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.
Labor-Only Contracting in the Philippines: Employer Liability and Worker Rights
Understand labor-only contracting in the Philippines, when a principal becomes the true employer, and key lessons from a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Constructive Dismissal of OFWs: When Unbearable Work Conditions Amount to Illegal Termination
The Supreme Court clarifies when unbearable working conditions abroad amount to constructive dismissal of OFWs, entitling them to back wages and damages.
Constructive Dismissal vs. Voluntary Resignation: Key Lessons from ABS-CBN v. Magno
The Supreme Court clarifies the burden of proof in constructive dismissal claims and the fine line between forced and voluntary resignation.
Constructive Dismissal and Contract Ambiguity: Lessons from Esico v. Alphaland
The Supreme Court's ruling in Esico v. Alphaland clarifies constructive dismissal claims and the consequences of ambiguous employment contracts.
Illegal Dismissal vs. Voluntary Resignation: Proving Your Case in the Philippines
When is a resignation not voluntary? Learn how Philippine courts distinguish illegal dismissal from resignation and who bears the burden of proof.
Constructive Dismissal vs. Just Cause Termination: Key Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies that constructive dismissal and just cause termination are incompatible, reinforcing due process and security of tenure.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor in Real Estate: The Four-Fold Test Explained
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when real estate sales agents are employees or independent contractors, and why the distinction matters.
Withdrawing a Resignation: When Retraction Before Acceptance Is Valid
Can an employee retract a resignation before the employer accepts it? The Supreme Court explains the rules in Vergara v. ANZ Global Services.
SALN Violations and Perjury: Prescriptive Periods Explained
Learn the prescriptive periods for SALN violations and perjury in the Philippines, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in the Germar case.
Proving Illegal Dismissal: The Burden of Substantial Evidence in Philippine Labor Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court defines the employee's burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases, based on the Jarabelo ruling.
Gross Discourtesy in the Judiciary: The Clerk of Court Case and Its Lessons
A Supreme Court ruling on a clerk of court's discourtesy shows the high standards of conduct expected of all judicial personnel.
Disgraceful and Immoral Conduct: Supreme Court Ruling on Judicial Ethics
The Supreme Court holds court employees accountable for disgraceful and immoral conduct, even after resignation. Learn the rules and penalties.
Verbal Dismissal in the Philippines: Why Oral Termination Is Illegal Without Due Process
Verbal dismissal alone cannot lawfully end employment in the Philippines. Learn the due process rules from Uy v. Centro Ceramica.
Resignation and Administrative Cases in the Philippines: What Andutan Teaches Us
Can a resigned public official still face administrative cases? The Supreme Court's Andutan ruling clarifies the limits of Ombudsman jurisdiction.
Immorality in the Workplace: When Personal Conduct Leads to Professional Consequences
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a government employee's extramarital affair constituted disgraceful and immoral conduct, even after resignation.
Probationary Employment for Teachers: Rights, Limits, and the Manalo Ruling
Learn the rules on probationary employment for private school teachers, including tenure rights, dismissal standards, and the landmark Manalo case.
No-Spouse Policies in the Philippines: What the Star Paper Ruling Means
Philippine employers cannot enforce no-spouse rules without clear business necessity. The Star Paper ruling explains why.
Three-Term Limit for Local Officials: When an Election Loss Resets the Clock
Election loss interrupts an official's service and resets the three-term limit, as clarified by the Supreme Court in Adormeo v. COMELEC.