [12] was rendered by Regional Director Maximo B. Lim, adverse to petitioners, the dispositive portion of which reads: WHEREFORE, premises considered, respondent[s] [are] hereby ordered: to immediately lift suspension imposed upon the complainants; to hold a general membership meeting wherein they (respondents) make open and available the unions/associations books of accounts and other documents pertaining to the union funds [and] thereby explain the financial status of the union; to regularly conduct special and general membership meetings in accordance with the unions constitution and by-laws; to immediately hold/conduct an election of officers in accordance with the unions constitution and by-laws. Accordingly, the claims of complainants for damages [are] hereby ordered dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. However, within ten (10) days upon receipt of this Order, the complainants are hereby directed to submit a written report whether or not the respondents had complied with this Order. The petitioners appealed to the Bureau of Labor Relations of the Department of Labor and Employment (BLR-DOLE). During the pendency of this appeal, or on 07 April 2000, an election of officers was held by the UEEA. The appeal, however, was dismissed for lack of merit in a Resolution [13] dated 22 September 2000, the decretal portion of which reads: WHEREFORE, the appeal is hereby DISMISSED for lack of merit and the decision dated 22 (November) 1999 of Regional Director Maximo B. Lim, DOLE-NCR, is AFFIRMED. Meanwhile, Resolution No. 8, Series of 2000, was passed by the UEEA, wherein the members allegedly reiterated their support and approval of the acts and collateral actions of the officers. [14] A Motion for Reconsideration [15] was filed by the petitioners with the BLR-DOLE, but was denied in a Resolution [16] dated 15 January 2001. A special civil action for certiorari [17] was thereafter filed before the Court of Appeals citing grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction. In a Resolution [18] dated 22 February 2001, the Court of Appeals dismissed the petition outright for failure to comply with the provisions of Section 1, Rule 65 in relation to Section 3, Rule 46 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. A Motion for Reconsideration [19] was filed which was granted in a Resolution [20] dated 24 April 2001, thus, reinstating the petition. On 24 October 2001, the Court of Appeals rendered a Decision [21] dismissing the petition, the dispositive portion of which rea