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Sandigan orders execution of ruling in favor of Lianga Bay Logging employees
Sandigan orders execution of ruling in favor of Lianga Bay Logging employees
The Sandiganbayan has ordered the execution of its July 18, 2023 resolution as part of its Feb. 21, 2023 decision which declared that 60 percent of the shareholdings of Lianga Bay Logging Co., Inc. (LBLCI) belonged to its employees.
Also ordered executed was the court's ruling that held businessman Peter A. Sabido of LBLCI liable to pay P1 million each for moral and exemplary damages, and P100,000 cost of suit.
The order was contained in the Nov. 7, 2023 resolution that granted the plea for a writ of execution filed by Diatagon Labor Federation (DLF) in behalf of LBLCI employees.
"Considering that no motion for reconsideration, notice of appeal or any appropriate pleading has been filed by defendant Peter A. Sabido or any other parties in this case despite the lapse of the reglementary period, the Resolution promulgated on July 18, 2023, which forms part of the Decision promulgated on Feb. 21, 2023 has already become final and executory," the anti-grafr court said.
'Let therefore, a Writ of Execution issued to enforce the resolution promulgated on July 18, 2023," it ruled.
The resolution was written by Associate Justice Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega with the concurrence of Chairperson Rafael R. Lagos and Associate Justice Maryann E. Corpus-Mañalac.
The case arose from the alleged ill-gotten wealth case filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) against then President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his alleged cronies Sabido, Robert S. Benedicto, Luis A. Yulo, Nicolas Dehesa, Jose R. Tengco Jr., Rafael Sison, Cesar Zalamea, and Don M. Ferry, as well as the companies LBLCI, Phil. Integrated Meat Corporation, Yulo King Ranch (YKR) Corporation, and PIMECO Marketing Corporation.
The ill-gotten wealth case had been dismissed by the Sandiganbayan.
However, DLF filed a motion for reconsideration and claimed that Sabido unlawfully obtained his shares in LBLCI and should therefore be declared as ill-gotten.
Acting on the motion, the court declared in its July 18, 2023 resolution: "Accordingly, the 60 percent of the shareholdings of LBLCI including all its assets, resources, and intangibles as rightfully owned and/or for the benefit of the employees and workers of LBLCI who are all members of Intervenor Diatagon Labor Federation."
"The workers and employees of LBLCI who are members of Intervenor DLF are entitled to be paid their retirement benefits, separation pay, insurance premiums, cooperative shares, unpaid salaries, wages and backwages, accrued savings, vacation and sick leaves and bonuses," it also said in the resolution.