Case Digest

When does illness become a legal ground for dismissal?
An overseas worker was repatriated after experiencing heart problems, but was his termination valid under the law? The Supreme Court weighed in on what counts as a disease serious enough to end employment and the rules employers must follow.

When does police instinct cross the line?
In this case, police officers stopped and searched a man in Tondo after observing what they believed to be “suspicious movements.” The encounter led to the discovery of a firearm—but the bigger legal question was whether the arrest and search were valid from the start.

The Supreme Court ruled that an SPA automatically ends when the principal dies. Any act done after that is void—unless the agent acted in good faith without knowing of the death. Since Jessica knew her father had passed, the mortgage couldn’t bind his estate or her mother.

Disputes involving refund or delivery of condo units fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the HSAC (formerly HLURB), pursuant to PD 957 and PD 1344.

In this case, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a child—born before the parents’ marriage—remains legitimate after that marriage was later declared void ab initio due to psychological incapacity.

This case draws the line between constructive dismissal and legitimate management prerogative. Even when an employee’s duties are changed or reduced, such movement does not automatically amount to unfair treatment—especially if done in good faith and without diminution of pay or rank.

In this case, the Court clarified that theft isn’t limited to the person who literally discovers lost property. Even those who knowingly keep, divide, or misappropriate what isn’t theirs—despite knowing it was merely found—may still be held liable as a “finder in law.”

The Court upheld the presumption of validity of marriage—even when the petitioner later claimed that the person who officiated her wedding was not the judge named in the marriage contract.

When employees are barred from entering their workplace, the question arises: does this amount to dismissal under labor law, or can it be treated as something less than termination? This case explores the boundaries of employer authority, the rights of employees to security of tenure, and how Philippine jurisprudence defines dismissal in the context of workplace access and control.

What happens when a parent, still married to one spouse, enters into another marriage and seeks to have the children from that union legitimated? This case unpacks the boundaries of legitimation under Philippine law.