MANILA, Philippines?Eleven employees of a comedy bar owned by comedians Allan K and AiAi have asked the Court of Appeals to reverse a decision of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) upholding their dismissal.

They told the court they were illegally terminated by the Klownz Comedy Bar, owned by Allan K (Allan Quilantang), AiAi (Eillen Delas Allas) and other incorporators.

In an 11 page petition for certiorari, employees Marlon Gutierrez, Ryan Libao, Hilario Servallos, Ryan Paul Ramirez, Cesar Medes, Michael Sagun, Jeffrey Sipig, Joseph Pleno, Raphael Encinares, Joselito Magtibay and Diosdado Harold Celestial said the comedy bar had justified their dismissal by claiming it was going bankrupt.

The employees were dismissed in separate instances all in 2007 and the NLRC ruled in favor of Klownz management.

But the workers told the court their dismissal was only a way of the management to get back at them after they filed a labor case against Klownz over what they said were violations in their employment contract.

They said they were hired to work for Klownz Araneta but were later transferred to other Klownz branches.

They wondered how the company could justify its action when it said only its Araneta branch was losing. Klownz has branches also in Timog and Quezon Avenue.

"Given this milieu, it could not say that the quantum of believable or credible evidence on closure due to losses was satisfied and would exempt private respondents from any liability," the employees said.

"Given this backdrop, there can be no other conclusion that the closure is a charade and the action taken by the private respondents is plain circumvention of the law," they added.