April 2024

46decisions
  1. 01G.R. 239385Flordivina M. Gaspar,* v. M.i.y. Real Estate Corp.,** and Melissa Ilagan YuA worker who cannot prove that a company hired her, paid her, could fire her and controlled her work is not that company's employee, so she cannot claim illegal dismissal against it.
  2. 02G.R. 247463People of the Philippines v. Hon. Amelia a. Fabros­-Corpuz, in Her Capacity as Acting Presiding Judge of RTC – Muntinlupa City, Branch 256, and Anthony Archangel y SyA lower penalty under Republic Act No. 10951 can be applied to a convict already serving sentence only if it actually favors him, and a judge who orders release by applying the wrong penalty provision commits grave abuse of discretion.
  3. 03G.R. 254186Solito C. Amores, Jr. v. Goldroute Maritime IncA seafarer who was sent home for reasons other than illness, and who then files for full disability benefits without finishing the company doctors' recommended tests, cannot claim those benefits.
  4. 04G.R. 254433Arlo Aluminum Co., Inc. v. Republic of the PhilippinesBecause a new law eased the rules for confirming land titles while this case was pending, the Supreme Court sent the land registration case back to the Court of Appeals so the applicant can present new evidence.
  5. 05G.R. 229338Manila Peninsula Hotel, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueHotel rooms and meals given to an international airline's pilots and cabin crew during layovers in the Philippines are VAT zero-rated, and BIR circulars that added extra conditions to the law are void.
  6. 06G.R. 242362Leonora O. dela Cruz-Lanuza v. Alfredo M. Lanuza, Jr. and the Republic of the PhilippinesA spouse who abandons the family for decades, never supports the children and marries other people may be found psychologically incapacitated, and an expert does not have to examine that spouse in person.
  7. 07A.M. RTJ-23-037Office of the Court Administrator v. Hon. Lorenzo F. Balo,* Former Presiding Judge, Branch 44, Regional Trial Court, Surallah, South CotabatoA judge who retires can still be disciplined for case delays found in a judicial audit that began before he retired, and sitting on 26 cases for many months is gross neglect of duty.
  8. 08G.R. 242133Roselyn Agacid y Dejanio* v. People of the Philippines and Maria Alexandria Bisquerra y NuevaThe Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act can be used against a woman who abuses her female partner, because the law protects women victims and covers abuse by any person.
  9. 09G.R. 270564Smartmatic Tim Corporation and Smartmatic Philippines, Inc. v. Commission on Elections En Banc, Eliseo Mijares Rio, Jr., Augusto Cadeliña Lagman, Franklin Fayloga Ysaac, and Leonardo Olivera OdoñoThe Commission on Elections cannot bar a company from election bidding on its own, outside the procedure in the Government Procurement Reform Act, even in the name of protecting election integrity.
  10. 10G.R. 228357C.p. Reyes Hospital and Angeline M. Reyes v. Geraldine M. BarbosaA probationary employee who is illegally dismissed gets backwages up to the finality of the decision, just like a regular employee, and not only until the end of the probationary period.
  11. 11G.R. 252739Xxx v. People of the PhilippinesA husband's marital infidelity that causes his wife mental and emotional anguish is a crime of psychological violence under the Anti-VAWC law (Republic Act No. 9262).
  12. 12G.R. 250763Matthew Westfall v. Maria Carmela D. Locsin, Amy Leung, Noriko Ogawa, Gil-Hong Kim, Diwesh Sharan, Ramesh Subramaniam, Ken L. Chee, Bibiana Victoria G. Francisco, Takehiko Nakao, Toshio Oya, Makoto Kubota, Christopher Stephens, Ramit K. Nagpal, and Deborah StokesOfficials of the Asian Development Bank are immune from suit only for acts done in their official capacity, and remarks made in a confidential job-screening process were official acts, so the damages suit failed.
