Insights & Legal Updates
Stay informed with the latest legal news, expert insights, and practical guidance from our team. Our blog covers important developments, helpful tips, and real-world perspectives to help you better understand your rights and make confident legal decisions.
Dead Man Walking: Can a Trial Court Rule Otherwise?
Antonio Estrella went to court for a straightforward reason. He wanted to recover possession of a portion of his Quezon...
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Career-Ending Basketball Injury at Sea: Compensable?
Ernesto Arriesgado was working as an oiler aboard a cargo vessel. Like many seafarers, life on board was not limited...
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No Company Loss, No Dismissal?
Arlyn Bago had been working for Standard Insurance Company for about eight years as an encoder. The company’s branch manager...
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Can a Foreigner File for Nullity of Marriage in the Philippines?
Gianni de Munari, an Italian citizen, married Thelma, a Filipino citizen, in Italy in 2011. Their marriage was later registered...
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Wrong License Number, Void Marriage?
Lovelle and Henry married in November 2000. After more than a decade of marriage, the couple separated. When Lovelle later...
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Marrying for a Visa: Void or Valid?
Rosario wanted to go to Japan. A friend introduced her to a Japanese national named Yoshio Morimoto and suggested an...
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Confidential Funds and Plunder: When Suspicion Is Not Enough
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was charged with plunder together with several officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). The...
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No Sex, Void Marriage?
Chi Ming Tsoi and Gina Lao were married at the Manila Cathedral in May 1988. Like many newlyweds, they began...
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Can You Correct Your Birth Certificate From “Legitimate” to “Illegitimate”?
Oliver and Roselyn were born before their parents got married. A few years later, their parents married and executed affidavits...
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Can a Woman Be Charged Under the Anti-VAWC Law?
Roselyn Agacid and Maria Alexandria Bisquerra were in a romantic relationship for about four years. Eventually, the relationship ended. Months...
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Conjugal Home v. Private Dwelling: Does It Matter in Concubinage?
Ariel Singgit was married to Consanita Rubio Singgit. They had five children together. In 2008, Consanita left their home in...
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Two Marriages, No Bigamy: Why the Court Acquitted the Husband
Luisito Pulido married Nora Arcon in 1983. Years later, while that marriage was still on record, he married Rowena Baleda....
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Just Compensation For Taking Your Land
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) needed private land in Valenzuela City for the construction of the C-5...
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Can an Employer Fire You for Going AWOL? Part II
To recap, Alvin Carpio was employed as a utility worker by Green Era Biotech Corporation. The company claimed that Carpio...
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Can an Employer Fire You for Going AWOL? Part I
Alvin Carpio worked as a utility employee for Green Era Biotech Corporation. According to the company, Carpio repeatedly failed to...
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Can You Convert to Islam to Avoid Bigamy?
Francis Malaki married Nerrian Maningo in 1988 under the rites of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Years later, Francis left the...
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Can a Company Officer Be Personally Liable for a Bouncing Check?
Dio Implant Philippines Corporation sold dental and cosmetic products to Beverly Hills Medical Group, Inc. (BHMGI). To pay for the...
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Can a Minor Go to Jail for Homicide?
Rosal Hubilla was only 17 years old when he stabbed Jason Espinola during a graduation ceremony in Camarines Sur. Jason...
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Bawal Bastos: Can You Go To Jail for Sexual Harassment?
Jose Romeo Escandor was the Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region VII in Cebu City....
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The Case That Shaped Today’s Party-List System
In the run-up to the 2013 elections, the Commission on Elections disqualified dozens of party-list groups from participating in the...
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Losing Your Marriage Because of Lust
Antonio and Maribel Quiogue were married in 1980. For nearly two decades, they tried to make their marriage work. Eventually,...
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Can I Sue My Ex for Sending Deepfakes?
Irish Sagud and Rustan Ang were former sweethearts. Their relationship was anything but smooth. According to Irish, they were an...
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Separated in Fact: Can the Wife Still Claim SSS Death Benefits?
Pablo Aguas was an SSS member and pensioner. When he died in 1996, his wife, Rosanna, filed a claim for...
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Can Filipino Obtain a Divorce Abroad and Remarry in the Philippines?
Marelyn Manalo is Filipino citizen. She married a Japanese national. Years later, while in Japan, she filed for divorce against...
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Do You Need a Psychiatrist to Get an Annulment?
Rosanna and Mario married in 1995. Their marriage quickly deteriorated. According to Rosanna, Mario would disappear for days without explanation....
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Can Your Employer Fire You for Being Overweight?
Mr Y worked as an international flight steward for Philippine Airlines. He stood five feet and eight inches tall. Under...
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Your Marriage is Void. Who Gets the House?
Antonio and Consuelo were married in 1971. Years later, however, Antonio filed a petition to declare the marriage void on...
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Can You Sue Someone for Leaving You at the Altar?
Francisco and Beatriz were in love. After promising to marry each other, they set September 4, 1954 as their wedding...
