SECOND DIVISION
[G.R. No. 250160. June 28, 2021.]
CARMEN M. REGIDOR, petitioner, vs.SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, respondent.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, Second Division, issued a Resolution dated 28 June 2021 which reads as follows: HTcADC
"G.R. No. 250160 (Carmen M. Regidor v. Social Security System). — The Court NOTES the compliance 1 dated February 24, 2020 by counsel for petitioner Carmen M. Regidor (petitioner) with the Resolution 2 dated January 13, 2020, submitting the proofs of service of the motion for extension to file petition upon the counsel for respondent Social Security System (SSS) and the Court of Appeals (CA).
After a judicious study of this case, the Court resolves to DENY the instant petition 3 and AFFIRM the Decision 4 dated May 22, 2019 and the Resolution 5 dated October 23, 2019 of the CA in CA-G.R. SP No. 157071, for failure of petitioner to sufficiently show that the CA committed any reversible error in upholding the Resolution 6 dated November 22, 2017 and the Order 7 dated April 25, 2018 issued by the Social Security Commission (SSC) in SSC Case No. 6-20118-16.
As correctly ruled by the CA, (a) petitioner failed to show that she is entitled to a higher amount of monthly death pension than what she is receiving from SSS; and (b) SSS was able to support its stance by substantial evidence, having explained in detail the computation of petitioner's monthly death pension benefit using the relevant formula under Section 12 of Republic Act No. (RA) 8282, 8 the governing law when the petition was filed before the SSC. Findings of administrative agencies are generally accorded great weight and respect, especially when affirmed by the CA, 9 as in this case. Likewise, it is settled that this Court is not a trier of facts, and accords great weight to the factual findings of lower courts or agencies whose function is to resolve factual matters. It is not for the Court to weigh evidence all over again. 10
It is noted that during the pendency of the proceedings before the CA, RA 11199, 11 otherwise known as the 'Social Security Act of 2018,' was signed into law which retained the formula and amounts for the computation of monthly pension under Section 12 of RA 8282. Hence, petitioner's monthly pension that included the pension increases for the years 2006, 2007, and 2014 was properly computed, subject to any pension increase that may have occurred subsequent thereto that had not been brought to the attention of the CA and the Court.
SO ORDERED." (Lopez, M., J., no part due to prior action in the Court of Appeals; Leonen and Lopez, J., JJ., designated additional members per Raffle dated June 9, 2021 and Special Order No. 2822 dated April 7, 2021, respectively.)
By authority of the Court:
(SGD.) TERESITA AQUINO TUAZONDivision Clerk of Court
Footnotes
1.Rollo, pp. 111-112.
2.Id. at 10A-10B. Signed by Deputy Division Clerk of Court Misael Domingo C. Battung III.
3.Id. at 12-28.
4.Id. at 35-41. Penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting (now a Member of the Court) with Associate Justices Fernanda Lampas Peralta and Rodil V. Zalameda (now a Member of the Court), concurring.
5.Id. at 43-44. Penned by Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta with Associate Justices Priscilla J. Baltazar-Padilla (now a retired Member of the Court) and Mario V. Lopez (now a Member of the Court), concurring.
6.Id. at 64-67. Signed by Chairman Amado D. Valdez, and adopted/promulgated by the SSC En Banc in Resolution No. 814 during its meeting held on November 22, 2017.
7.Id. at 70-71. Signed by Commissioner Anita Bumpus-Quitain, and adopted/promulgated by the SSC En Banc in Resolution No. 326 during its meeting held on April 25, 2018.
8. Entitled, 'AN ACT FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM THEREBY AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SOCIAL SECURITY LAW,' approved on May 1, 1997.
9.Haveria v. Social Security System, G.R. No. 181154, August 22, 2018.
10. See the Court's Resolution in Castro v. Union Motors Corporation, G.R. 230948, November 20, 2017.
11. Entitled, 'AN ACT RATIONALIZING AND EXPANDING THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSION TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8282, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 'SOCIAL SECURITY ACT OF 1997,' approved on February 7, 2019.