the NLRC appeal, ABC filed a petition to the Court of Appeals. The appellate court ruled on January 30, 2004 that NLRC committed a grave abuse of indiscretion and reversed the NLRC's ruling. After almost eight years, on June 8, 2007 the appellate court decision and the subsequent resolution denying the motion for reconsideration were reversed and set aside by a landmark ruling of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The Supreme Court affirmed NLRC's decision that Dumpit was a regular employee of ABC and that the company's actions constituted illegal dismissal. The decision ruled that Dumpit was to be reinstated to her position as ABC 5 news anchor without lost to seniority and to be awarded almost three million pesos to cover backwages and benefits due a regular employee and for moral damages. Dumpit has also hosted several radio programs over DZXL, Radio Veritas and DWIZ, contributed news articles to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star and wrote a column for the opinion page of The Manila Times. She continues to be a broadcast correspondent of radio station DWIZ. Just recently, she resumed her column at the Manila Times which appears every Thursday at the op-ed page. Dumpit served as a Barangay council member from 1997 to 2004. In 2007 she ran but lost in the mayoral election for Rosario, La Union. Dumpit expressed concern over possible election fraud and consequently, filed an electoral protest. She announced on July 11, 2007 that she was looking for a handwriting expert to analyze the ballots in order to determine the true results of the elections. The protest is still pending at Branch 32 of the RTC Agoo, La Union. Currently, she holds the position deputy executive director of CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. She was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2008 for her expertise in communications and marketing and reappointed by President Benigno Aquino III as Director IV of the Department of Trade and Industry, a promotion from her previous rank. Her CESO rank is in process after hurdling a battery of written and oral tests where she passed with flying colors. Recognition Dumpit has received a number of awards, including the 1993 Star Award for Best Female Newscaster given by the Philippine Movie Press Club and the award for being one of the Most Distinguished Sons/Daughters