  13. 13G.R. 232968Marina P. Clarete, Former Representative, First District of Misamis Occidental, 14th Congress v. Office of the Ombudsman and Field Investigation Unit – Mindanao Area Office, Office of the Ombudsman Arthur Cua Yap Vs. the Office of the Ombudsman and Field Investigation Unit – Mindanao Area Office Arthur Cua Yap Vs. Sandiganbayan (Third Division) and People of the PhilippinesThe Supreme Court dismissed former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap's pork barrel cases because the Sandiganbayan wrongly ignored the Ombudsman's unjustified three-year delay and the Informations did not state any crime he committed.
  14. 14G.R. 257871Hja Ferwina Jikiri Amilhamja, Anang Agang Hawang, Nenita Pino Aguil, Audie Sinco Janea, and Abdurasa Sariol Arasid,* v. Ombudsman-Mindanao, Field Investigation Unit, Represented by: Liwayway Sumagaysay-RondinaBids and awards committee members who broke procurement rules without corruption or deliberate intent were liable only for simple misconduct, while the college president who signed an unauthorized, over-budget contract was dismissed for gross neglect of duty.
  15. 15G.R. 267795People of the Philippines v. Jose P. Ragudo, JrA sudden attack is not automatically treacherous, so a killing cannot be called murder unless the prosecution clearly proves the attacker deliberately chose a method that left the victim defenseless.
  16. 16G.R. 262603People of the Philippines v. Nelson Sia, Jr. y AculñaA killing can still be treachery (a sudden attack that gives the victim no chance to defend) even if police and other people are standing nearby, because what matters is whether the victim could defend himself.
  17. 17G.R. 265585Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Villanueva Manalo II v. People of the PhilippinesIf a court mistakenly reads the old charge at arraignment after the charge has been amended, the accused's plea to the old charge does not count, so there is no double jeopardy.
  18. 18G.R. 258269Jose Antonio Paulo I. Reyes v. Samsung Electronic Phils. Corp., Kevin Lee, Minsu Chu, and Silver FungoA probationary employee can be let go for failing the employer's reasonable standards, and for a managerial job, adequate performance of the job's duties is itself an implied standard.
  19. 19A.M. MTJ-23-014(Formerly Jib Fpi No. 21-024-Mtj) Hon. Sharon Magayanes, Vice Executive Judge/presiding Judge, Branch 3, Municipal Trial Court in Cities , Calamba City, Laguna v. Hon. Leah Angeli B. Vasquez-Abad, Executive Judge/presiding Judge, Branch 1, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna a.m. No. Mtj-23-015 (Formerly Jib Fpi No. 21-032-Mtj) Judge Leah Angeli B. Vasquez-Abad Vs. Hon. Sharon M. Alamada-Magayanes, Presiding Judge, Ms. Rachel Worwor-Miguel, Clerk of Court III, and Ms. Beverly a. de Jesus, Court Stenographer II, All of Branch 3, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna a.m. No. Mtj-24-026 (Formerly Jib Fpi No. 21-033-Mtj) Hon. Leah Angeli B. Vasquez-Abad, Executive Judge/presiding Judge, Branch 1, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna, and Hon. Eric Ismael P. Sakkam, Presiding Judge, Branch 2, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna Vs. Hon. Sharon M. Alamada-Magayanes, Presiding Judge, Branch 3, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna a.m. No. Mtj-24-027 (Formerly Jib Fpi No. 21-042-Mtj) Judge Sharon a. Magayanes, Vice Executive Judge and Presiding Judge, Branch 3, Mtcc, Calamba City, Laguna Vs. Judge Ismael P. Sakkam, Presiding Judge, Branch 2, and Judge Leah Angeli B. Vasquez-Abad, Executive Judge and Presiding Judge, Branch 1, Both of the Mtcc, Calamba City, LagunaA judge who signed false payroll certifications and took a former driver's salary card was dismissed from the judiciary and disbarred, while a judge who made an honest procedural mistake was only admonished.
