After Court overturns VA decision
via Carla Adeline Via and Lysander Tiu
The Silliman University Faculty Association (SUFA) will seek to file a Motion for Reconsideration after the Court of Appeals declared all issuances of Voluntary Arbitrator Alexander Franco Delatar “null and void” due to a lack of jurisdiction.
SUFA Vice President Karl James Villarmea stated that while they respect the Court’s decision, it “does not address the substantial issue” based on its Grievance Machinery.
“Thus, we will seek and file a Motion for Reconsideration for the Court to consider important points that we believe they missed,” he said.
This comes after the Court granted the university administration’s Petition for Review, noting that the union “failed to follow the grievance procedure” under the parties’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The CBA’s grievance procedure includes the report of the grievance to the dean or director, followed by a submission of the grievance to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, then an appeal to an adjudication committee.
In a 19-page decision dated Feb. 11, the Court deemed that SUFA violated this process by calling for a grievance conference, filing a Notice to Arbitrate, and immediately initiating the VA process without complying with the grievance process.
Following this, the SU filed an urgent motion for the issuance of a Status Quo Ante Order to prevent both parties from taking further action pending the Court’s resolution.
“This step is procedural and reflects the University’s commitment to respecting the recent Decision of the CA and to safeguarding institutional resources,” it stated.
Moreover, all issuances rendered by the VA were also declared null and void, including the Writ of Execution last September 2025, the Notice of Garnishment served by the Sheriff from the National Labor Relations Commission last December 2025, and the Order releasing the garnished funds.
A Notice of Garnishment is a court order directing a third party to withhold a debtor’s money or assets to pay a creditor, while a Writ of Execution enforces a court ruling when a party refuses to pay.
“This is a decision that SU administration considers a win for them. […] This does not achieve anything but further estrangement between Administration and SUFA,” Villarmea said.
When asked what steps they will take moving forward, he responded, “The Union will exhaust all legal options and remedies. And we will go all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. We will not back down!”
