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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Seafarer Disability Claims: When Repatriation Doesn't End Your Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers repatriated due to vessel sale may still claim disability benefits under POEA contract.
Disability Benefits for Seafarers: Defining Total and Permanent Incapacity
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a seafarer's illness counts as total and permanent disability, entitling them to full benefits.
Supreme Court: DBM Must Implement Judicial Rulings on Judges' Benefits
The Supreme Court directs DBM to release disability benefits to judges' heirs, affirming that judicial interpretation of law is final and binding.
Converting Partial to Total Disability Benefits: When Procedural Rules Yield to Substantial Justice
Learn when SSS disability benefits can be converted from partial to total, and when procedural rules yield to social justice.
From Partial TO Total When CAN A Disability Claim BE Reclassified
Rape and Mental Disability: Understanding the Limits of the Death Penalty in Philippine Law
A father's rape conviction was reduced from death to reclusion perpetua because the prosecution failed to prove his knowledge of the victim's mental disability.
Work-Related Injury? Basketball on Board a Vessel and Seafarer Disability Claims
The Supreme Court held that a seafarer injured during a basketball game on board a vessel may claim disability benefits under the Bunkhouse Rule.
Beyond Physical Loss: Defining Permanent Total Disability in Philippine Employment Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that permanent total disability is not about physical helplessness but the inability to earn wages in one's trained work.
Work-Related Injury in a Shipboard Basketball Game: Liability and Damages Under the POEA-SEC
The Supreme Court held that a seafarer injured during a shipboard basketball game may claim disability benefits under the Bunkhouse Rule and Personal Comfort Doctrine.
Relaxing Procedural Rules in Labor Disputes: Substantial Justice Prevails
The Supreme Court reminds litigants that procedural rules yield to substantial justice in labor cases, as shown in this disability claim dispute.
Rape and Credibility: Evaluating Testimony in the Face of Physical Disability
Physical disability alone does not negate rape liability. The Supreme Court affirms conviction, explaining how credibility, not disability, decides rape cases.
Seafarers Disability Claims: Substantial Compliance and Employer Duty to Assess Fitness
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarers' disability benefits, substantial compliance with POEA contract, and employer responsibility in fitness assessment.
Company-Designated Physician and Seafarer Disability Claims: Key Lessons from German Marine Agencies v. NLRC
Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a company-designated physician need not be POEA-accredited for a seafarer's disability claim to prosper.
Seafarers' Rights: Who Is the Company-Designated Physician in Disability Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a company-designated physician need not be POEA-accredited for seafarer disability claims.
Rape of a Mentally Retarded Person: Consent and Knowledge of Disability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape of a mental retardate, consent, and the need to allege knowledge of disability in the information.
Protecting the Vulnerable: How Philippine Courts Validate Testimony in Rape Cases Involving Mental Disability
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction where the victim has a mental disability, explaining how courts assess such testimony and evidence.
Seafarers' Sickness and Disability Benefits: What the Tuazon Case Teaches
The Supreme Court ruled that seafarers can claim sickness and disability benefits even with pre-existing conditions, as long as the illness occurs during the employment contract.
Credibility in Rape Cases: How Mental Capacity Affects Testimony Admissibility
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction despite the victim's moderate intellectual disability, clarifying credibility standards for witnesses with mental limitations.
The Testimony of a Witness With Disabilities: Ensuring Justice and Fair Trial
How the Supreme Court upheld rape convictions based on a deaf-mute victim's credible testimony, affirming that disability does not disqualify a witness.
Ensuring Fair Retirement Benefits for Government Employees with Work-Related Illnesses
Supreme Court ruling on permanent total disability benefits for government employees who retire early due to work-related illnesses.
Permanent Total Disability Claims: Protecting Retirees' Right to Full Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on permanent total disability benefits for retired government employees, explained in plain language.
Permanent Total Disability in the Philippines: Employee Rights and Compensation
Understand permanent total disability under Philippine law, how it differs from partial disability, and what the GSIS vs. Bella ruling means for employees.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of Persons With Mental Disability in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that rape of a mental retardate requires less force, and explains why conviction stands.
Converting Partial Disability to Total Disability: GSIS v. Balais Explained
When can partial disability benefits be converted to total? The Supreme Court's ruling in GSIS v. Balais provides clear guidance for Filipino workers.