The Supreme Court has upheld a 2019 Court of Appeals (CA) ruling that declared nearly 100 talent workers of GMA Network as regular employees, rejecting the company’s claim that they were merely “independent contractors.”
The high tribunal also affirmed that about half of them were illegally terminated.
In a resolution dated July 16, 2025 but released only over the weekend, the Court’s Third Division denied GMA’s petition against the CA decision, which regularized employees hired between 2003 and 2013.
The ruling emphasized that a defining element of independent contracting is “freedom from control from the principal over the means and method of their work.” However, GMA’s own Talent Agreement showed otherwise, binding workers to company rules and directives.
The Court noted: “The terms put forth by GMA belies (its) assertion that talents work flexible hours and had the liberty to work online. Instead, GMA is empowered to set the schedules of production and to require the talent’s presence.”
Rejecting GMA’s argument that higher talent fees and contractual terms negated employment ties, the tribunal declared: “Plain as day, there exists an employer-employee relationship between GMA and respondents.”
The Supreme Court also resolved another petition filed by GMA on the illegal dismissal case, siding with the workers as the CA did in 2020. It ruled that those whose contracts were terminated or not renewed while awaiting resolution are entitled to reinstatement “without loss of seniority rights and other privileges.”
This includes full back wages, allowances, and benefits computed “from the time their compensation was withheld from them up to the time of their actual reinstatement.”
If reinstatement is no longer feasible, the workers must receive separation pay equivalent to one month’s salary for every year of service.
The computation of monetary awards, with a 6-percent annual legal interest until full payment, was remanded to the labor arbiter.
Buhay Media, representing the Talents Association of GMA (TAG), hailed the decision as a hard-fought victory in the 11-year labor battle involving 94 members, most of whom worked in News and Public Affairs.
“This is 11 years in the making, during which our members have emotionally and mentally suffered from having to take to court what we considered our home network,” the group said.
“We saw our friends leave one by one, their sudden departures heavily impacting livelihoods and careers, when all we ever wanted was to tell stories for the Filipino people… This should not have taken 11 years. This should not have happened at all,” it added.