August 2024

41decisions
  1. 01G.R. 261123Duty to Energize the Republic Through the Enlightenment of the Youth Party-List, Represented by Ronald Gian Carlo L. Cardema and Representative Ducielle Marie S. Cardema v. Commission on Elections, House of Representatives, Komunidad Ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons With Disabilities Party-List and Its Nominees Led by Rowena Amelia v. Guanzon Duty to Energize the Republic Through the Enlightenment of the Youth Party-List, Represented by Ronald Gian Carlo L. Cardema and Representative Ducielle Marie S. Cardema Vs. Ma. Rowena Amelia v. GuanzonA party-list group cannot replace all of its nominees after the election and after the deadline set by COMELEC, because the voters have a right to know who the nominees are before they vote.
  2. 02G.R. 254976Marcelino dela Cruz Lingganay v. del Monte Land Transport Bus Company, Inc. and Narciso MoralesA worker who wants to add new money claims to a labor complaint must do so before filing his position paper, or get the Labor Arbiter's permission. A bus driver with repeated accidents, the last one very costly, was also validly dismissed.
  3. 03G.R. 271741Datu Sajid S. Sinsuat, Ebrahim P. Diocolano, and Feby a. Acosta v. Hon. Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, in His Capacity as Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Government, and Bangsamoro Transition Authority (Bta) Mayor Datu Tucao O. Mastura, for Himself and as Representative of the Municipality of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, and the Liga Ng Mga Barangay of the Municipality of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, Represented by Bai Aliyyah Nadrah M. Macasindil Vs. Bangsamoro Transition Authority (Bta), and Hon. Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, in His Capacity as the Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the Commission on ElectionsWhen new municipalities are created, the voters of the mother town that will shrink must also be allowed to vote in the plebiscite, not just the voters of the new town.
  4. 04A.M. RTJ-23-039(Formerly Jib Fpi No. 21-075-Rtj) Rolly C. Castillo v. Hon. Miguel S. Asuncion, Presiding Judge, Branch 99, Regional Trial Court, Antipolo City, RizalA judge who sat on a request for a writ of preliminary injunction for almost seven years is guilty of gross neglect of duty, and being busy or the pandemic does not excuse a delay that started before it.
  5. 05A.M. 24-04-09-SCRe: Draft Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11691 or the Judiciary Marshals ActThe Supreme Court approved the rules that put the Judiciary Marshals Act into operation, creating an armed security and investigation office to protect judges, court staff and court buildings.
  6. 06G.R. 273136Eliseo Mijares Rio, Jr., Augusto Cadeliña Lagman, and Franklin Fayloga Ysaac v. Commission on Elections En BancA court cannot order the Commission on Elections to decide a motion in a particular way, but the Commission must still resolve pending motions quickly under its own rules.
  7. 07G.R. 246379Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Dohle Shipmanagement Philippines CorporationFor old VAT refund claims, the 120 days the tax bureau has to decide start from when the taxpayer submits complete documents, so a company that added documents later still filed its court case on time.
  8. 08G.R. 263887Philippine Primark Properties, Inc. v. China Banking Corporation Trust and Assets Management GroupA bank's trust department is only a part of the bank and has no separate legal personality, so it cannot sue or be sued on its own, and a dismissal on that ground should be challenged by certiorari, not an ordinary appeal.
  9. 09A.C. 11001(Formerly Cbd Case No. 21-6449) Grand Pillar International Development, Inc., Represented by Its Chief Executive Officer, Josephine F. Chua v. Atty. Nini D. CruzA lawyer who has already been disbarred for the same act cannot be disbarred again in another complaint over the same facts, but she can still be fined for ignoring orders of the Supreme Court and the IBP.
  10. 10G.R. 271209Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), Philhealth President and Chief Executive Officer, and Philhealth Regional Office-National Capital Region, Through Its Vice President v. Dr. Jose Mari del Valle GalauranPhilHealth cannot withdraw a doctor's accreditation through its President or a regional vice president, because only the PhilHealth Board can do that, and it must give the doctor a fair hearing, including the documents that make up the charge.
  11. 11G.R. 185110Premiere Development Bank,• v. Spouses Engracio T. Castañeda•• and Lourdes E. Castañeda,•••A bank cannot use a borrower's payment on a personal loan to pay other loans owed by separate companies, even if the borrower is an officer of those companies, and a bank that insists on doing so in bad faith must pay damages.
  12. 12G.R. 257821Rogelio Garalde Mendaros, Romeo dela Cruz, Jr., Julius Caesar Gutierrez, Rey Abalos, Jeremiah Muga, King Michael Muit, and June Suarez v. Lazada E-Services Phil., Inc./allan David AnchetaDelivery riders whom Lazada hired under contracts calling them independent contractors were in fact regular employees, so ending their contracts after one year was illegal dismissal.
