Jesus Lontoc v. Ministry of Labor

Summary

Jesus Lontoc sought death benefits under the Workmen's Compensation Act after his wife Soledad Lopez, a Jai-Alai Corporation employee, died in 1974. Both the private respondent and Ministry of Labor denied his 1979 claim on prescription grounds. The Supreme Court reversed, establishing crucial precedents: (1) workmen's compensation claims prescribe in 10 years from the employee's death under Civil Code Article 1144(2), not under transitional Labor Code provisions; (2) the two-year death requirement under Section 8 runs from when the disease physically incapacitates the employee, not when first contracted; and (3) there exists a rebuttable presumption that illnesses supervening during employment are work-connected, with the burden on employers to prove otherwise. The decision reinforced the liberal interpretation doctrine favoring workers in social legislation cases, awarding full death benefits, burial expenses, and administrative fees.