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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Just Compensation in Eminent Domain: Value at Time of Taking Plus Interest for Delay
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that just compensation is based on fair market value at the time of taking, plus legal interest for delayed payment.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Valuing Land at the Time of Taking
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that agrarian reform just compensation must be valued at the time of taking, not at later dates.
Defining Disability Seafarers Rights TO Full Compensation Under Poea SEC
Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer with a Grade 8 disability rating is entitled to total and permanent disability compensation under the POEA SEC.
Unconscionable Compromises Protecting Employees From Unfair Labor Settlements
Learn how Philippine courts protect employees from unfair labor settlements, illegal strike dismissals, and double compensation risks in this ruling.
Standardized Salaries vs Additional Compensation: Navigating Government Employee Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when government employees may receive allowances beyond standardized salaries under RA 6758, the Salary Standardization Law.
Temperate vs Nominal Damages: When Philippine Courts Award Moderate Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when temperate damages apply instead of nominal damages, using a shipping collision case as the guide.
Negligence and Fair Compensation: Temperate Damages When Proof of Loss Is Lacking
When a court finds negligence but exact losses are unproven, temperate damages may be awarded. A Philippine Supreme Court case explains.
Hypertension and Glaucoma: Protecting Employees' Rights to Compensation
When can hypertension and glaucoma be compensable? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on employees' compensation claims.
Recomputing Monetary Awards in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Full Compensation Amidst Legal Recourse
Learn how the Supreme Court handles monetary awards in illegal dismissal cases, ensuring full compensation for employees while respecting legal remedies.
Causation vs. Presumption: Understanding Employee Compensation for Illness
The Supreme Court clarifies when an illness is compensable under PD 626, emphasizing proof of work-connection over presumption.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: When the Value Is Fixed at the Time of Taking
Explains the Supreme Court ruling that just compensation in expropriation is based on property value at the time of taking, not at filing of a later damages suit.
Just Compensation for Expropriated Property: Value at Taking, Not Later Filing
Supreme Court clarifies that just compensation for expropriated property is based on value at the time of taking, not at filing of a later damages case.
Dismissal Without Prejudice and Just Compensation: When Court Deference Prevails in Attorney Conduct Cases
When an expropriation case is dismissed without prejudice, just compensation must still be based on the property's value at the time of taking, not at the filing of a later damages suit.
Ownership in Reclamation Projects: Defining Completion and Compensation
Supreme Court clarifies when ownership of improvements transfers in reclamation contracts, ruling on COA disallowance and compensation rights.
Appraisal Value vs. Foreclosure: Property Valuation Disputes in Mortgage Foreclosure
When can courts override government appraisals in agrarian reform? The Supreme Court clarifies just compensation rules and valuation standards.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Balancing Landowner Rights and Public Interest
In DAR v. Galle, the Supreme Court affirmed that fixing just compensation for agrarian reform land is a judicial function, not an administrative one.
Minimum Wage vs Facilities: Employer Obligations for Fair Compensation and Workplace Standards
The Supreme Court clarifies when employers may count board and lodging as wages, protecting workers from minimum wage circumvention.
Employees Compensation for Leukemia: Proving Increased Occupational Risk
A widow's claim for EC death benefits failed because she could not prove her husband's security guard work increased his leukemia risk.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Ensuring Fair Valuation of Expropriated Land
The Supreme Court clarifies how just compensation for agrarian reform land must be determined, emphasizing the factors under of RA 6657.
Just Compensation Under Agrarian Reform: Valuing Land at the Time of Taking
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how just compensation is valued for agrarian reform lands, emphasizing the time of taking and the factors under RA 6657.
Loss of Earning Award Deleted: Final Decisions and Double Recovery in Philippine Seafarer Claims
Supreme Court clarifies that final judgments bind parties, but double recovery for loss of earning capacity is barred when disability compensation already paid.
Double Compensation Prohibited: Disability Benefits vs. Loss of Future Earnings in Maritime Claims
Supreme Court rules a seafarer cannot recover both disability benefits and loss of future earnings, as disability compensation already covers lost earning capacity.
Foreclosure on Agrarian Land: Landowner Rights and SAC Jurisdiction Clarified
The Supreme Court clarifies when landowners can claim just compensation and the limits of Special Agrarian Court jurisdiction over foreclosed agrarian properties.
Just Compensation in Philippine Expropriation: Beyond BIR Zonal Values
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that BIR zonal valuation is not the sole basis for just compensation in expropriation cases, requiring courts to consider all RA 8974 factors.