  13. 13G.R. 266145Ma. Dulce C. Fernandez, as Represented by Her Attorneys-in-Fact Jaime C. Fernandez, Roberto C. Fernandez, and Ma. Elena C. Fernandez v. Enrique C. FernandezA person who has a lifetime right to use and possess a property, called a usufruct, can eject even a co-owner who stays there only because she tolerated it.
  14. 14G.R. 254283Orlando Rodriguez and Daryl Rama v. San Roque Metals, IncA company cannot use small settlement payments to wipe out a final judgment for illegally dismissed workers, and it cannot keep raising the same argument in different courts.
  15. 15G.R. 263920People of the Philippines v. Benjamin Olidan y Erlandez, Crispin Araneta y Pelaez, Lynfer Bicodo y Baylon, Rogelio Caloring,** Annabelle Olidan y Araneta, Godofredo Navanes y Lorenzo,*** Po1 Jose Lonmar Zapatos y Fiel, and Po1 Antonio Castillo y Domingo, and Rey Alada ; Benjamin Olidan y ErlandezA man who guarded the safe house where kidnapped children were held is as guilty as the kidnappers, and because four people were kidnapped he is convicted of four counts of kidnapping for ransom.
  16. 16G.R. 261612Arsenio Managuelod y Tandayu v. People of the PhilippinesA man was acquitted of carrying a knife during the election period because the prosecution's proof that he had the knife was doubtful.
  17. 17G.R. 261807Teddy Peña y Romero v. People of the PhilippinesA person convicted of a minor crime with a short jail sentence can ask the Supreme Court to let him do community service instead, even if the law allowing it came after his trial.
  18. 18G.R. 260013E.l. Saniel Construction v. Commission on Audit and Pnoc Shipping and Transport Corporation (Pstc)A contractor who does extra work on a government project without first getting approval cannot collect for it, even on the idea of fair payment for work done, and it also lost by filing its petition late.
  19. 19G.R. 264071Ben D. Ladilad v. Commission on Elections and Mary Grace BandoyThe Commission on Elections took about eight years to resolve a motion for reconsideration without explanation, so the Supreme Court threw out the election-offense case against a university president.
  20. 20G.R. 214042Foundation for Economic Freedom v. Energy Regulatory Commission and National Renewable Energy Board Remigio Michael a. Ancheta II Vs. Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, National Transmission Corporation, National Renewable Energy Board, and Manila Electric Company Foundation for Economic Freedom and Citizenwatch, Inc. Alyansa Ng Mga Grupong Haligi Ng Agham at Teknolohiya Para Sa Mamamayan (Agham) and Angelo B. Palmones Vs. Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, National Renewable Energy Board, National Transmission Corporation, and Manila Electric Company Developers for Renewable Energy for Advancement, Inc. (Dream)The Supreme Court upheld the Feed-In Tariff System for renewable energy, including the charge on electricity consumers that pays for it, as a valid exercise of the State's police power.
  21. 21G.R. 256856Tommy Cariño a.k.a. "Tommy Echavez" v. People of the PhilippinesA man cannot be convicted based on a shaky identification from a police sketch that was drawn from another person's description and shown to witnesses in a suggestive way.
  22. 22G.R. 270257Xxx270257,* v. People of the Philippines and AaaA husband who leaves his wife and children to live openly with another woman, and does not properly support the children, can be convicted of psychological violence, and the wife's own testimony is enough to prove her emotional suffering.
  23. 23G.R. 268143Goldland Tower Condominium Corporation v. Edward L. Lim and Hsieh Hsiu-PingA creditor does not have to send a demand letter before suing to foreclose; filing the lawsuit is itself the demand for payment.
  24. 24G.R. 266538Sps. Rogelio D. Mina and Sotera S. Mina v. Henry B. AquendeA homeowner challenging a tax auction sale must deposit the required amount with the court, but the deposit does not have to be paid on the day the case is filed.
  25. 25G.R. 248974Heirs of Teodoro Tulauan, Represented by Tito Tulauan v. Manuel Mateo;* Magdalena Mateo Lorenzo, Assisted by Her Husband, Jaime Lorenzo; Camelia** Homes, Owned and Operated by Communities Isabela, Inc.; and Register of Deeds of Ilagan and SantiagoA complaint that only says a land title was obtained by fraud, without saying how, does not state a cause of action, so the case was dismissed.
  26. 26G.R. 223582Ricardo D. Angeles v. St. Catherine Realty Corporation, Erwin S. Dizon, Celestino S. Dizon, and Mario B. Mallari,* St. Catherine Realty Corporation, Erwin S. Dizon, Celestino S. Dizon, and Mario Mallari Vs. Ricardo D. Angeles and Francisco Pacheco, JrAn employer can fire someone for loss of trust and confidence only if the employee holds a position of trust and the employer proves, with real evidence, that the employee deliberately betrayed that trust; a price difference between two purchases is not enough.
  27. 27G.R. 266608People of the Philippines v. Roxin Grace BatomalaqueA person who recruits children and pays them small amounts to perform sexual acts on camera for online customers is guilty of trafficking in persons, and when the victim is a child the crime is qualified, but only if the charge itself says the victim was a minor.
