Courts are not bound by the medical findings of the company doctors in the determination of compensation cases filed by Filipino seafarers.
While the company doctor must declare the nature of a seafarer’s disability, the Supreme Court stressed in several rulings that said declaration is not conclusive and final upon the court since the inherent merit of the case will still be weighed and duly considered. In Dohle-Philman Manning Agency, Inc vs Heirs of Andres Gazzingan , the Court said that the company doctor’s opinion is not an accurate appraisal of the extent of the seafarer’s disability since it was not based on the post-employment medical examination conducted on the seafarer after his medical repatriation.
In Jebsens Maritime, Inc. v. Babol , the Court did not give probative weight on the company doctor’s opinion that the seafarer’s condition is not work-related as the wordings used in the doctor’s report did not make a categorical statement confirming the total absence of work relation but only a mere probability.