Threat of filing a breach of contract case against me. Please help :-(

Hi! I hope you'll have the time to read my dilemma and help me out. I know long post pero sana matulungan ninyo ako.

At Company A, i have a 3-year (November 2013-November 2016) contract which states that i must finish the three years or i'll pay the 40,000 penalty. At bago raw mag resign, i need to render 90 days pa. Last December, i was really planning to resign because of the horrible work conditions (10-12 hrs of work without OT pay, shifting schedules for example night shift ako 8pm-6am, rest day, then duty at 5am the next day, and others reasons na in short, i am just so tired of everything as in literal na pagod) then just last August i was offered a job by Company B (not a direct competitor) which is like the perfect package (higher salary, good benefits, and the best part is office hours ang trabaho and may OT pay. I thought i must grab this opportunity kaso nga lang talagang magsasuffer ang relationship ko with Company A. So i decided to pass an immediate resignation letter and not finish the 90 days notice since i really liked to start soon at Company B. I told them about the 90 days rule of Company A, they said if i need to render 30 days they will understand since it is the law but they cannot wait for me if tatapusin ko pa ang 90 days. So sayang talaga ang opportunity.

When i submitted my resignation letter, bukod sa nagalit ang boss ko, he did not allow me to resign without rendering the 90 days. So i thought if that is the case, then i would just go AWOL, start at Company B, and pay Company A for not finishing the contract. Medyo malakas lang talaga ang loob ko kasi at least two employees na rin ang gumawa ng ganun (hindi tinapos ang 30 and 90 days render) since may mga asap offer, nagbayad lang ng penalty then wala na hinayaan na nila.

So i started na sa Company B, then nakareceive ako ng tawag from Company A na kailangan kong pumasok kung hindi, they will file a case against me dahil sa malaking abala ang nangyari sa company since i don't have a replacement pa. I told them i am willing to settle na the damages pero sa korte na raw ako makipag harap at maghanap na ako ng attorney. Tinanong ko bakit ang ibang umalis nang biglaan hindi nila kakasuhan. Sagot nila na gagawin nila yun ngaun para hindi na gayahin pa ng ibang employee ang ginawa ko.

I admit talagang mali ako since hindi ko tinapos ang contract as well as ung 90 days notice. Nakipag usap ako ng maayos sa mga boss, i am willing to settle, yet kakasuhan parin nila ako with breach of contract? It is only a civil case right? I know it would really hurt my reputation and major bridges would be burned. My questions are:

1. What should i expect with this kind of case? Pupunta ba sila sa house with a lawyer, will they cause a scene? (Pasensya na, nakaka paranoid lang talaga mapag bantaan na kakasuhan) Ano-ano po ang dapat kong i-ready?
2. I know i need to pay the 40,000 and other damages pero how are these damages computed? Sky is the limit ba ang amount? I mean would it be as high as a hundred thousand?
3. Before umabot sa korte diba parang makakatanggap muna ako ng letter from a law firm saying na i must pay damages or else aabot sa court, tama po ba? And if i am able to pay then wala na akong case?

I would really appreciate any feedback. Maraming salamat po.

1. no
2. since nakalagay 40,000 then dapat 40,000 maybe lawyers fees lang ang dagdag.
3. pwedeng may demand letter or pwedeng diretso na sa court

lukekyle wrote:1. no
2. since nakalagay 40,000 then dapat 40,000 maybe lawyers fees lang ang dagdag.
3. pwedeng may demand letter or pwedeng diretso na sa court

Hi, thank you for the reply.

Ang company ang magdedecide if with demand letter muna or diretso na sa court? And if ever diretso sa court ang kaso ko, what should i prepare?

Salamat po.

yes, if ever there will be a case filed against you, same procedure parin. they will ask you to pay and if you refuse the court will decide if kelangan ka mag bayad or not and under what terms

1. So dapat iprepare ko ang 40,000 and if ever, legal fess ng lawyer, right? Any amount beyond that isn't valid na?

2. Gaano ba kabilis ang processing ng filing ng case? Kasi currently i'm out of town for a month para sa training for Company B. Kapag magfile sila ng case, will they notify me thru text or email? Or letter lang talaga? Worry ko kasi diba usually thru letter yun, tapos parang may ilang days to comply and pay. What if andito ako tapos nagpadala na pala sa bahay, hay.

1- hindi lang yang 40k ang pwede nilang hingin sayo. Ang 40k na yan ay amount lang ayon sa 'penalty clause' ng kontrata niyo. Kung sensitive ang position mo at yung di mo pag-render ay may actual damages na naranasan ng Company A, pati yun ay hihingin sayo. Kaya valid pa din ang mga ibang damages na mahihingi sayo kung lahat ng ito ay mapapatunayan. Kung dumating ang demanda sayo, basahin mo sa "prayer" ng demanda kung ano yung mga hinihingi ng Company A laban sayo. dun mo malalaman kung ano yung dapat mong i-ready.

2. Depende na sa korte kung gaano kabilis ang kaso mo at sa mga factors na papasok tulad sa isang ordinaryong kaso.

1. Paano nila ako inonotify na nakaready na ang kaso? Thru letter, text, email, punta sa bahay, etc?
2. Kapag po ba nakipag settle ako at nakapag bayad, iuurong na ang kaso laban sa akin o mapapa walang bisa? At maki clear ang pangalan ko?
3. Ang 13th month pay, sick leave conversion etc. ay entitled pa ba akong makuha kahit hindi ko tinapos ang contract? And if ever pwede ba itong ibawas sa total na babayaran ko?
4. Tama po kayo na sensitive ang position ko sa Company A so malamang po madadagdagan pa ang 40k na babayaran, pwede po bang umappeal sa terms of payment (installment)?

1. Hindi uso ang text sa mga government offices. Pangbatang pagiisip yan. sa Registered Mail lahat ginagawa.
2. Puwede
3. Puwede
4. Puwede kang umapela. depende na sa korte kung papayagan ka.

Maraming salamat po! :-)