Back

Herrera vs. NPC [DECISION]

EFREN M. HERRERA and ESTHER C. GALVEZ, for and on their behalf and on behalf of OTHER SEPARATED, UNREHIRED and RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF THE NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, Petitioners, versus NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT and THE OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL, Respondents

G.R. No. 166570 | 2009-12-18

D E C I S I O N
 
DEL CASTILLO, J.:
 
The question at the heart of this case is whether petitioners, former employees of the National Power Corporation (NPC) who were separated from service due to the government's initiative of restructuring the electric power industry, are entitled to their retirement benefits in addition to the separation pay granted by law.

Absent explicit statutory authority, we cannot provide our imprimatur to the grant of separation pay and retirement benefits from one single act of involuntary separation from the service, lest there be duplication of purpose and depletion of government resources....