  20. 20A.M. P-17-3768Office of the Court Administrator v. Ruel v. DelicanaA court employee can be punished administratively for sexually abusing a minor even if the criminal cases were dropped, because an administrative case needs only substantial evidence and the victim's desistance does not end it.
  21. 21G.R. 251824Peter B. Favila v. Commission on AuditA government board member who did not approve a disallowed benefit still has to return what he personally received, but not the whole amount disallowed.
  22. 22G.R. 266047People of the Philippines v. Jeffrey Becaylas y Remon @ "Bella," Kier Rome de Leon y Alfonso @ "Mishe," and Justine Lumanlan y Sangalang @ "Chiee,"People who recruit and pimp a minor for sex are guilty of qualified trafficking in persons, and the child's agreement or awareness is no defense.
  23. 23G.R. 269401People of the Philippines v. Mary Joyce Almero y Pascual Alias "Majoy"Offering a 14-year-old for sex in exchange for money is qualified trafficking in persons, and it does not matter that the child went along with it.
  24. 24G.R. 258888Rolando B. Zoleta v. Investigating Staff, Internal Affairs Board, Office of the Ombudsman, Represented by: Gipo III Alfred Yann G. Oguis and Agio Omar R. LeanoAn Ombudsman official who took money to fix pending cases was rightly dismissed, because administrative cases need only substantial evidence and do not require cross-examination of the witness.
  25. 25G.r. No. 262362* People of the Philippines, Plaintiff-Appellee, Vs. Jerrie R. Arraz, Accused-Appellant.When the victim of trafficking is a child, the prosecution does not have to prove force or coercion, because a minor's consent is not given freely.
  26. 26A.C. 10627(From a.c. No. 6622) Reno R. Gonzales, Jr. and Robin Bryan F. Concepcion v. Attys. Socrates Rivera and Cres Dan BangoyA lawyer who knowingly co-signed a court filing with a disbarred lawyer helped him practice law illegally and was suspended, while another lawyer was fined only for ignoring the Court's orders.
  27. 27G.R. 234849San Miguel Foods, Inc. v. Spouses Ramon and Ma. Nelia Fabie, and Fresh Link, IncA distributor who sues for breach of contract must prove with enough evidence that the company really ended the contract, and here the Court found that the company only stopped selling to it on credit.
  28. 28G.R. 225920Felimon C. Torres v. Board of Trustees, Government Service Insurance System; Housing Finance Administration Department and Committee on Claims, Government Service Insurance SystemEven though a deceased pilot's housing loan was not covered by GSIS loan insurance, the Court ordered that his brother and heir be allowed to restructure and pay the loan so the housing unit is not cancelled.
  29. 29G.R. 243139Domingo Naldo, Jr., Rogelio Benitez, Isidro Alfonso, Jr., Ronaldo Ledda, Bernardo Fabulare, Armando de Luna, and Nelson Villacentino v. Corporate Protection Services, Phils., Inc. and/or Buddy Robrigado and Benjamin SesgundoAn employer that tricks workers into signing resignation letters and quitclaims by falsely promising to pay all their money claims has constructively dismissed them, and the quitclaims are void.
  30. 30G.R. 206306Miguel Kim v. Slimmers World International, Albert Cuesta, and Dinah Quinto Slimmers World International, Albert Cuesta, and Dinah Quinto Vs. Miguel KimA gym is not liable for a member's death unless the family proves, with real evidence, that the gym broke its contract or was negligent and that this caused the death.
