December 2023

25decisions
  1. 01G.r. No. 217411* Philippine Bank of Communications, Petitioner, Vs. Ria de Guzman Rivera, Respondent.A bank cannot enforce a late stop payment order and take back money it already credited to a depositor from an ON-US check, and doing so makes the bank liable for damages.
  2. 02G.R. 235569South Cotabato Integrated Port Services, Incorporated (Scipsi), and/or Gabriel Munasque as General Manager v. Officer-in-Charge Romeo Montefalco, Jr., and Maria Consuelo S. Bacay in Their Capacities as Oic of Bureau of Labor Relations, Med Arbiter Jasmine M. Demetillo and Makar Port Labor Organization, Represented by Its President, Mario C. MarigonWhen an employer withholds union dues it collected under a check-off provision, that is an unfair labor practice to be heard by a Labor Arbiter, not a Med-Arbiter.
  3. 03G.R. 222105Theresa Avelau Isturis-­rebuelta v. Peter P. Rebuelta Mark Baltazar Mabasa Vs. Peter P. RebueltaA judge cannot throw out a criminal case for lack of probable cause just because the prosecution has not shown proof good enough to convict, and a private complainant can challenge such a dismissal by certiorari in his own name.
  4. 04A.C. 7619Babe Mae Villafuerte v. Atty. Cezar R. TajanlangitA lawyer who borrows money from a client commits unethical conduct and can be suspended, even if the loan was later paid back.
  5. 05G.R. 254695Nelfa Delfin Trinidad, Jon Wilfred D. Trinidad and Timothy Mark D. Trinidad v. Salvador G. Trinidad, Wenceslao Roy G. Trinidad, Anna Maria Natividad G. Trinidad-Kump, Gregorio G. Trinidad and Patricia Maria G. TrinidadWhen a father's will gives his first-marriage children only a condominium unit that he did not actually own, they are left with nothing and are preterited, but the will is not thrown out entirely because its other gifts stay valid as long as they do not cut into those children's legitime.
  6. 06G.R. 264237Pasda, Inc. v. Court of Appeals and Emmanuel D. PascualA private company that accuses someone of a crime cannot, on its own, challenge his bail or his acquittal in the higher courts, because only the State through the Solicitor General represents the public interest in the criminal part of a case.
  7. 07G.R. 253026Aaron Christopher P. Mejia v. People of the PhilippinesA bank appraiser who inflates a property's value to influence a loan approval is guilty under the General Banking Law, but the prosecution must prove he acted with the specific purpose of influencing the bank.
  8. 08G.R. 252396Angelito Ridon y Guevarra v. People of PhilippinesA gun found by police who chased and frisked a motorist for a mere traffic violation cannot be used as evidence, so the man was acquitted.
  9. 09G.R. 246824Argelyn M. Labargan,* v. People of the PhilippinesHarsh words spoken against a public official about how she does her job are not oral defamation unless the prosecution proves actual malice.
  10. 10A.M. RTJ-21-014(Formerly Oca Ipi No. 19-4956-Rtj) Dr. Julian L. Espiritu, Jr., Represented by Rubenito R. del Castillo v. Presiding Judge Santiago M. Arenas, Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 217A judge who took seven months to resolve a motion, when the Constitution gives lower court judges three months, was fined PHP 120,000.00 for simple neglect of duty, even though he had already retired.
  11. 11G.R. 252658Tiburcio L. Canlas v. Commission on AuditA government engineer who signed off on deficient road projects could not escape paying the disallowed amounts, because the Commission on Audit's earlier ruling against him had become final and he was heard in due course.
  12. 12A.M. P-23-093(Formerly Oca Ipi No. 20-5028-P) Atty. Sotero T. Rambayon v. George P. Clemente, Sheriff IV, Regional Trial Court, Branch 67, Paniqui, TarlacA court sheriff who delayed enforcing court orders and demanded unauthorized fees from winning litigants was fined twice and dismissed from the service.
  13. 13G.R. 216603Jaime Manuel N. Legarda v. Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa City and Benjamin CalawaganA court clerk cannot be forced by mandamus to issue a final certificate of sale to someone who merely bought the auction buyer's rights by assignment, because under the current Rules only the purchaser or last redemptioner is entitled to it.
  14. 14G.R. 262938Walter Manuel F. Prescott v. Bureau of Immigration, as Represented by Hon. Rogelio D. Gevero, Jr., and the Department of JusticeA man born in the Philippines to a Filipino mother and an American father was a natural-born Filipino, and the government could not deport him after cancelling his citizenship without ever giving him a chance to be heard.
  15. 15G.R. 264352People of the Philippines v. Xxx264352A rape conviction stands on the victim's clear, credible testimony backed by medical findings, and because the victim was a 69-year-old senior citizen, the Court raised each money award to PHP 100,000.00.
  16. 16G.R. 268672Vicente Suarez Jr. y Banua v. People of the PhilippinesA man charged with selling over one gram of shabu was wrongly allowed to plead guilty to a lesser drug offense, but because that plea led to a final conviction, he could not be tried again for the original charge.
  17. 17G.R. 214743The Consortium of Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd. and Hyundai Corporation v. National Grid Corporation of the Philippines the Consortium of Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd. and Hyundai Corporation Vs. National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and National Transmission CorporationA company that took over another company's construction contract, and its obligations under it, is bound by the contract's arbitration clause even though it never signed the contract, so the construction arbitration body can hear the dispute.
  18. 18G.R. 261491Candelario S. dela Cruz, Lubita D. Lantapon, Diego S. dela Cruz, Mauricia D. Epe, Rodrigo S. dela Cruz, and Ariston S. dela Cruz v. Alejandro Dumasig and Rosalinda D. EpeA sale of land awarded under the agrarian reform program to someone who is only a child of the farmer, and not through inheritance, is void, and so is a mortgage made on that land.
  19. 19G.R. 234631Raymond Ang v. Corazon Ang Sy and Belen Ang CasimiroWhen a party dies and no heir is willing to take his place, the Supreme Court can end the appeal without deciding the main issues, because a ruling would no longer have practical value.
  20. 20G.R. 255252Governor Gwendolyn Garcia-Codilla v. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., LtdOnce a money judgment is final, the winning party is entitled to have it enforced, and a new writ of execution can be issued without a hearing and without a long explanation of the facts and law.
  21. 21G.R. 259066Salvador Buce v. Heirs of Apolonio Galang, Represented by Crispin Galang as Attorney­-in-FactA buyer of land on installment who has not been validly cancelled out may still catch up on what he owes and then demand the final deed of sale.
  22. 22G.R. 261532Rosalie Pineda y Padilla v. People of PhilippinesAn employee who pockets money given for a specific purpose commits theft, but she can be convicted only of simple theft if the charge does not allege that the abuse of confidence was grave.
  23. 23G.R. 256269People of the Philippines v. XxxA person who offers women and minors to paying customers for sex is guilty of qualified trafficking, and a police entrapment operation to catch him is valid.
  24. 24G.R. 259827Felix Mariano y Pilapil v. People of the PhilippinesA man who sexually abused a 14-year-old boy and took his phone was convicted of lascivious conduct and theft, but not robbery, because the charge sheet did not allege force in the taking.
  25. 25G.R. 259133People of the Philippines v. Jhona Galeseo Villaria and Lourdes Aralar MaghirangWhen the victims are children, it is still trafficking even if no force or trickery was used, and the testimony of the arresting police officer together with the victims can be enough to convict.