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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Wrongful Termination at Sea: Seafarers’ Right to Due Process and Just Cause
SC ruling: a just-cause dismissal of a seafarer is valid even without due process, but the employer must pay P30,000 nominal damages.
Seafarer Misconduct and Due Process: Balancing Just Cause With Procedural Rights in Maritime Employment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers dismissed for just cause without procedural due process get nominal damages, not reinstatement.
Seafarer Dismissal Upheld: Totality of Infractions and Due Process in Maritime Cases
Philippine Supreme Court upholds seafarer's dismissal based on totality of infractions, but awards nominal damages for lack of due process.
Due Process Prevails: Demotion Without Notice Violates Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court rules on due process in employee discipline, examining demotion without notice and seafarer abandonment cases.
Seafarer Disability Claims: When the Company Doctor's Fit-to-Work Assessment Prevails
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer disability claims: the company-designated physician's fit-to-work certification controls absent a third-doctor review.
Abandonment of Post: Employers’ Rights and Seafarers’ Responsibilities Under Philippine Law
A seafarer who fails to rejoin his vessel after approved leave may be liable for abandonment, not illegal dismissal.
Seafarers Disability Defining Permanent Disability Beyond the Company Doctor's Assessment
Supreme Court ruling on seafarer disability claims: the company doctor's assessment is not conclusive, and inability to work for over 120 days may mean permanent disability.
Failure to Present Logbook and Follow Due Process Makes Seafarer Dismissal Illegal
Supreme Court rules a seafarer's dismissal was illegal where the employer relied only on fax messages and failed to observe the two-notice rule.
Seafarer’s Illegal Dismissal: Due Process and the Ship’s Logbook in Maritime Cases
The Supreme Court ruled a seafarer’s dismissal illegal for lack of just cause and due process, highlighting the logbook’s evidentiary value.
Seafarers Disability Incorrectly Filed Appeal Doesnt Forfeit Benefits DUE TO Illness Contracted During Employment
Seafarer Death Benefits: The Primacy of the Employment Contract's Term
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a seafarer's death during the contract term entitles heirs to death benefits under the POEA Standard Employment Contract.
Seafarers Death Benefits: Work Relatedness and Contractual Coverage for Compensation Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when seafarers' death benefits apply—death must occur during the contract term and illness must be work-related.
Insufficient Notice Leads to Illegal Dismissal of Seafarer: Due Process in Maritime Employment
A seafarer's dismissal was ruled illegal because vague logbook entries and a general notice failed the due process requirements under POEA rules.
Illegal Dismissal of Seafarers: Overtime Pay and Contractual Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer illegal dismissal, salary for unexpired contract, and guaranteed overtime pay.
Seafarers Rights: Defining Permanent Disability Beyond Medical Assessments
The Supreme Court clarifies when seafarers are deemed permanently disabled under Philippine law, even without a company physician's assessment.
Misrepresentation and Due Process in Seafarer Medical Claims: De Jesus v. POMI
The Supreme Court ruled that a seafarer's concealment of a prior ulcer did not bar medical claims, and that dismissal requires the contract's disciplinary procedure.
Upholding Employer Authority: Willful Disobedience and Seafarer Dismissal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on willful disobedience as valid cause for seafarer dismissal, with due process indemnity explained.
Seafarer Breach Before Boarding: Damages Despite No Employer-Employee Relationship
Philippine Supreme Court rules a seafarer can claim damages for unjustified non-deployment even without employer-employee relationship.
Protecting Seafarer Rights: Why Proper Documentation Is Key in Illegal Dismissal Cases in the Philippines
Learn how proper documentation protects seafarer rights in illegal dismissal cases, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Seafarer Disability Benefits for Illness Contracted During the Contract Term
A seafarer who falls ill during his contract may claim total disability benefits even if the illness is not work-related, the Supreme Court ruled in 2007.
When a Shipboard Basketball Injury Is Work-Related: Arriesgado v. Multinational Maritime
SC rules a seafarer's basketball injury on board is work-related under the Bunkhouse Rule and Personal Comfort Doctrine, entitling him to disability benefits.
Seafarers Disability Upholding Seafarer Rights Beyond Company Physician Assessments
Seafarer Death Benefits Understanding Contract Terms AND Post Employment Claims IN THE Philippines
Leaving Ship for Medical Help Is Not Desertion: Seafarer Rights Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling protects seafarers who leave a vessel for medical treatment, clarifying that such acts do not constitute desertion.