  31. 31G.R. 219421Bases Conversion and Development Authority v. Cjh Development Corporation, Cap-John Hay Trade and Cultural Center, Inc., Camp John Hay Golf Club, Inc., Creative Era Limited, Francor, Inc., Makati Foundry, Inc., v.r. Gonzalez Credit Enterprises, Inc., Norman R. Agojo, Ruben a. Alcober, Melinda T. Alcober, and Ryan Joseph T. Alcober, Fe C. Ancheta, Spouses Alex I. Avecilla and Imelda S. Avecilla, Antonio F. Cacal, Marcial Campos and Magdalena Campos, Sarina C. Carandang, Angelina T. Castillo, Wilson L.a. Chua, Lilia a. Co, Justo J. Danguilan, Nerissa S. de Leon, Lucio T. de Mesa, Sergio C. Gatmaitan, Lucila v. Joson, Spouses Jesse Andrew Jusayan and Ma. Lira D. Jusayan, Spouses Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo and Marie Rachel T. Lagdameo, Edgar L. Lauang, Andres F. Mendia, Jr., Anacleto Moa, Teresita S. Nery, Priscilla L. Oliveros, Danilo v. Pasa, Virginia B. Peralta, William L. Prescillas, Rafaela B. Ramos, Spouses Antonio P. Retrato and Carmelita E. Retrato, Noel R. Ricamata, Danilo S. Santos, Joaquin Enrico C. Santos, Valentina O. Siy, Bernadette Ang Tesoro, Spouses Aurelio M. Umali and Czarina D. Umali, Benito L. Valdez, Margarita M. Villarante and Charina N. Ramento, Jesse T. Young, and Michelle Yu Cjh Development Corporation Vs. Commission on Audit and Bases Conversion and Development AuthorityCourts cannot change or add conditions to an arbitration award that the parties agreed to be bound by, even if they think the award leaves gaps.
  32. 32A.M. RTJ-16-2424Office of the Court Administrator v. Hon. Globert J. Justalero, Presiding Judge, Branch 32, Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Iloilo City, and the Designated Assisting Judge of Branch 66, RTC of Barotac Viejo, IloiloA judge held in preventive suspension for years while his case dragged on, through no fault of his own, was treated as having served his one-year penalty and was given back pay for the rest of the time.
  33. 33A.M. SC-23-001Office of Administrative Services, Supreme Court v. Johnny R. Llemos, Painter I, Maintenance Division, Office of Administrative Services, Supreme CourtA Supreme Court employee who tested positive for illegal drugs was suspended for one year instead of dismissed, because he admitted it and showed remorse.
  34. 34G.R. 260148Herminio a. Besmonte v. National Police Commission-National Capital Region (Napolcom-Ncr)A police officer who used too much force in an arrest is guilty only of simple misconduct, not grave misconduct, unless corruption, clear intent to break the law or flagrant disregard of rules is shown.
  35. 35G.R. 250613Elenita v. Macalinao, Kenneth v. Macalinao and Kristel v. Macalinao Vs. Cerina, a.k.a. Cerena N. Macalinao and Cindy N. MacalinaoA seafarer's death benefits are not part of his estate, and they go to his legal wife and all his children, including children of a second, void marriage, but not to the second wife.
  36. 36G.R. 265876People of the Philippines v. Marie Alvarez y Lumajen and Mercy* Galledo y GambaTwo women who took money from job applicants for work in Japan without any license to recruit were convicted of large scale illegal recruitment, which carries life imprisonment.
  37. 37G.R. 260944People of the Philippines v. Fernan Calines y MagastinoA man who clubbed a three-year-old boy to death and hurt the boy's mother could not escape punishment by claiming insanity, because he failed to prove he was insane when he did it.
  38. 38G.R. 265610Walter L. Borromeo and Jimmy N. Parcia v. Lazada E-Services Philippines, Inc., Alex Doronollo, Allan Ancheta, Richard Delantar, and Sam ReyesDelivery riders who signed an "independent contractor" agreement with Lazada were still its regular employees, because Lazada controlled how they worked and the delivery work was part of its business.
