Burden of Evidence Shifts to Employee When Employer Submits Evidence of Payment

"In repeated occasions, this Court ruled that the debtor has the burden of showing with legal certainty that the obligation has been discharged by payment. To discharge means to extinguish an obligation, and in contract law discharge occurs either when the parties have performed their obligations in the contract, or when an event the conduct of the parties, or the operation of law releases the parties from performing. Thus, a party who alleges that an obligation has been extinguished must prove facts or acts giving rise to the extinction.

The fact of underpayment does not shift the burden of evidence to the plaintiff-herein respondent because partial payment does not extinguish the obligation. Only when the debtor introduces evidence that the obligation has been extinguished does the burden of evidence shift to the creditor who is then under a duty of producing evidence to show why payment does not extinguish the obligation."

(See G & M PHILIPPINES, INC. vs BATOMALAQUE, G. R. No. 151849, June 23, 2005)

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Employee must prove entitlement to overtime pay and premium pay
• Doubts in the parties' evidence should be resolved in favor of the employee
• Employer has the burden of proving payment of employee's benefits

Employee must prove entitlement to overtime pay and premium pay

"However, the CA was correct in its finding that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient factual basis for the award of overtime, and premium pays for holidays and rest days. The burden of proving entitlement to overtime pay and premium pay for holidays and rest days rests on the employee because these are not incurred in the normal course of business. In the present case, the petitioners failed to adduce any evidence that would show that they actually rendered service in excess of the regular eight working hours a day, and that they in fact worked on holidays and rest days."

(See WILGEN LOON, ET. AL vs. POWER MASTER, INC., G.R. No. 189404,   December 11, 2013)

RELATED ARTICLES:
Employer has the burden of proving payment of employee's benefits
Doubts in the parties' evidence should be resolved in favor of the employee