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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Employer Claims Against Employee for SSS Contributions: Labor Arbiter Jurisdiction
Supreme Court rules employer's claim for reimbursement of SSS contributions and damages against employee falls under Labor Arbiter jurisdiction.
Defining Regular Employment Security Benefits FOR Seasonal Farm Workers IN THE Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies when seasonal farm workers are regular employees entitled to SSS coverage and benefits under Philippine law.
Employer-Employee Relationship: The Control Test and SSS Coverage for Farm Workers
When does a farm worker become a regular employee entitled to SSS coverage? The Supreme Court explains the control test and its implications.
Redemption Rights Upheld: SSS Bound by Repurchase Agreement Despite Procedural Lapses
Supreme Court rules SSS must honor deed of conditional sale for foreclosed property, despite expired redemption period and internal procedural lapses.
Res Judicata in Social Security Cases When Prior Labor Rulings Prevail
Explore how the Supreme Court applied res judicata to bar an SSS contribution claim after a final NLRC ruling on employer-employee relationship.
SSS Death Benefits: Does Legal Separation Bar a Spouse’s Claim?
Legal marriage alone does not guarantee SSS death benefits—surviving spouses must prove actual dependency, especially after separation.
Judicial Review and Abuse of Discretion: Safeguarding Rights in Administrative Penalties
A look at Laurel v. SSS on when Rule 65 certiorari is the correct remedy against final administrative penalties.
Estranged Spouse Not Entitled to SSS Death Benefits: The Dependency Rule
An estranged wife who left her husband and remarried abroad is not a "dependent spouse" under the SSS law, so she cannot claim his death benefits.
Defining Employer When Family Administration Creates Social Security Obligations
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a family member managing a hacienda becomes an "employer" liable for SSS contributions.
Who Gets SSS Death Benefits When a Member Has Multiple Wives? A Primer on Beneficiary Rules
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who qualifies as primary beneficiary under the SSS Law when a member leaves behind a legal spouse and common-law families.
Directors Personally Liable for Unremitted SSS Contributions: The Garcia Doctrine
The Supreme Court holds directors personally liable for collected but unremitted SSS contributions, piercing the corporate veil under the Social Security Law.
Work-Related Death and the Presumption of Compensability: Leviste v. SSS
The Supreme Court clarifies when sudden cardiac death is presumed work-related and compensable under PD 626, easing the burden on claimants.
When Cooperative Members Are Employees: SSS Coverage and the Four-Fold Test
Can a cooperative's owner-members also be its employees for SSS coverage? The Supreme Court says yes, applying the four-fold test.
Can a Cooperative Be an Employer of Its Own Members? SSS Coverage Ruling
Supreme Court holds cooperatives can employ their owner-members, making them subject to SSS compulsory coverage and contributions.
Cooperative Membership vs Employment: Defining SSS Coverage Obligations
Supreme Court rules cooperatives can be employers of their owner-members for SSS coverage purposes, clarifying when membership does not negate employment.
Burden of Proof in Compensation Claims: Establishing Work Relatedness of Non-Occupational Diseases
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on proving work-relatedness for non-occupational diseases in SSS compensation claims under PD 626.
Mootness in Corporate Mergers: SSS Investment Disposition Examined
When a corporate merger dissolves the subject shares, a case over their sale becomes moot. The Supreme Court explains.
Mandamus and Medicare Claims: When Courts Can Compel Payment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when mandamus can compel SSS to pay Medicare claims despite fraud allegations.
Second Marriages and SSS Death Benefits: Why Court Decisions Matter
The Supreme Court rules on whether the SSS can disregard a court declaration of presumptive death when awarding death benefits.
SSS Death Benefits: Proving Spousal and Child Dependency in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on SSS death benefit claims, focusing on proving dependency for spouses and legitimacy for children.
SSS Death Benefits for Legal Spouses: Separation Agreements and Beneficiary Rights
A look at how Philippine law treats legal spouses as SSS primary beneficiaries despite separation agreements, and the procedural lessons from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling.
Supreme Court Strikes Down SSS Retirement Date Restriction on Survivor's Pension
The Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the SSS rule limiting survivor's pension to beneficiaries "as of the date of retirement," ruling it violates due process and equal protection.
Default Orders and Due Process: The SSS Case on Lifting Defaults
A default order isn't automatically lifted by invoking due process. Learn the strict requirements for setting it aside.
Regular vs Project Employees: SSS Coverage and Employer Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that project employees are still covered by compulsory SSS, and employers must remit contributions regardless of tenure.