We can go on and on and the pattern is the same. While the Philippine Constitution and Labor Code do protect our workers from the abuses and exploitations by the employers, the law also protect the employers from undesirable and misbehaving workers. The law and jurisprudence are specially harsh against workers who are dishonest and fraudulent. Those who steal company properties, cheat on company sales, engage in anomalies in financial transactions, accept bribes from customers, falsify receipts and be guilty of conflict of interests, and violate the trust and confidence of their employers are deemed unworthy of their jobs. Those who commit immoral acts or fight inside company premises, those who willfully disobey lawful orders are also to be meted the ultimate penalty of termination, forfeiture of retirement and separation and other benefits.
In one case, the High Court declared that, “the policy of social justice is not intended to countenance wrongdoing simply because it is committed by the underprivileged. Compassion for the poor is an imperative of every humane society but only when the recipient is not a rascal claiming an undeserved privilege. Social Justice can not be permitted to be a refuge of scoundrels”(PLDT vs NLRC, GR 80609, 23 Aug 1988 ). That case involved a lady clerk who demanded bribes from two matrons who wanted an electrical connection, in an era when cell phones were not yet manufactured in commercial scale.
Looking at all these Supreme Court decisions, I can only conclude that workers in this country should seriously reflect on their character. Managers also should serve as good behavior models who should not only talk the talk, but also walk the talk. We need corporate managers who can inspire people to be competent, honest trustworthy and loyal. We have to teach personnel to respect authority, abide by the rules and be courteous and humble all the time. The union should help mold character. Employee discipline is a vital component of corporate governance. I have more than thirty years of experience in San Miguel Corporation, Pepsi Cola and Petron. I met all kinds of workers, dealt with all kinds of management. I can only say that whenever we fail to discipline ourselves and our people, we have started to dig the grave of both the workers’ jobs and the business viability. If we can not discipline, we can not lead. We can not manage. Competence without character is worse than character without competence.