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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Regular vs Seasonal Employment: Security of Tenure in Sugarcane Farming
Supreme Court clarifies when seasonal sugarcane workers become regular employees entitled to security of tenure and protection from illegal dismissal.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Loss of Confidence Justifies Termination
Explaining when Philippine employers may validly dismiss employees for breach of trust, based on a Supreme Court ruling on cashiers and tellers.
Retroactive Regular Employment: When Prior Service Counts Toward Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when prior contractual service counts toward regular employment and CBA benefits under labor law.
Illegal Transfer and Employer Prerogative: Balancing Rights With Fair Play in Employment
When does a valid transfer become an illegal one? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of management prerogative in Paguio v. PLDT.
Protecting Seafarers: Illegal Dismissal and Due Process Rights in Maritime Employment
When can a shipowner dismiss a Filipino seafarer? The Supreme Court clarifies just cause and due process rules for maritime employment.
Regular Employment Status and the Limits of Prior Judgments in Labor Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a prior money claim judgment bars a later case for confirmation of regular employment status.
Probationary Employment: Defining the Boundaries of Employer Discretion in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies probationary employment rules, six-month period computation, and abandonment of work in CALS Poultry v. Roco.
Seafarers' Employment Status: Contractual, Not Regular, Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers are contractual employees, not regular employees under Article 280 of the Labor Code.
Debt Default by Public Servants: Upholding Ethical Standards in Government Employment
Court rules on public servants' willful failure to pay just debts, clarifying administrative liability under civil service rules.
When Employment Contracts Expire: Protecting Security of Tenure in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when contract expiration becomes illegal dismissal, and why employees cannot be forced into early retirement before age 65.
When Misrepresentations Lead to Estafa: The Dangers of Falsely Claiming the Ability to Process Travel Document
The Supreme Court clarifies when false claims about processing travel documents constitute estafa, even without promises of employment abroad.
On Duty or Off Target: Defining Course of Employment in Police Compensation Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a police officer's death is compensable under employees' compensation law, applying the 24-hour duty doctrine.
Partnership vs Employment: Sharing Profits in Lending Ventures Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when profit-sharing in a lending business creates a partnership, not an employment relationship, and how profits are computed.
Regular Employment vs Cooperative Membership: Protecting Workers' Rights
Can a cooperative member be a regular employee? The Supreme Court says yes—membership does not erase labor rights or security of tenure.
Fraudulent Promises Establishing Liability for Illegal Recruitment and Estafa
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when false promises of overseas employment constitute both illegal recruitment and estafa.
Certification Election Findings on Employment Not Binding in Dismissal Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a certification election finding on employer-employee relationship cannot bar a later illegal dismissal case.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Security of Tenure in Philippine Law
Understand the difference between project and regular employment in the Philippines, and what security of tenure means for workers.
Co-Terminous Employment and Security of Tenure in Government Contractual Positions
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that co-terminous government employees serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and may be terminated before project completion.
When Arbitration Clauses in Employment Contracts Become Unfair: The Magellan Case
The Supreme Court explains when arbitration clauses in employment contracts are void for giving one side too many arbitrators.
Breach OF Trust IN Employment Upholding Employers Right TO Terminate FOR Misconduct
Arbitration Integrity Ensuring Fairness IN Corporate Employment Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for lawful dismissal of managerial employees, focusing on procedural due process and loss of trust and confidence.
Illegal Strikes in the Philippines: Return-to-Work Orders and Employment Consequences
Understand when a strike becomes illegal in the Philippines, the binding effect of return-to-work orders, and the employment consequences for defiant strikers.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction Projects
Learn when construction workers are project employees and their rights on termination before project completion, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Broken Promises in Overseas Job Scams: Illegal Recruitment and Estafa Under Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains how illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa arise from false promises of overseas employment.