Filipino woman gets job back

The Supreme Court. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has upheld the reinstatement of a Filipino employee of Japanese firm Fuji Television Network Inc., saying her termination due to illness was invalid.

In a 45-page decision, the high court’s Second Division affirmed the Court of Appeals’ ruling ordering the reinstatement of Arlene Espiritu as news producer in Fuji’s Manila Bureau, saying she was illegally terminated when the firm learned she was suffering from lung cancer in 2009.

The high court said Espiritu, being a regular employee, had security of tenure.

“The court held that Espiritu had been illegally dismissed since Fuji failed to comply with the requirements of substantive and procedural due process necessary for her dismissal since she was a regular employee,” said the ruling penned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

The ruling promulgated on Dec. 3 ordered that “Espiritu’s back wages be computed from June 2009.” Tarra Quismundo and Jerome Aning