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.
Probationary Employment in the Philippines: Understanding Regularization Standards
The Supreme Court clarifies when probationary employees may be validly terminated for failing to meet regularization standards under Philippine law.
Illegal Dismissal of Pregnant Employee: SPID Corp. v. Ballesteros Explained
The Supreme Court affirmed that dismissing a pregnant employee without substantial evidence is illegal, reinforcing due process in Philippine labor law.
Procedural Pitfalls in Labor Disputes: Lessons from Mariano v. G.V. Florida Transport
A Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal for serious misconduct but liability for procedural due process lapses, unpaid wages, and 13th month pay.
Due Process in Termination: Ensuring Fair Dismissal Under Philippine Labor Law
Learn the rules for valid dismissal in the Philippines—substantive and procedural due process, and what happens when employers fail to comply.
Loss of Trust and Confidence as a Ground for Dismissal: What Employers Must Prove
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence justifies employee dismissal and what employers must prove.
Loss of Trust and Due Process: Philippine Standards for Employee Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the standards for loss of trust and due process in employee dismissal cases under the Labor Code.
Retaliatory Dismissal: Protecting Employees Who Assert Their Rights
The Supreme Court affirms that firing workers for filing labor complaints violates security of tenure and constitutes illegal dismissal.
Breach of Trust as Just Cause for Termination: Protecting Employer Confidence
When an employee's dishonesty erodes the employer's trust, dismissal may be justified under Article 282 of the Labor Code.
Mistake vs Misconduct in Employee Dismissal: Due Process in Philippine Labor Law
When is an employee's honest mistake a valid ground for dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the line between error and misconduct.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: The Two-Notice Rule and Employer Obligations
Learn the two-notice rule in Philippine labor law and how the Supreme Court applied it to probationary employees in Carvajal v. Luzon Development Bank.
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.
Burden of Proof in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Documentary Evidence vs Simple Denial
In illegal dismissal cases, the employer bears the burden of proving valid termination with substantial evidence—not the employee.
Misconduct vs Termination: Balancing Employee Rights and Employer Prerogatives
A seafarer's dismissal for a positive drug test is upheld, but the Court awards nominal damages for lack of due process.
Failure to Present Logbook and Follow Due Process Makes Seafarer Dismissal Illegal
Supreme Court rules a seafarer's dismissal was illegal where the employer relied only on fax messages and failed to observe the two-notice rule.
Seafarer’s Illegal Dismissal: Due Process and the Ship’s Logbook in Maritime Cases
The Supreme Court ruled a seafarer’s dismissal illegal for lack of just cause and due process, highlighting the logbook’s evidentiary value.
Just Cause Without Due Process: When Dismissal Stands But Damages Follow
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a valid cause for dismissal does not excuse an employer from the two-notice rule, imposing nominal damages.
Can an Employee Be Denied Retirement Benefits for Breach of Trust?
The Supreme Court rules on whether a bank manager validly dismissed for breach of trust can still claim retirement benefits after his compulsory retirement date had passed.
Abandonment of Work: Proving Intent to Sever Employment in Philippine Labor Law
Explaining when absence becomes abandonment under Philippine law, using the Supreme Court's ruling in Aliten v. U-Need Lumber.
Poor Performance vs Neglect: Defining Just Cause for Employee Termination in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when poor work performance justifies termination and when it does not, explaining the legal distinction.
Due Process and Illegal Dismissal: Why Employers Bear the Burden of Proof in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies procedural rules on indispensable parties in illegal dismissal cases and the employer's burden of proof.
Due Process in Philippine Labor Law: Why Proper Notice Is Non-Negotiable in Dismissal Cases
Learn from Masagana Concrete Products v. NLRC why proper notice and service of summons are essential to valid dismissal and due process in Philippine labor law.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Just Cause and Observing Due Process in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employee dismissal: employers must prove just cause with substantial evidence and observe due process.