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Fake Friends, Fake Career, Fake Everything: Void Marriage?
Leonilo and Marie got married in 1990. At first, everything seemed normal. But as the marriage progressed, Leonilo began discovering...
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Can a School Fire a Teacher for Marrying Her Student?
Evelyn Chua was a teacher at Tay Tung High School in Bacolod City. Among her students was Bobby Qua, a...
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Public v. Religious Morality Part II: HR Policy in Government
Soledad Escritor worked as a court interpreter. She had been living with a man who was not her husband and...
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Can a Senator Attend Senate Sessions While in Jail?
In July 2003, more than 300 heavily armed soldiers occupied the Oakwood Premier Apartments in Makati City and publicly demanded...
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Avelino v. Cuenco: What happened
Jose Avelino was the President of the Senate. One day, Senator Lorenzo Tañada announced that he intended to deliver a...
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“I’m Gonna Cut Off Your D*ck!” and Other Reasons for Legal Separation
Garry and Lynn met, fell in love, lived together, and eventually married. Their union produced two children. As the years...
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Losing Your Job Because of Love: Part II
In Part I, an employee was dismissed for marrying an employee of a competitor company. Will it end the same...
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Mismo Ba Talaga? Why the Supreme Court Upheld a Beverage Giant’s Redundancy Program
Menardo and his co-employees worked for Coca-Cola for many years as route salesmen, drivers, helpers, and sales personnel. They were...
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Marriage Certificate vs. Marriage License: Bigamy Conviction Reversed, Accused Acquitted
Imelda married Jimmy in Pampanga in 2001. Years later, Jimmy discovered that before marrying him, Imelda had allegedly married a...
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Angry Resident Sues School Over Noise — Who Wins?
Pedro is a long-time resident of a subdivision. Inside the subdivision is a school. Pedro’s house is near said school....
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Eid al-Adha, CBA, and Holiday Pay: What You Need To Know
In 2009, Republic Act No. (RA) 9849 was enacted into law declaring the celebration of Eidul Adha as a regular holiday. The holiday...
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Can a School Suspend A Teacher for Pregnancy Outside of Marriage?
Previously, we said that an employee’s pregnancy out of wedlock is not a ground for termination of employment. But what...
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Part II: No Prior Notice of Retrenchment? Pay Damages
Previously, we discussed that if management terminates the employment who used illegal substances, but skipped the twin notice rule, is...
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Employers Must Act Fast On Sexual Harassment Cases
Failing to promptly and sensitively address workplace sexual harassment complaints may amount to constructive dismissal. Maria experienced repeated acts of...
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Gender Discrimination at 35,000 Feet
Can female attendants be forced to retire earlier than men? PQR airlines entered into a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with...
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A Valid Retrenchment Program
ABC Corp. was a construction company. It faced severe economic headwinds when the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit. It had...
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Five (5) Legal Requirements for Valid Retrenchment in the Philippines
To effect a valid retrenchment, the employer must prove: Philippine Pizza, Inc. v. Oladive, et al. G.R. No. 243349, February...
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Public vs. Religious Morality Part I: Why Your HR Policy Might Be Illegal
Maria was a program assistant for St. Anne Foundation, a Catholic non-profit engaged in providing assistance to children. She met...
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Can an Employer Fire You for Getting Pregnant Outside Marriage?
Maria worked as an assistant (non-teaching personnel) to the director for community outreach at a Catholic educational school. She got...
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Part I: No Twin Notice? Pay Damages
Pedro worked as a crane operator for a construction company. One day, he was caught using illegal and prohibited drugs....
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Losing Your Job Because of Love: Part I
Pedro signed a contract of employment with XYZ Corp. which stipulates, among others, that he agrees to study and abide...
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How Much Time Do You Have to File Cyber-Libel?
Pedro, a private citizen, posted on Facebook in April 2019. He said Congressman Jose pocketed ₱200,000,000.00 that should have become...
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Are Riders Regular Employees of E-Commerce Platforms?
Pedro and Jose worked as pick-up riders for an e-commerce platform which functions as a digital marketplace (the “platform”), initially...
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Can You Get Fired For Marrying Your Co-Worker?
A bank implemented what it called an “exogamy” policy. The measure prohibits two employees in the bank to marry each...
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Who Owns the Subsoil under Your Property?
Sometime in 1978, the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), a government-owned and controlled corporation, dug subterranean tunnels under the land of...
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No Counterclaims in Expropriation Cases
If you ever find yourself being a defendant in an expropriation case, you enter a process that is less about...
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No Constructive Dismissal if Resignation is to Save Face
Pedro was employed as a workshop supervisor by ABC Inc., a jewelry manufacturing company. In 2011, ABC discovered several irregularities...
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Does Expropriation Mean the Government Takes Your Land For Free?
With the growing demand for public services and the corresponding rise in government infrastructure spending, many government projects will inevitably...
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The Twin-Notice Rule in Employment Termination
Two notices must be sent to an employee sought to be terminated based on just cause. (1) The first written...
