SC dismisses Mel Tiangco’s suit vs ABS-CBN

Screenshot of the Supreme Court main building

The Supreme Court has junked the complaint for illegal dismissal filed by veteran broadcaster Mel Tiangco against media network ABS-CBN.

Contrary to Tiangco’s claim that she was a regular employee, the tribunal’s Third Division declared that she was actually an “independent contractor” of the Lopez-owned company, which hired her as a news reader in 1986 until her unceremonious departure 10 years later.

“There are several factors that may be considered by the courts, but the right to control remains the dominant factor in determining whether one is an employee or an independent contractor,” the court said in its Dec. 6, 2021, decision, which was made public only on Friday.

“Payment through the company payroll on specified dates with income tax withheld at source is not conclusive proof of employer-employee relations,” it said.

The ruling, penned by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, concluded the 26-year labor dispute between Tiangco and ABS-CBN.

Tiangco, who had since transferred to rival GMA7 network, sued ABS-CBN after she was suspended for three months for appearing in a commercial of a laundry detergent in 1995. —Marlon Ramos