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.
Taking the Law Into One's Own Hands: When Recovery Attempts Lead to Legal Liability
A clerk of court's angry outburst over cut bamboos shows how self-help recovery can trigger administrative liability despite retirement.
Detention and Absences: When Prolonged AWOL Is Not Abandonment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an employee's prolonged absence due to detention does not constitute abandonment, and the limits of dismissal.
Moral Conduct in the Judiciary: Defining Immorality and Due Process for Court Employees
The Supreme Court clarifies when giving birth out of wedlock is immoral conduct for court employees and protects due process rights.
Trade Secrets vs Discovery: Balancing Business Confidentiality and Legal Rights in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when trade secrets are privileged from compulsory disclosure in civil discovery proceedings.
Protecting Consumers: Illegal Disconnection and Utility Company Liability
Supreme Court ruling on Meralco's liability for illegal disconnection without notice, and the limits of differential billing claims.
Abandonment vs Constructive Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the fine line between abandonment and constructive dismissal, and what employers must prove to justify termination.
Falsifying Attendance Records in the Judiciary: A Lesson in Integrity
A sheriff falsified his attendance logbook. The Supreme Court reprimanded him, stressing that dishonesty has no place in the judiciary.
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.
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.
When a Manager's Discretion Becomes Willful Disobedience in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine jurisprudence on insubordination: when a manager's refusal to follow company policy crosses the line into willful disobedience justifying termination.
Mandatory Retirement Age for Water District Employees: The Bayona Case
The Supreme Court affirms that water district employees must retire at 65, not 60, and that forced early retirement entitles them to back salaries.
Holiday Pay Divisor Method Prevails Over Literal CBA Interpretation
Supreme Court rules employers may prove holiday pay inclusion through salary computation methods, not just payroll line items.
Retinal Detachment and Work-Related Illness: Compensability Under PD 626 Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when retinal detachment is compensable under PD 626, requiring proof of reasonable work connection, not direct causation.
Supervisory Employees and Overtime Pay: The Limits of Benefit Preservation in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when overtime pay is a preserved benefit for supervisory employees under Article 100 of the Labor Code.
Strikes and Employee Rights: Understanding the Limits of Union Activities in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal, union busting, corporate veil piercing, and quitclaims in labor disputes.
Dishonesty in Public Service: Falsifying Credentials Leads to Dismissal
Falsifying a Personal Data Sheet to claim a college degree is gross dishonesty warranting dismissal from public service, even on first offense.
Restrictive Custody in the PNP: Balancing Discipline and Liberty
The Supreme Court explains when restrictive custody of police officers under investigation is lawful and not a ground for habeas corpus.
Backwages in Illegal Dismissal: When the Employer’s Obligation Ends
Backwages in illegal dismissal accrue until actual reinstatement or payment of separation pay, per Mt. Carmel College v. Resuena.
Duterte v. Kingswood: Burden of Proof in Disease-Based Dismissals
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers, not employees, must secure a health authority certification to validly terminate on disease grounds.
AWOL and Reinstatement: The Scope of Appointing Authority in Philippine Civil Service
Explaining Jaucian v. Wycoco on AWOL, automatic separation from the rolls, and the appointing authority's discretion over reinstatement.
Private or Public? COA Audit Authority Over Animal Welfare Societies
When is a corporation created by special law a government entity subject to COA audit? The Supreme Court clarifies the test.
Can Public Officials Evade Administrative Charges by Resigning? SC Says No
The Supreme Court rules that resignation or separation from service does not shield public officials from administrative liability for acts committed while in office.
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.
Quasi-Delict Liability in Vehicular Accidents: When the Owner Answers for the Driver's Negligence
Learn when a vehicle owner is liable for the driver's negligence under Philippine quasi-delict law, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling.