Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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When Outsourcing Obscures Employment: Labor-Only Contracting in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a contractor is merely a labor-only contractor, making the principal the true employer. Learn the rules.
Civil Service Eligibility and the Consequences of Dishonesty in Government Employment
Buying a civil service eligibility is dishonesty punishable by dismissal. Learn the rules and consequences from a Supreme Court case.
Project Employees vs Regular Employees: The Burden of Proof in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers become regular employees and the employer's burden in proving project employment status.
Accountability Prevails: Illegal Recruitment and the Promise of Overseas Employment
The Supreme Court affirms life imprisonment for illegal recruitment in large scale, protecting OFWs from false promises of overseas employment.
Drug Testing in Employment: Employer's Duty to Prove Accreditation for Valid Termination
When can a positive drug test justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies employer obligations under R.A. 9165.
Finality of Dismissal: Understanding Res Judicata in Employment Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a dismissal becomes final and how res judicata bars relitigation of settled employment disputes.
Decoding Independent Contractors When Control Determines Employment Status in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer-employee relationship tests and the mandatory certificate of non-forum shopping in NLRC appeals.
Seafarers' Rights: Employer Liability for Illness Manifesting During Employment Despite Post-Contract Death
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer death benefits when illness manifests during employment but death occurs after contract term.
Prescription of Seafarer Claims: Labor Code Prevails Over Standard Employment Contract
Supreme Court rules 3-year Labor Code prescription governs seafarer money claims, but death benefits require death during contract effectivity.
Illegal Dismissal and Optional Retirement: When a Demotion Does Not End Employment
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on constructive dismissal, optional retirement age, and the rights of managerial employees in the Philippines.
Probationary Employment vs Fixed-Term Contracts: What Schools Must Prove to Avoid Illegal Dismissal Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how probationary employment rules apply to teachers on fixed-term contracts, and what employers must prove.
Fixed-Term Contracts vs Probationary Employment: Protecting Teachers' Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term teaching contracts must yield to probationary employment rules under Philippine law.
When an Alien Executive Is a Regular Employee, Not a Corporate Officer: The WPP v. Galera Lesson
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between a corporate officer and a regular employee, and the consequences of working without an alien employment permit.
Abandonment in Employment: The Imperative of Intent and the Employer’s Duty to Notify
Explore the Supreme Court ruling on abandonment of work, focusing on the employee's intent and the employer's responsibility to issue notices.
Seafarers Disability Claim Denied Strict Compliance With Reporting Rules
Philippine Supreme Court denies seafarer's disability claim for failing the mandatory three-day post-employment medical examination rule under the POEA contract.
Project VS Regular Employment Clarifying Tenure IN THE Construction Industry
Withdrawal of Application Can Overcome Misrepresentation Claims in Overseas Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a worker's withdrawal of application defeats claims of misrepresentation and non-issuance of receipts against recruitment agencies.
Perpetual Employment Contracts: Labor Rights and Management Prerogatives Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court rules on perpetual employment contracts, labor arbiter jurisdiction, and the balance between worker protection and management rights.
Deceptive Recruitment Estafa Conviction Affirmed for False Promise of Overseas Employment
Supreme Court affirms estafa conviction of an unlicensed recruiter who falsely promised overseas employment and collected fees from victims.
Qualification Standards and Security of Tenure in Government Employment: DOLE v. Maceda
SC ruling on temporary appointments, qualification standards, and the proper remedy for CSC decisions in government service.
Reorganization in Bad Faith: Protecting Security of Tenure in Government Employment
Explore how the Supreme Court shields government employees from bad-faith reorganizations, ensuring security of tenure remains a constitutional safeguard.
Syndicated Illegal Recruitment and Estafa: When a Travel Agency Owner Is Liable for Overseas Employment Scams
A travel agency owner's conviction for syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa affirmed by the Supreme Court in People v. Adeser.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer Must Prove Abandonment With Clear Intent to Sever Employment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers must prove both absence and clear intent to sever employment to establish abandonment.
Employer Control Determines Employment Status: The PLDT Security Guard Case
When a security agency's contract ends but guards remain at their posts under the principal's direction, an employer-employee relationship may arise.