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.
The 240-Day Rule Protecting Seafarers' Rights to Full Disability Benefits in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the 120/240-day rule for seafarers' disability claims, explaining when full permanent total disability benefits are due.
Navigating Disability Benefits for Seafarers: The Supreme Court's Ruling on Medical Assessments and Compensati
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's illness is presumed work-related and why a company doctor's bare finding of non-work relation is not enough.
Seafarer Disability Benefits: When Lack of Medical Assessment Means Permanent Disability
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a company-designated physician's failure to issue a definite medical assessment within 120 days can entitle a seafarer to permanent disability benefits.
Navigating Seafarer Disability Claims: The Mandatory Third Doctor Rule in the Philippines
Understand the mandatory third doctor rule in Philippine seafarer disability claims and why company physician assessments prevail when the rule is ignored.
Seafarers Concealing Pre-Existing Illness: Impact on Disability Benefits Claims
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that a seafarer's concealment of pre-existing illness in the PEME bars disability claims.
Good Faith and Misinterpretation in Public Office: A Guide to the Anti-Graft Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a public officer's mistaken interpretation of rules negates criminal liability under the Anti-Graft Law.
Seafarer Disability Benefits: The 120/240-Day Rule on Medical Assessments
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a seafarer's disability is deemed permanent and total due to delayed medical assessments by company-designated physicians.
Seafarer Disability Claims: When a Pre-Existing Condition Does Not Bar Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer disability benefits, work-relatedness, and pre-existing conditions under the POEA-SEC.
Navigating Disability Benefits for Seafarers: Work-Related Illnesses and Legal Presumptions
Understand how the Supreme Court protects seafarers' disability claims when company physicians fail to issue timely, definite assessments.
Diabetes and Seafarer Rights: Establishing Work Relatedness for Disability Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's diabetes is work-related and compensable, and the rules on post-employment medical exams.
Seafarers' Rights: When Late Disability Assessments Mean Total Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a company doctor's failure to issue a timely, final disability assessment entitles seafarers to total disability benefits.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Proving Work-Related Injury in Maritime Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's injury is work-related and compensable, and why bare allegations fail.
Seafarers' Rights: Defining Total and Permanent Disability in Maritime Employment
When a company-designated physician fails to issue a final disability assessment within 120 or 240 days, a seafarer is deemed totally and permanently disabled.
Weighing Medical Opinions: Company Doctors vs Private Physicians in Seafarer Disability Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's findings prevail over a private doctor's assessment in seafarer disability claims.
Defining Seafarer Disability Rights: The Limits of Medical Assessments in Maritime Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's disability is permanent and total, and why the company physician's assessment prevails.
Conflicting Medical Reports: When a Seafarer Gets Full Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court rules on conflicting company doctor reports, entitling seafarer to full permanent disability benefits under POEA-SEC.
Seafarers Disability Claims: Why Following POEA-SEC and CBA Procedures Matters
SC ruling explains why seafarers must follow POEA-SEC and CBA procedures, including third-doctor referral, before filing disability claims.
When a Seafarer's Disability Claim Fails: The Weight of Medical Evidence in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's disability claim fails, emphasizing the company-designated physician's findings and proper procedure.
The Duty of Disclosure: Honesty in Seafarer Employment Contracts
A Supreme Court ruling on how concealing a pre-existing illness in a seafarer's PEME can bar disability claims, even when the 3-day reporting rule is excused.
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.
Medical Negligence: Establishing the Standard of Care in Anesthesia
The Supreme Court clarifies when res ipsa loquitur applies in medical negligence cases and why expert testimony on the standard of care remains essential.
Seafarers' Hyperthyroidism and Disability Benefits: The Disputable Presumption of Work-Relatedness
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarers' hyperthyroidism claims, the disputable presumption of work-relatedness, and disability benefits under POEA-SEC.
Causal Connection in Seafarer Death Claims: Proving the Link Between Injury and Fatality
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the evidentiary standard for death compensation claims in seafarer cases, requiring substantial proof of causation.
Dying Declarations and Eyewitness Testimony Proving Murder Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how eyewitness testimony and dying declarations establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt in murder cases.