CA affirms: 96 GMA ‘talents’ regular employees

MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed its ruling that upheld a National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) decision declaring 96 “talents” of GMA Network Inc. as regular employees.

 In a two-page resolution dated Nov. 25, CA Associate Justice Zenaida Galapate-Laguilles said GMA simply reiterated its arguments in the motion for reconsideration it filed against the court’s Feb. 20 ruling.

 Associate Justices Mario Lopez and Gabriel Robeniol have concurred in the decision. 

The CA previously junked GMA’s petition for review questioning the NLRC decision, which held that the petitioners’ work was integral to the television network’s business.

In a statement, the petitioners ­– who formed the Talents Association of GMA or TAG – said the CA’s latest decision “confirms and reiterates” that they are “indisputably, regular employees of GMA Network Inc.”

The petitioners said that should GMA bring the matter to the Supreme Court, they will continue the legal battle “and hopefully carve out jurisprudence that can benefit not just media workers, but all contractual workers in the country.”

GMA has yet to issue a statement as of yesterday afternoon.