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What is Fixed-Term Employment?
When is a fixed-term employment contract valid? Two conditions must be met: What are examples of jobs that are recognized...
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When Does an Employer-Employee Relationship Begin?
In Philippine Labor Law, the four-fold test is used to determine the existence of an employer-employee relationship. The test asks...
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Can The Government Take My Land?
What is Expropriation—and Other Basics Help! The government wants to take my land. What can I do? You received a...
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Signing Off from Taxes: Will deleting your social media account delete your tax liabilities?
YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram, game changers as to how people consume information and entertainment have caused a...
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Hidden Costs of Appointing Minors as Beneficiaries in Insurance Policies
One of the best ways to secure one’s personal and household finances from unexpected dangers and risks is to avail...
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Should you be worried about your Christmas Bonus this year? Part 1: “No Vax, No Bonus” and the difference between Christmas Bonus and 13th Month Pay
On 08 November 2021, Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced the release of the Twenty Thousand Pesos (PHP 20,000.00)...
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Should you be worried about your Christmas Bonus this year? Part 2
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 18, Series of 2021 (L.A. No. 18-21) prescribes the guidelines...
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Can you retrench after floating status?
Yes. Retrenchment may happen after a period of temporary suspension of employment. Retrenchment is an authorized cause for termination under...
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2022 Holiday Premium Pay Amidst a Pandemic
Amidst the current pandemic, the rules on holiday pay might be pushed aside and some employers might not want to...
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Flexible Work Arrangements
The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced most businesses to implement telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements to adapt...
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What is Estate Planning?
ESTATE PLANNING SERIES As part of our efforts to make legal knowledge more accessible, we are launching a special series...
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How to go about Estate Planning?
ESTATE PLANNING SERIES As part of our efforts to make legal knowledge more accessible, we are launching a special series...
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Asset Inventory (Real Property)
ESTATE PLANNING AND SETTLEMENT SERIES As part of our efforts to make legal knowledge more accessible, we are launching a...
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Common Problems Encountered When Transferring Property
ESTATE PLANNING AND SETTLEMENT SERIES As part of our efforts to make legal knowledge more accessible, we are launching a...
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Failure to provide child support: a crime?
Due to recent pronouncements, the topic of fathers evading their responsibility to provide child support has generated a discussion among...
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RA No. 11642: steps for adoption made simple.
The new domestic adoption law removes the judicial process of adopting Filipino children. Instead, adoptive parents may now administratively apply...
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You Have My Word – The Strength of Oral Contracts
Contracts have become indispensable tools for anyone who has negotiated or engaged in a transaction. They are necessary to bind...
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A Furry Situation: Laws Protecting Our Pets
There is no question that over the years, household pets have evolved from merely serving as defenders of the home...
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VAWC Law Protects Against Abusive Mothers Too
In a recent Supreme Court Decision penned by Associate Justice Mario Lopez, fathers are allowed to apply for protection and...
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Restraining Road Rage: Current Laws and Proposed Bills for Penalizing Road Rage
Viral videos showing road rage incidents have been circulating online, wherein motorists are seen in physical or verbal altercations. Sometimes,...
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Help! My Child Does Not Have a Yearbook! A Primer for a Smooth and EasyTravel Abroad with your Children.
With the lifting of travel restrictions and the end of the pandemic, families have started traveling again. However, with the...
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Cheating on Your Wife Can Be VAWC
Is marital infidelity considered violence against women and children? Yes, it can be. As stressed in the recent case of...
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Can you sue the third party in a bigamous marriage?
We know that any person who shall contract a second or subsequent marriage before the former marriage has been legally...
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“Ang Mahal Naman, Notaryo Lang!” – NOTARY PUBLIC 101
“Magpapanotaryo lang naman, bakit ganyan na ang presyo? Sa kanto, ₱50 lang per document. Ang taas naman ng 1% ng...
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Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9262 or the Anti Violence against Women and their Children Act
Sometimes parents are met with the burden of choosing between taking care of their children or providing for their family....
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Sirang Haligi – What Really Makes a Father a Good Father Of The Family
In Philippine society, the father is supposed to be the breadwinner of the family – the supposed haligi ng tahanan...
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A Matter of Faith: Remedies of a Property Owner in Good Faith against the Builder, Planter, and Sower
Land, particularly in the Philippines, is one of the safest investments as it rarely depreciates, and its value can sometimes...
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Unwanted Debris and Low Hanging Fruits, Property Laws due to Crowded Neighborhoods
Living in a densely populated city, a resident might find that proximity may sometimes breed contempt. A person’s actions can...
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Are mathematical methods registrable under our Intellectual Property Law?
The Philippines recognizes intellectual and industrial property as vital to the development of its domestic and creative activity. The enactment...
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A Nation Under Siege: The Philippines and the Looming Climate Crisis
The Philippines, an archipelago perpetually exposed to the whims of tropical cyclones, has long been a battleground against the relentless...
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