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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Control Is Key: Determining Employer-Employee Relationships in Outsourcing Arrangements
The Supreme Court clarifies when a principal employer becomes liable for outsourced workers, emphasizing control over contractual labels.
Civil Law Leases and Tenant Rights: Clarifying Landowner Control in Agrarian Reform
Supreme Court ruling on when civil law lessees may install tenants, and the limits of landowner control under agrarian reform laws.
Employer-Employee Relationship and Illegal Dismissal: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer-employee relationship and rules on illegal dismissal due to disease in Sy v. Court of Appeals.
Checks and Balances When Regional Prosecutors Overstep Local Authority in Preliminary Investigations
When can a regional prosecutor take over a city prosecutor's case? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of supervision and control.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: How the Control Test Decides Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test in distinguishing employees from independent contractors, using a movie theater painter's illegal dismissal case.
Mining Rights vs State Control: Balancing Private Investment and Public Interest in Diwalwal
The Supreme Court affirms that mining permits are privileges, not vested rights, and the State may study direct utilization of mineral resources.
Voting Rights of Assigned Shares: Ensuring Corporate Control in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies voting rights of assigned shares and how corporations can protect control through share restrictions and legal safeguards.
Public vs Private Sector: Defining Government Control in Anti-Graft Cases
When is a government employee a public officer? The Macalino case clarifies jurisdiction in anti-graft prosecutions.
The Control Test in Illegal Dismissal Cases: De los Santos v. NLRC
How Philippine courts determine the real employer using the control test, and why a labor-only contractor cannot shield a company from liability.
Funding Education Balancing Local Control AND National Mandates IN Special Education Fund Usage
Supreme Court clarifies which teacher salaries and scholarship grants may be charged to a local government's Special Education Fund.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Fraud and Mismanagement as Grounds for Corporate Liability
The Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate fiction and why mere control or mismanagement is not enough.
Presidential Authority Over SBMA Awards and Limits of Injunctions in Government Contracts
Supreme Court ruling on presidential control over SBMA bids, injunction limits under RA 7227, and foreign bidder licensing requirements.
Pre-Trial Orders Control Your Case: The Tiu v. Middleton Rule on Witness Exclusion
Pre-trial orders bind trial proceedings. Learn from Tiu v. Middleton why unnamed witnesses may still testify and how to protect your case.
Presidential Supervision vs Control: Protecting Local Fiscal Autonomy in the Philippines
The Supreme Court limits presidential power over LGUs, striking down IRA withholding while allowing advisory economy measures.
Defining Government Control When Does A Corporations Funding Subject IT TO Anti Graft Laws
Philippine Red Cross Ruling: Ombudsman Jurisdiction Over Government Controlled Corporations
Supreme Court clarifies that the Philippine Red Cross is a government-owned corporation, placing its employees under Ombudsman jurisdiction.
Control Is Key: When a Bank Becomes the Real Employer of an Outsourced Janitor
The Supreme Court rules that control over work, not contracts, determines employer-employee relationships in outsourcing arrangements.
Philippine Oil Deregulation Upheld: Supreme Court Defers to Market Freedom and Congress
The Supreme Court upheld oil deregulation under RA 8479, ruling that price controls are policy choices for Congress, not constitutional requirements.
Unreasonable Trial Delays: A Judge's Duty to Control Court Proceedings
When a judge tolerates repeated postponements, the Supreme Court steps in. Learn the rules on trial delays and judicial accountability.
Employer-Employee Relationship and the Control Test: Lessons from Villa v. NLRC
The Supreme Court's ruling in Villa v. NLRC clarifies the control test in employer-employee relationships and the rules on evidence in illegal dismissal cases.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor: The Four-Fold Test Under Philippine Law
Philippine courts use the four-fold test to distinguish employees from independent contractors. Control is the key factor.
Contractor vs Employee: When a Principal Isn't the Employer in Service Agreements
Philippine Airlines v. NLRC clarifies when job contracting is legitimate, who bears liability for separation pay, and why control matters.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law (Ushio Marketing Case)
The Ushio Marketing case clarifies the control test for determining employer-employee relationships in Philippine labor law.
Volunteer or Employee? The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Learn how the control test determines employee status in the Philippines, using the landmark Filipinas Broadcasting v. NLRC case.