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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Seafarers’ Rights: Employers Must Ensure Timely Medical Assessment and Treatment
A seafarer’s disability claim cannot be defeated by an employer’s delay in authorizing needed surgery or issuing a timely medical assessment.
Breach of Trust Defining Just Cause for Termination in Philippine Employment Law
Philippine law requires breach of trust to be work-related, serious, and proven by substantial evidence before employers may validly terminate employees.
Protecting Seafarers: Employers Must Uphold Medical Obligations and Timely Pay Sickness Allowances
The Supreme Court ruled that employers cannot use a seafarer's missed check-up as an excuse to deny disability benefits when the employer failed to pay sickness allowance and approve treatment.
Laches and Jurisdiction: When Delaying a Challenge Can Validate an Invalid Forum
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on laches, jurisdiction, and forum challenges in labor disputes, with practical takeaways for employers and employees.
Loss of Trust and Confidence as Just Cause: Balancing Employer Rights and Due Process in Termination Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence justifies dismissal, and when employers still owe employees procedural due process.
Voluntary Resignation vs Illegal Dismissal: Proving the Fact of Termination
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employees must first prove the fact of termination before employers bear the burden of showing just cause.
Retrenchment During Corporate Rehabilitation: When Audited Financial Statements Aren't Required
Supreme Court clarifies that employers under corporate rehabilitation may prove severe financial losses without audited financial statements in retrenchment cases.
Constructive Dismissal Employers Burden TO Prove Fair Treatment AND Contractual Obligations
Learn the requisites for preliminary injunction in the Philippines and why disputed rights and compensable damages defeat the remedy.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The 120-Day Rule and Timely Medical Assessment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the 120-day and 240-day periods for company-designated physician assessments in seafarer disability claims, and the burden on employers to justify extensions.
No Illegal Dismissal Without Proof Employee Must First Establish Dismissal Before Employers Burden Arises
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on who bears the burden of proving dismissal in illegal dismissal cases.
PAO Representation Does Not Bar Attorney's Fees Award in Labor Cases
Supreme Court rules that employees represented by the Public Attorney's Office can still recover attorney's fees from employers who unlawfully withheld wages.
Mental Health at Sea: Employer Liability for a Seafarer's Bipolar Disorder
A Supreme Court ruling on when a seafarer's bipolar disorder is compensable under the POEA contract and what employers must prove to avoid liability.
Vicarious Liability: When Employers Are Liable for Employee Torts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employers are vicariously liable for employee torts under Article 2180, and how due diligence in selection and supervision can defeat liability.
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.
Upholding Workers Rights Wage Increases AND Unfair Labor Practices IN Collective Bargaining
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a wage increase outside a CBA is demandable, and how employers' waiver schemes constitute unfair labor practice.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Employers' Liability for Unremitted SSS Contributions
Supreme Court clarifies that corporations cannot hide behind separate personality to escape liability for unremitted SSS contributions.
Seafarers Willful ACT Determining Liability IN Maritime Death Benefit Claims
When a seafarer dies from a willful act like jumping overboard, employers may be exempt from death benefits under POEA rules.
When Absence Doesnt Mean Abandonment Protecting Employee Rights Against Unsubstantiated Dismissals
The Supreme Court clarifies that abandonment requires clear intent, not mere absence, and employers must prove both elements.
Forced Resignation: The Employer's Burden to Prove Voluntariness
When is a resignation forced? The Supreme Court clarifies that employers must prove voluntariness by clear and convincing evidence.
Res Ipsa Loquitur in Bus Accidents: When Negligence Is Implied Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court applies res ipsa loquitur in a bus-motorcycle collision, explaining when negligence is presumed and employers are liable.
Dismissal Based on Weak Evidence: The Employer's Burden in Illegal Dismissal Cases
In Oasis Park Hotel v. Navaluna, the Supreme Court reminds employers that the burden of proving a valid dismissal rests on them — and weak evidence favors the worker.
Loss of Trust and Confidence as Ground for Dismissal: What Employers Must Prove
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence justifies employee dismissal, requiring willful breach proven by substantial evidence.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Upholding Employee Rights Against Unsubstantiated Claims
Employers cannot dismiss on loss of trust without proof. Learn the legal requisites from a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Employer Liability for Vehicle Accidents: When Is an Employee Acting Within the Scope of Employment?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when employers are liable for vehicle accidents caused by employees acting outside their assigned tasks.