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 Project Employees: Understanding Security of Tenure in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the test for regular vs project employee status, security of tenure, and the two-notice rule in illegal dismissal cases.
Nominal Damages in Labor Disputes: When Courts Can Reduce the Award
Philippine Supreme Court explains when and how courts may reduce nominal damages awarded to employees in illegal dismissal cases.
Gocc Labor Disputes: Jurisdiction and Corporate Veil in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Learn how Philippine courts decide illegal dismissal cases involving voluntary resignation, burden of proof, and corporate liability.
Voluntary Resignation vs Illegal Dismissal: Key Differences and Employer Responsibilities in Philippine Labor
Learn the key differences between voluntary resignation and illegal dismissal in Philippine labor law, and what employers must do to avoid liability.
Employer-Employee Relationship Is Key to Labor Jurisdiction in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why employer-employee relationship is jurisdictional in illegal dismissal cases and when corporate officers can be held liable.
Retrenchment in Philippine Labor Law: When Cost-Cutting Becomes Illegal Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the strict requirements for valid retrenchment and redundancy, and the consequences of bad-faith dismissals.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: Philippine Supreme Court Case Analysis
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal, loss of trust and confidence, and the employer's burden of proof in termination cases.
Protecting Seafarer Rights When Letters of Indemnity Don't Hold Water in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court rules that seafarers' letters of indemnity are void when coerced, upholding illegal dismissal claims and wage protections.
Trust Betrayed: Understanding Illegal Dismissal Based on Loss of Confidence in the Philippines
When can an employer validly dismiss a managerial employee for loss of confidence? The Supreme Court explains the rules and limits in Wah Yuen Restaurant v. Jayona.
Illegal Dismissal vs Abandonment: What Philippine Employees Must Know
Understand the difference between illegal dismissal and abandonment of work in the Philippines, and learn what employers must prove.
Illegal Dismissal and Labor-Only Contracting: When a Salesman's Driver Is the Company's Employee
Acevedo v. Advanstar explains labor-only contracting, employer-employee relationship, and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
Illegal Dismissal and Optional Retirement: The Ondevilla Ruling on Employee Rights
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on constructive dismissal, optional retirement age, and separation pay in Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Proving Loss of Trust and Confidence in Illegal Dismissal Cases in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when loss of trust and confidence justifies employee dismissal, and what employers must prove.
Dismissal Upheld Despite Prior Termination When Dishonesty Charges Become Moot
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rules on project employment, labor-only contracting, and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
Illegal Dismissal Case: Employer's Burden of Proof in Misappropriation Claims
MERALCO v. NLRC clarifies that employers bear the burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases, even for misappropriation charges.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Loss of Confidence Requires Clear Evidence
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal shows why employers must prove loss of confidence with clear evidence, not mere suspicion or contrived charges.
NLRC vs Regular Courts: Where to File Damages Claims in Dismissal Cases
Learn when illegal dismissal damages claims belong to the NLRC labor arbiter, not regular courts, under Article 217 of the Labor Code.
Business Closure vs Retrenchment: Defining Employers' Rights in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when retrenchment is valid, when it becomes illegal dismissal, and how quitclaims affect employee rights.
Due Process and Illegal Dismissal: Why Employers Bear the Burden of Proof in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies procedural rules on indispensable parties in illegal dismissal cases and the employer's burden of proof.
Forced Resignation vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Workers' Right to Security of Tenure
A look at Lotte Phil. v. Dela Cruz on labor-only contracting, security of tenure, and the procedural rules on indispensable parties.
When Contracting Turns Into Employment: Defining the True Employer
Learn how Philippine courts determine the real employer in contracting arrangements and what this means for liability in illegal dismissal cases.
Reinstatement vs. Separation Pay: Upholding the Rights of Illegally Dismissed Employees
Illegal dismissal entitles workers to reinstatement and full back wages. Separation pay is only an alternative when strained relations are proven.
When Redundancy Becomes Illegal Dismissal: Lessons from Lopez Sugar Corporation
The Supreme Court clarifies when a redundancy program is a valid management prerogative and when it becomes an illegal dismissal.
Union Busting Disguised as Redundancy: Protecting Workers' Right to Organize
When can a company's "redundancy" program be struck down as illegal dismissal and unfair labor practice? The Supreme Court explains.