  28. 28G.R. 219598Arnold D. Navales, Rey C. Chavez, Rosindo J. Almonte, and Alfonso E. Laid v. People of the Philippines William Velasco Guillen Vs. People of the PhilippinesBreaking the rules on public bidding does not automatically make a government official guilty of graft, because the prosecution must also prove evident bad faith or manifest partiality and an unwarranted benefit to a private party.
  29. 29G.R. 264473People of the Philippines v. Lucky Enriquez y CasipiDrugs found in a search must be thrown out as evidence, and the accused acquitted, when the search warrant describes the place too vaguely and the agents burst in without announcing themselves or letting the occupant watch the search.
  30. 30G.R. 268876Dr. Benigno a. Agbayani, Jr., Duly Represented by His Common Law Spouse, Angeli E. Akabane v. Director or Whoever Is in Charge of the Manila City Jail, and All Persons Taking Orders From Him/her, Jr. Supt. Mirasol Vocal-­vitor, City Jail Warden of Manila City Jail-Male DormitoryHabeas corpus cannot free a person who is jailed under a final court judgment, and the petition also became moot when the prisoner died.
  31. 31G.R. 259609Paolo B. Davantes v. C.f. Sharp Crew Management Inc., Claus-Peter Offen Tankschiffreederei (Gmbh & Co.) Kg, and/or Miguel RochaA seaman who had a heart attack is entitled to full disability benefits, because the company never gave him a final medical assessment on time and it was not proven that he knowingly hid his high blood pressure.
  32. 32G.R. 263676Pedro Pequero y Nollora, Alias Atty. Epafrodito Nollora v. People of the PhilippinesA man who pretended to be a dead lawyer can be convicted for using an illegal alias and a fictitious name, but not for usurping official functions, because a lawyer is not a person in authority under that crime.
  33. 33G.R. 264746Marcelina Villanueva, Doing Business Under the Name and Style "Vedge Trading" v. Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils., Inc., Jonathan Erasga, Benjamin I. Dequina, Jr., Allan D. Evangelista, and Eugenio D. EvangelistaThe registered owner of a business name is liable to those who deal with it, even if relatives actually ran the business, but she can recover the other partner's share afterward.
  34. 34G.R. 256720Maibarara Geothermal, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueA renewable energy company cannot get a refund of input VAT if it cannot prove it actually made zero-rated sales in the period, even though the Court said the DOE could not demand an extra endorsement certificate for VAT zero-rating.
  35. 35G.R. 235010People of the Philippines v. Sonia Valle y LapurgaA person cannot be convicted of illegal recruitment unless the prosecution proves she had no recruitment license, but she can still be convicted of estafa for taking money with false promises of a job abroad.
  36. 36G.R. 260973Benjamin Togado y Pailan v. People of the PhilippinesIn illegal firearm cases, the prosecution must show in court the very same gun taken from the accused and prove it was kept safe from tampering, or the accused must be acquitted.
  37. 37G.R. 268546An Waray Party-List, Represented by Florencio Gabriel "Bem" Noel, and Victoria Isabel Noel, in Her Own Personal Capacity v. Commission on Elections, Danilo T. Pornias, Jr.,• and Jude a. AcidreCOMELEC, not the House Electoral Tribunal, decides whether to cancel a party-list group's registration, even if the group's nominee sits in Congress, and it may cancel when the group knowingly violates a COMELEC ruling on how many seats it won.
  38. 38G.R. 265847Ma. Zarah Rose de Guzman-­lara v. Commission on Elections and Manuel N. MambaA petition to disqualify a candidate can be filed at any time during the whole day on which the candidate is proclaimed, even after the exact hour of proclamation, and the COMELEC should not throw out an emailed petition sent a few hours before proclamation on a technicality.
  39. 39A.M. MTJ-24-023(Formerly Oca Ipi No. 18-2966-Mtj) Tedwin T. Uy v. Presiding Judge Jorge Emmanuel M. Lorredo, Metropolitan Trial Court, Branch 26, ManilaA judge who kept insulting witnesses and lawyers, after earlier punishments and warnings, was dismissed from the service.
  40. 40G.R. 259815(Formerly Udk 17421) Mazy'S Capital, Inc. v. Republic of the Philippines, Represented by the Department of National DefenseA land title rebuilt by a court without proper documents is void, and so is a later court judgment that relied only on that title, and the Republic owned the land once it paid for it in an old expropriation case.
  41. 41G.r. No. 217368* Ruby Shelter Builders and Realty Development Corporation, Represented by Its President, Ruben Sia, Petitioner, Vs. Romeo y. Tan, Roberto L. Obiedo and Atty. Tomas a. Reyes, Respondents.A debtor who voluntarily offers to sell its mortgaged properties to the creditor to settle the debt, in exchange for extra time and cancelled interest, has made a valid payment by transferring property (dacion en pago), not an illegal automatic taking of the mortgaged property (pactum commissorium).