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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Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Fixed-Term Contracts and Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when project employees become regular, and why fixed-term contracts do not permit illegal dismissal.
Independent Contractor vs Employee: Supreme Court Clarifies Labor Law Distinction
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a worker is an independent contractor's employee rather than the principal company's regular employee.
Navigating Liability in Ship Repair: Negligence and Limited Liability Clauses
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on shipyard negligence, res ipsa loquitur, and limits of contractual liability limitation clauses.
Void Contracts and Official Overreach: Due Process in Philippine Law
When can public officials take over a leased public market? The Supreme Court clarifies void contracts, due process, and criminal liability under the Anti-Graft Law.
Philippine Contract Law: When Written Agreements Prevail Over Verbal Claims
Explaining Gold Loop Properties v. PITC, where the Supreme Court upheld a written contract over claims of a different verbal agreement.
Burden of Proof in Seafarer Death Claims: Employer Must Prove Suicide to Avoid Liability
In Lapid v. NLRC, the Supreme Court ruled that employers must prove suicide to avoid death benefits under the POEA contract.
Business Records as Evidence: Proving Contractual Debt in Philippine Courts
Learn when business records like computer printouts are admissible evidence in Philippine courts, and why authentication matters in proving contractual debts.
Understanding Contracts of Sale vs Contracts to Sell in Philippine Property Law
Learn the key differences between contracts of sale and contracts to sell under Philippine law, and why the distinction matters for property buyers and sellers.
Philippine Security of Tenure: Why Fixed-Term Employment Can't Sidestep Regularization
The Supreme Court strikes down a fixed-term contract scheme that blocked an employee's regularization, reaffirming constitutional security of tenure for Philippine workers.
Automatic Contract Rescission in Philippine Real Estate: Buyer and Seller Rights
Understand when automatic rescission clauses in Philippine real estate contracts apply, and the rights of buyers and sellers under the Maceda Law.
Exercising Your Option to Purchase: Timeliness and Good Faith in Philippine Lease Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on option-to-purchase clauses in lease contracts, timeliness of exercise, good faith, and fair market value pricing.
Buyer Beware Priority Rights In Philippine Real Estate Contracts To Sell
Learn how Philippine courts treat priority rights in contracts to sell real estate, and what buyers must verify before paying.
Decoding Loan Agreements: How Ambiguity Can Invalidate Penalty Clauses in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how ambiguous penalty clauses in loan agreements, especially contracts of adhesion, are construed against the drafting bank.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor: The Four-Fold Test Under Philippine Law
Philippine courts use the four-fold test to distinguish employees from independent contractors. Control is the key factor.
Contractor vs Employee: When a Principal Isn't the Employer in Service Agreements
Philippine Airlines v. NLRC clarifies when job contracting is legitimate, who bears liability for separation pay, and why control matters.
Apparent Authority in Corporate Contracts: When a President's Actions Bind a Philippine Company
The Supreme Court explains when a corporate president's contracts bind the company, even without board approval, under the doctrine of apparent authority.
Labor-Only Contracting and Illegal Dismissal: Ponce v. NLRC Explained
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on labor-only contracting, employer-employee relationships, and illegal dismissal in Ponce v. NLRC.
Credit Card Interest Rates and Escalation Clauses: What the Supreme Court Says
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on credit card interest escalation clauses, mutuality of contracts, and validity of variable rates.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law (Ushio Marketing Case)
The Ushio Marketing case clarifies the control test for determining employer-employee relationships in Philippine labor law.
Labor-Only Contracting vs. Legitimate Job Contracting: Supreme Court Clarifies Employer Liability
The Supreme Court explains the difference between labor-only contracting and legitimate job contracting, and who bears liability for workers' claims.
Regular Employment for Private School Teachers: Security of Tenure and Contract Renewal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on private school teachers' security of tenure, probationary periods, and illegal dismissal through non-renewal of contracts.
Fixed-Term Contracts and Security of Tenure: What Romares v. NLRC Means for Employers and Workers
The Supreme Court explains when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and when they are a circumvention of the worker's security of tenure.
Regular Employment After One Year of Service Prevails Over Fixed-Term Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when repeated fixed-term contracts cannot defeat an employee's right to regular employment and security of tenure.
Employer Liability in Labor-Only Contracting: Lessons from NPC v. PHESCO
When is a principal liable for torts of a labor-only contractor's employee? The Supreme Court explains in NPC v. PHESCO.