  39. 39G.R. 249027Narciso B. Guinto (Released and Rearrested Prisoner N216p-3611), Inmates of New Bilibid Prison Including Rommel Baltar, Esmundo Mallillin, Aldrin Galicia, Henry Alicnas, Denmark Juderial, Juanito Miñon, Jr., Fromencio Enacmal, Benjamin Ibañez, Ricky Bautista, Leddie Karim, Alfredo Romano, Jr., Mario Sarmiento, Danilo Morales, and Alex Rivera v. Department of Justice, Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Philippine National Police Inmates of New Bilibid Prison, as Represented by Russel a. Fuensalida, Toshing Yiu, Benjamin D. Galvez, Cerilo C. Obnimaga, Urbano D. Mison, Roland a. Gamba, Pablo Z. Panaga, and Rommel T. Deang Vs. Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Department of Justice, Secretary Eduardo año, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Director General Gerald Bantag, Bureau of Corrections, and Hon. Allan Sullano Iral, Chief, Bureau of Jail Management and PenologyPrisoners convicted of heinous crimes can still earn good conduct time allowance (shorter sentences for good behavior) under the GCTA law, because the 2019 rules wrongly excluded them.
  40. 40G.R. 262084Maycel Balucero Nanzan v. People of the PhilippinesA person who gets a loan by falsely promising it will be paid from another loan's proceeds, then keeps the money, commits the crime of other deceits and must serve jail time and pay both a fine and the debt.
  41. 41G.R. 241494Sen. Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV v. Hon. Salvador C. Medialdea in His Capacity as Executive Secretary, Hon. Delfin N. Lorenzana, in His Capacity as Secretary of National Defense, Hon. Eduardo M. año, in His Capacity as Secretary of Interior and Local Government, Hon. Menardo I. Guevarra, in His Capacity as Secretary of Justice, Gen. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., in His Capacity as Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, P/dir. Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde, in His Capacity as Chief of the Philippine National Police and All Persons Acting for and in Their Behalf and/or Under Their Direction People of the Philippines Vs. Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV People of the Philippines Vs. Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IVA President cannot cancel an amnesty that his predecessor's government granted and that became final years ago, and Proclamation No. 572, which voided Sen. Trillanes' amnesty, is void.
  42. 42A.C. 13995Jhycke G. Palma v. Atty. Ladimir Ian G. MaduramenteA lawyer who neglects his clients' case and represents two sides with opposing claims in the same case is liable, and if he was already disbarred, he is fined instead.
  43. 43G.R. 254465Jonathan Dy Chua Bartolome v. Toyota Quezon Avenue, Inc., Lincoln T. Lim, Esteban dela Paz, Jr., Josefina de Jesus, and Pauline BacalingAn employee who resigns because managers humiliated him, stripped his accounts and tried to push him out was forced out, which counts as illegal dismissal even though he handed in a resignation letter.
  44. 44G.R. 199479Napoleon Sanota, Bambi Magno Purisima, Antonio Tabbad, Bonifacio Coles, Benjie Rebueno, Arnold Atadero, Boy Silva, Rey Arquiza, Ben Paypon, Arturo Gallego, Jack Pateña, Julio Sison, Froilan Morallos, Boy Mirasol, Ed Bausa, Victor Reyes, Ibarra Samson, Jr., Ricky Carvajal, Jr., Tony Wyco, Customs Media Association, Inc., and Customs Tri-Media Association, Inc. v. Bureau of Customs, Represented by Commissioner Rozzano Rufino B. BiazonThe Supreme Court will not rule on whether a government order is unconstitutional once that order has been repealed, because nothing is left to decide.
  45. 45G.R. 257723Aurora O. Aragon-Mabang,* v. Office of the OmbudsmanA government finance officer who signed payment papers too early was guilty only of simple misconduct, not grave misconduct, because there was no corruption or willful intent to break the rules.
  46. 46G.R. 245330-31Commissioner of Internal Revenue and Commissioner of Customs v. Philippine Airlines, IncPhilippine Airlines does not have to pay taxes on imported jet fuel when the fuel is for its flight operations and a local supply is lacking in reasonable quantity, quality or price, and any one of these shortfalls is enough.