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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Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
When does absence become abandonment? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on illegal dismissal and employee rights in Samar ca v. Arc-Men Industries.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish abandonment from illegal dismissal, using the Samarca case to explain employee rights and employer burdens.
Final Decisions Stand: The Immutability of NLRC Rulings in Illegal Dismissal Cases
A final and executory NLRC decision cannot be modified. Learn what this means for illegal dismissal claims and back wages.
Back Wages and Security of Tenure: Reinstatement After Illegal Dismissal in the Philippine Civil Service
Learn when illegally dismissed government employees can claim back wages, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling on security of tenure.
Illegal Dismissal: Full Back Wages Despite Subsequent Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: illegally dismissed employees get full back wages, even if they found other work during the dismissal period.
When Retirement Is Not Voluntary: Illegal Dismissal and Security of Tenure in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's "retirement" is actually illegal dismissal, protecting security of tenure.
Employer-Employee Relationship and Illegal Dismissal: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer-employee relationship and rules on illegal dismissal due to disease in Sy v. Court of Appeals.
Substantial Compliance vs Strict Adherence: Certiorari Dismissal and Employer Liability in Illegal Dismissal
SC ruling on strict Rule 65 compliance for certiorari petitions, plus joint liability of corporate officers in illegal dismissal cases.
Optional Retirement Rights and Labor Tribunals' Limits in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Supreme Court clarifies optional retirement requires explicit employee consent, and labor tribunals lack jurisdiction over tax refund claims.
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.
Wrongful Dismissal Reinstatement and Backwages for Illegally Terminated Employees
Learn the rules on illegal dismissal, reinstatement, and backwages under Philippine labor law from a Supreme Court case.
Illegal Dismissal Case: Why Salary Deductions Defeated a Theft Claim
Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal: employer's theft claim failed because goods were paid via salary deductions and due process was not observed.
When Loss of Confidence Leads to Illegal Dismissal: Defining the Boundaries of Managerial Prerogative
Explore how the Supreme Court defines the limits of managerial prerogative in labor cases, focusing on loss of confidence as a valid ground for dismissal.
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.
Illegal Dismissal: Employers Must Substantiate Claims and Observe Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Atlas Farms v. NLRC clarifies employer burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases and due process requirements.
Reinstatement vs Abandonment: Computing Backwages in Illegal Dismissal Cases
When an illegally dismissed employee refuses reinstatement, does abandonment cut off backwages? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule.
Protecting Overseas Workers: Illegal Dismissal and the Limits of Quitclaims in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on overseas entertainers' illegal dismissal shows quitclaims signed under duress are void and cannot bar labor claims.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: How the Control Test Decides Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test in distinguishing employees from independent contractors, using a movie theater painter's illegal dismissal case.
Back Wages and Illegal Dismissal: What Salas v. PAGCOR Means for Employees
The Supreme Court clarifies that illegally dismissed employees are entitled to back wages even if later found guilty of separate administrative charges.
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.
Optional Retirement and Illegal Dismissal: The Ondevilla Case on Security of Tenure
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's early retirement is voluntary, and the rights of illegally dismissed employees who reach compulsory retirement age.
Corporate Officer vs Employee: Who Has Jurisdiction Over Illegal Dismissal Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when an illegal dismissal case belongs to labor courts or the SEC/RTC in corporate officer disputes.
Dismissed for Delay? Understanding Due Diligence in Philippine Court Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court handles procedural delays and due diligence in labor cases, using a recent illegal dismissal ruling as a guide.
Justice Delayed IS Justice Denied Upholding Timely Disposition OF Cases IN Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court rules on illegal dismissal, retirement age, and the importance of timely case disposition in Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran.