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.
Redundancy and Management Prerogative: Balancing Business Needs and Employee Rights in Terminations
The Supreme Court clarifies when redundancy is a valid ground for dismissal and what employers must prove to avoid illegal dismissal claims.
Understanding CNA Benefits: Who Qualifies and the Consequences of Misallocation
The Supreme Court clarifies CNA incentive eligibility and the liability for granting benefits to non-qualified employees.
Nepotism in Government Appointments: Abstention Is Not a Cure
The Supreme Court rules that a commissioner's abstention from voting does not cure a nepotistic appointment in the Civil Service Commission v. Cortes case.
Defining Rank-and-File Union Membership Eligibility in the Philippines
A 2010 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when employees are confidential and excluded from rank-and-file bargaining units, and what constitutes unfair labor practice.
Defining Confidential Employees: Balancing Labor Rights and Management Prerogatives in Collective Bargaining
Supreme Court ruling on confidential employees in bargaining units and acting capacity pay, balancing labor rights with management prerogatives.
Certiorari vs Appeal: Choosing the Right Path for Legal Review in the Philippines
Learn when to file a petition for certiorari versus an appeal under Rule 45, explained through a Philippine Supreme Court labor case.
Breach of Confidence When Employee Loyalty Fades Termination MAY BE Justified
When can an employer validly dismiss a confidential employee for breach of trust? The Supreme Court explains the rules in Divine Word College v. Aurelio.
Dismissal vs Proportionality: Employee Rights in Philippine Labor Law
When is dismissal too harsh a penalty for employee misconduct? The Supreme Court explains the rule of proportionality in labor cases.
Security of Tenure vs. Loss of Trust: Defining Confidential Employees at PAGCOR
Supreme Court ruling on PAGCOR employees' security of tenure, confidential positions, and loss of trust and confidence as grounds for dismissal.
Deputy Ombudsman Impeachment Limits Clarified by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court clarifies that Deputy Ombudsmen are not impeachable officers, settling a long-standing constitutional question.
Defining Confidential Employees: Union Membership and Collective Bargaining Rights in the Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies who qualifies as a confidential employee barred from union membership, and how bargaining units are determined.
Confidential Employees and Security of Tenure: What PAGCOR v. Salas Teaches
The Supreme Court clarifies that a position's actual functions, not its legal label, determine if an employee is truly confidential.