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PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 954
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 954 -
PROVIDING FOR THE DISPOSITION OF WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION CASES PENDING
AS OF MARCH 31, 1976, THOSE REMANDED BY THE SUPREME COURT FOR FURTHER
PROCEEDINGS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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WHEREAS,
the Workmen's Compensation Commission and the Workmen's Compensation
Units in the Regional Offices of the Department of Labor had, by virtue
of Act No. 3428, as amended, exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide
claims for work-connected disabilities and deaths, subject to appeal on
questions of law to the Supreme Court; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, under PD 442, otherwise known as the "Labor Code of the
Philippines," as amended by PD 626 and PD 865-A, the Workmen's
Compensation Commission, the Bureau of Workmen's Compensation and the
Workmen's Compensation Units were considered abolished as of March 31,
1976, and that all officials and personnel thereof were transferred to
and mandatorily absorbed by the Department of Labor, subject to PD 6,
LOI 14 and 14-A and Civil Service Law and Rules;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, upon the abolition of said offices on March 31, 1976, there
are still workmen's compensation cases to be acted upon and/or finally
disposed of by the defunct offices, and workmen's compensation cases
brought on appeal to the Supreme Court which may be remanded for
further proceedings;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, since the administrative machinery exclusively empowered to
take cognizance of workmen's compensation cases are already
non-existent, it is imperative that the Secretary of Labor be empowered
to finally act on and dispose of such cases in order not to prejudice
the claimants and employers thereby assuring a speedy dispensation of
justice;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the Secretary of Labor must be conferred express authority to
assume and exercise effective jurisdiction over such workmen's
compensation cases and those cases that may be remanded by the Supreme
Court for further proceedings;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of
the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the
Constitution, do hereby order and decree: chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 1. Authority to Adjudicate. — The Secretary
of Labor is hereby vested with additional power and authority to
determine, dispose of and take final action on workmen's compensation
cases pending as of March 31, 1976 before the Workmen's Compensation
Commission and the Workmen's Compensation Units in the Regional offices
of the Department of Labor, and those cases remanded or to be remanded
by the Supreme Court for further proceedings.
Section 2. Disposition of pending cases. — All
workmen's compensation cases pending before and duly docketed by the
Workmen's Compensation Units in the Regional Offices of the Department
of Labor and those pending before and duly docketed by the Workmen's
Compensation Commission as of March 31, 1976, shall be processed and
adjudicated in accordance with the law, rules and procedure existing at
the time their causes of action accrued.
Section 3. Detail of personnel of the Department of
Labor and its attached agencies and other offices. — In pursuance to
the national policy of fiscal restraint and to optimize the utilization
of human resources, the Secretary of Labor may draw personnel from the
Department of Labor and its attached agencies and those available from
the Employees' Compensation Commission, to assist in the disposition of
and final action on workmen's compensation cases pending in the
aforementioned defunct offices as of March 31, 1976.
Section 4. Promulgation of rules implementing this
Decree. — The Secretary of Labor is hereby empowered to promulgate and
adopt such additional rules and issuances as may be necessary to
effectively carry out and implement this decree in order to secure
speedy, fair and just determination of such workmen's compensation
cases.
Section 5. Appeal. — Decisions, orders, or
resolutions of the Secretary of Labor on workmen's compensation cases
cognizable under this Decree may be reviewed on certiorari by the
Supreme Court on questions of law upon petition of an aggrieved party
within ten (10) days from notice thereof. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 6. Enforcement of decisions. — All
decisions, orders or resolutions of the Secretary of Labor on the
aforementioned workmen's compensation cases which have become final and
executory shall be enforced and executed in the same manner as
decisions or orders of the Court of First Instance, and the Secretary
of Labor shall have the power to issue to the city or provincial
sheriff or to the sheriff whom he may appoint such writs of execution
as may be necessary for the enforcement of such decisions, orders or
resolutions, and any person who shall fail or refuse to comply
therewith shall be punished by the Secretary of Labor for contempt.
Section 7. Repeal of inconsistent laws or decrees. —
All decrees, laws, general orders, letters of instructions and other
issuances inconsistent with or contrary to this Decree are hereby
repealed.
Section 8. Effectivity. — This Decree shall take
effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 6th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
seventy-six.
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