The Supreme Court [en banc] did not rule on the factual issues of the case but instead re-examined, inter alia, Section 9 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 129, as amended by Republic Act No. 7902 [effective March 18, 1995] on the issue of where to elevate on appeal the decisions of the National Labor Relations Commission [NLRC].

The High Court remanded the case to the Court of Appeals consistent with the new ruling enunciated therein that the "appeals" contemplated under the law from the decisions of the National Labor Relations Commission to the Supreme Court should be interpreted to mean "petitions for certiorari under Rule 65" and consequently, should no longer be brought directly to the Supreme Court but initially to the Court of Appeals.

Before this new en banc ruling, the Supreme Court has consistently held that decisions of the NLRC may be elevated directly to the Supreme Court only by way of a special civil action for certiorari under Rule 65.  There was no ruling allowing resort to the Court of Appeals.

In support of this new view, the Supreme Court ratiocinated, insofar as pertinent, as follows:
 

"While we do not wish to intrude into the Congressional sphere on the matter of the wisdom of a law, on this score we add the further observations that there is a growing number of labor cases being elevated to this Court which, not being a trier of fact, has at times been constrained to remand the case to the NLRC for resolution of unclear or ambiguous factual findings; that the Court of Appeals is procedurally equipped for that purpose, aside from the increased number of its competent divisions; and that there is undeniably an imperative need for expeditious action on labor cases as a major aspect of constitutional protection to labor.

"Therefore, all references in the amended Section 9 of B. P. No. 129 to supposed appeals from the NLRC to the Supreme Court are interpreted and hereby declared to mean and refer to petitions for certiorari under Rule 65.  Consequently, all such petitions should henceforth be initially filed in the Court of Appeals in strict observance of the doctrine on the hierarchy of courts as the appropriate forum for the relief desired.

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