Soledad Muñoz Mesa v. Social Security System

Summary

This case involves Soledad Mesa's claim for employees' compensation benefits under P.D. 626 following her husband Teodoro's death from myocardial infarction in 1988. The SSS and ECC denied her 2000 claim as time-barred, arguing the three-year prescriptive period had expired. The Court of Appeals affirmed this denial. However, the Supreme Court reversed, applying the liberal interpretation principle favoring employees under social justice constitutional guarantees. The Court held that Mesa's 1988 SSS death benefits claim served as constructive notice tolling the prescriptive period under ECC Board Resolution 93-08-0068. The decision emphasizes that claims under employees' compensation law should be liberally resolved to fulfill the social legislation's compassionate spirit, and remanded the case to determine the merit of the compensation claim.