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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Wage Deductions VS Post Employment Claims Protecting Employee Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court protects employee rights in wage deductions, labor-only contracting, and illegal dismissal cases under Philippine law.
Duty to Bargain Union Representation Despite Pending Cancellation Proceedings
Philippine Supreme Court rules on duty to bargain despite pending union cancellation, labor-only contracting, and illegal dismissal.
Upholding Judicial Integrity: Dismissal for Gross Ignorance of the Law in Reopening Finalized Criminal Cases
A judge's dismissal for reopening a final and executory criminal case, and the duty of courts to respect finality of judgment.
Court Cash Clerk Dismissed for Dishonesty and Misconduct in Handling Judiciary Funds
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of court cash clerk for misappropriating judiciary funds through falsified official receipts, citing public trust principles.
Regular Employment vs Consultancy: Defining the Line in Illegal Dismissal Cases
A consultant labeled regular employee: how control and supervision define employment status in illegal dismissal cases under Philippine law.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer Must Prove Just Cause AND Due Process in Termination
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that terminating an employee requires both substantive and procedural due process; failure in either makes dismissal illegal.
Strained Relations in Employment: Separation Pay as an Alternative to Reinstatement
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal, due process, and when separation pay replaces reinstatement due to strained relations.
Dishonesty AND Grave Misconduct Dismissal FOR Clerks OF Court Handling Judiciary Funds
Dismissal for Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct in Mismanaging Court Funds
Court dismisses clerk of court for P597K shortage in collections, ruling that restitution cannot erase serious breach of duty.
Constructive Dismissal: When a Transfer Becomes Illegal Under Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a workplace transfer amounts to constructive dismissal, protecting employees from retaliatory reassignments.
Constructive Dismissal: Employer's Burden to Justify Employee Transfer
When does a forced transfer become constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the employer's burden to justify transfers and the limits on belated evidence.
Dismissal for Dishonesty: Upholding Public Trust in the Philippine Legal Profession
A lawyer's misuse of client funds and notarizing without commission leads to one-year suspension, reaffirming high ethical standards for Philippine attorneys.
Nuisance Suits in Intra-Corporate Disputes: Dismissal and Indispensable Parties
The Supreme Court clarifies when an intra-corporate complaint is a nuisance suit and why omitting indispensable parties is fatal.
Dismissal for Lack of Pre-Trial Brief: Balancing Procedural Rules and Justice
The Supreme Court affirms dismissal of a case for failure to file a pre-trial brief, clarifying the fresh period rule and the binding effect of counsel's negligence.
Constructive Dismissal and Contract Substitution: Protecting OFWs from Unsafe Conditions
Learn how the Supreme Court protected OFWs from contract substitution and unsafe conditions, ruling that forced resignation amounts to constructive dismissal.
Cross-Claims Survive Dismissal of Main Complaint Through Compromise Settlements
When a main complaint is dismissed via compromise, cross-claims among co-defendants may still proceed. The Supreme Court explains why.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: The Two-Notice Rule and Employer Obligations
Learn the two-notice rule in Philippine labor law and how the Supreme Court applied it to probationary employees in Carvajal v. Luzon Development Bank.
Defining the Power of Control in Labor Disputes: The Legend Hotel Case
When is a hotel pianist an employee, not an independent talent? The Supreme Court clarifies the control test in illegal dismissal cases.
Shifting Legal Theories in Employer-Employee Disputes: Lessons from Duty Free Philippines v. Tria
Supreme Court ruling on when employers can change legal theories in illegal dismissal cases and the burden of proof for just cause.
Dishonesty in Civil Service Exams: Impersonation Leads to Dismissal and Perpetual Disqualification
The Supreme Court dismisses a court stenographer for letting someone take her Civil Service exam, ruling it is dishonesty with grave penalties.
Employee Theft and Termination: Defining Analogous Misconduct at Work
Theft from a co-employee is analogous to serious misconduct and can justify dismissal, even without employer loss.
Employee Theft and Termination: Defining Analogous Serious Misconduct in Philippine Labor Law
When does stealing a co-worker's property justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies under Article 282 of the Labor Code.
Upholding Public Trust: Dishonesty Leads to Dismissal Despite Mitigating Factors
Supreme Court ruling shows falsifying a Daily Time Record is grave dishonesty warranting forfeiture of retirement benefits, even after resignation.
When an Employee's Unauthorized Acts Justify Dismissal: Meralco v. Dejan
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's unauthorized release of company property constitutes serious misconduct and loss of trust, justifying termination.