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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Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal of Court Clerk for Theft of Court Funds
Court personnel who steal from court collections face dismissal, forfeiture of benefits, and disqualification from public office.
Judicial Clemency in the Philippines: When a Dismissed Judge Can Be Forgiven
The Supreme Court explains the rules on judicial clemency and when a dismissed judge may recover retirement benefits.
Judicial Misconduct: When a Court Employee's Conviction for BP 22 Means Forfeiture of Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when a court employee's conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude, like BP 22 violations, leads to dismissal and forfeiture of retirement benefits.
Moral Turpitude and Public Service: The Consequences of Dishonored Checks
A court clerk's conviction for three counts of BP 22 violations leads to forfeiture of benefits and perpetual disqualification from government service.
Second Chances: The Supreme Court's Compassionate Stance on Judicial Clemency
The Supreme Court partially grants a dismissed judge's plea for clemency, allowing release of 1/3 of her retirement benefits.
Partial Judicial Clemency Granted to Errant Judge Based on Remorse and Reformation
The Supreme Court partially grants judicial clemency to a dismissed judge, allowing 1/3 of her retirement benefits based on proven remorse and reformation.
Seafarer Wins Attorney's Fees After Being Compelled to Litigate Disability Claim
Supreme Court reinstates attorney's fees for seafarer with Meniere's Disease, ruling he was compelled to litigate to recover disability benefits.
Retirement Benefits Rate for University Employees With Multiple Roles
Supreme Court clarifies how retirement pay is computed for university employees who hold faculty and administrative positions.
Limits on PhilHealth's Fiscal Autonomy: Accountability in Public Spending
Supreme Court clarifies PhilHealth's fiscal autonomy limits, upholding COA disallowances of unauthorized benefits while allowing longevity pay.
COA Authority to Disallow Benefits Without Presidential Approval: PhilHealth Case
Supreme Court affirms COA's power to disallow PhilHealth benefits lacking presidential approval, but allows longevity pay under RA 11223.
Seafarers Disability Benefits: Why Timely Medical Assessments Matter
The Supreme Court clarifies that a company-designated physician's failure to issue a final disability assessment within 120/240 days makes a seafarer's disability total and permanent.
The Indefinite Assessment Seafarers Right To Disability Benefits Under Philippine LAW
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies seafarers' disability benefits when company doctors fail to issue timely final assessments.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Prescription Periods and Proving Work-Related Death
Learn the strict rules on prescription and compensability in seafarer death benefit claims, based on a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The Limits of Fiscal Autonomy: PhilHealth’s Authority to Grant Employee Benefits
The Supreme Court rules that PhilHealth's fiscal autonomy is not absolute; employee benefits must have clear legal basis or face disallowance.
Fiscal Autonomy vs Accountability: PhilHealth Benefit Disallowances Upheld
The Supreme Court affirms COA disallowances of PhilHealth benefits, clarifying that fiscal autonomy does not mean absolute power over compensation.
When a Bank's Auction Purchase Benefits the Mortgagor: PNB v. Tad-y
A bank that buys mortgaged property at a tax auction may hold it in trust for the mortgagor under the mortgage's agency clause.
Judicial Clemency in the Philippines: Remorse and Reformation for Reinstatement of Benefits
The Supreme Court denied a dismissed judge's plea to restore retirement benefits, clarifying the strict proof of remorse and reformation required for judicial clemency.
Seafarers Disability Accident CBA Benefits and Employer Obligations in Maritime Employment
When a CBA governs seafarer disability, its better benefits prevail over the POEA-SEC, and employers must timely issue final medical assessments.
Abandonment of Medical Treatment Impact on Seafarer Disability Claims
How a company doctor's failure to issue a timely disability assessment affects a seafarer's claim for total and permanent disability benefits.
Diminution of Benefits: Voluntary Employer Practices and GOCC Compliance
Learn how voluntary employer practices and GOCC compliance affect diminution of benefits claims, with insights from recent Philippine labor rulings.
Dismissed Electric Cooperative GM Can't Claim Retirement: NEA Jurisdiction Ruling
Supreme Court affirms NEA's exclusive jurisdiction over electric cooperative GM retirement claims, forfeiting benefits upon valid dismissal.
Good Faith and the Duty to Return Illegally Granted Benefits in the NHA
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on good faith and the obligation to return illegally granted benefits in the National Housing Authority.
Work-Related Aggravation Proving Entitlement to Death Benefits for Non-Occupational Diseases
The Supreme Court clarifies the evidentiary standard for death benefits when the illness is not a listed occupational disease.
Untimely Medical Assessments Protecting Seafarers Rights TO Disability Benefits
When company doctors miss the deadline for a final assessment, a seafarer's disability is deemed permanent and total.