Decision summaries
What each Supreme Court decision decided, in a sentence or two. Open one and use its Summary tab for the facts, issue and ruling in plain language or lawyer mode. These are study aids, not legal advice. Check the decision itself before you rely on it.
- G.R. 264452Jun 2024Young Scholars Academy, Inc. v. Erlinda G. MagalongThere is no contract of sale when the buyer and seller never agreed on how the price would be paid, and a counter-offer on the payment terms ends the original offer.
- A.M. RTJ-23-040Jun 2024(Formerly Oca Ipi No. 20-5081-Rtj) Office of the Court Administrator v. Hon. Myla M. Villavicencio-Olan, Presiding Judge; Atty. Rica Kathrine R. Austria, Clerk of Court v; Alvin P. Pilit, Sheriff IV; Keren Keisha L. Bobis, Psychologist II; Irene M. Anatalio, Court Stenographer III; Clarrene Faith Aliazas, Clerk III; Oscar R. Rodelas, Jr., Process Server; and Monette P. Camacho, Court Interpreter III, All of Branch 7, Regional Trial Court ), San Pablo City, LagunaA judge who closed her court for most of an afternoon to send nearly all her staff to clean a new office is guilty of simple misconduct and fined PHP 18,000.00, and the Court set rules on how penalties affect judiciary allowances and bonuses.
- G.R. 258753Jun 2024People of the Philippines v. Lourdes Rivera, Josie Poy Lorenzo, and Angelita Dayrit Lourdes RiveraA person with no licence who promises overseas jobs and collects placement fees is guilty of illegal recruitment and estafa, and here the Court raised the fine and lowered the estafa prison terms.
- G.R. 266706Jun 2024People of the Philippines v. ZzzA rape victim does not have to prove she fought back, and a child cannot be expected to resist her own father, so the father's conviction for raping his daughter stands.
- G.R. 257980Jun 2024(Formerly Udk-16986) Rodolfo a. dela Cruz and Celerino a. dela Cruz v. Jesusa y. Cailles, Represented by Alicia y. YacatA tenant farmer cannot be evicted for abandoning the land unless there is a clear intent to give it up for good, and signing a paper that turns over the farm for a short time to a lender does not show that.
- G.R. 237120Jun 2024Alex Besenio y Cledoro v. People of the PhilippinesA man caught with shabu during a search was acquitted because police did not follow the required steps for handling seized drugs, and the lab chemist never explained how the drugs were kept after testing.
- G.R. 269883May 2024In Re: Petition for the Allowance of Will Proved Outside of the Philippines and Administration of Estate Under Rule 77 of the Rules of Court, Allison Lynn AkanaRegional Trial Courts, not lower courts, hear petitions to have a will that was already proved abroad accepted in the Philippines, no matter how small the estate here.
- G.R. 260801May 2024Manco Synthetic Inc.-Employee Labor Union-Organized Labor Union in Line Industries and Agriculture (Msi-Elu-Olalia) and Manila Cordage Company- Employees Labor Union-Organized Labor Union in Line Industries and Agriculture (Mcc-Elu-Olalia) v. Manila Cordage Company (Mcc) and Manco Synthetics, Inc. (Msi)Workers supplied by labor-only contractors are the employees of the company they actually work for, and a conflicting ruling in another labor case does not erase that finding.
- G.R. 206517May 2024Stablewood Philippines, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal RevenueA corporation that carries its excess tax credits over to the next year's quarterly returns cannot later ask for a refund of the same credits, even if it never actually used them.
- G.R. 257516May 2024Department of Finance-Revenue Integrity Protection Service (Dof-Rips) v. Office of the Ombudsman, Fredericks. Leaño, and Jeremias C. Leaño,•Honest mistakes in a government employee's asset declaration, explained in good faith and never first pointed out for correction, are not enough to bring criminal charges.
- A.M. RTJ-24-064May 2024Honorable Leo L. Intia, Presiding Judge, Branch 27, Regional Trial Court, Naga City, Camarines Sur v. Honorable Erwin Virgilio P. Ferrer, Executive Judge and Presiding Judge, Branch 20, Regional Trial Court, Naga City, Camarines SurA judge who keeps owning an insurance business, even one inherited and run by someone else, violates the Court's rule against judiciary officials working as insurance agents, but the other charges against him failed for lack of evidence.
- G.R. 263014May 2024Engr. Numeriano M. Castañeda, Jr., in His Capacity as the General Manager of San Rafael Water District (Srwd), on His Own Behalf and on Behalf of Other Srwd Officials and Employees v. Commission on AuditGovernment employees and board members who receive allowances that the law does not allow must pay them back even if they acted in good faith, and the officers who approved the payments are liable too if they ignored clear rules.
- A.M. RTJ-24-066May 2024[formerly Oca Ipi No. 20-5031-Rtj) Rico John Colorines Garcia, Represented by Camtugan and Partners v. Hon. Virginia D. Tehano-Ang, Presiding Judge, Branch 1, Regional Trial Court, Tagum City, Davao del NorteA judge who invents her own procedures, such as granting bail in a non-bailable case without a hearing, is guilty of gross ignorance of the law, even if she says she only wanted to speed things up.
- G.R. 255074May 2024Nilda Laguna Salazar v. Commission on Audit (COA), and Ma. Mileguas M. Leyno, in Her Capacity as Regional Director of Commission on Audit Region IIIMembers of a municipality's Bids and Awards Committee can be held liable for a disallowed project payment when the bid invitation was not properly posted, even if the posting was the secretariat's job, but the amount they must return is reduced by the value of what the contractor actually delivered.
- A.M. P-19-4002May 2024Office of the Court Administrator v. Utility Worker I Gerson O. Galan, Regional Trial Court, Branch 30, Iloilo City, IloiloA court employee caught in a drug buy-bust operation is guilty of grave misconduct, and even after resigning he can be fined, lose his benefits and be barred from government work.
- G.R. 267360May 2024People of the Philippines v. Vergel CAñas y GanalonA person who arranges for a 13-year-old to have sex with paying clients is guilty of qualified trafficking in persons, and small slips in the victim's testimony do not clear him.
- G.R. 268342May 2024People of the Philippines v. Theodore B. Marrero, Nenita D. Lizardo, Helen K. Macli-Ing, Paulo P. Pagteilan, Lily Rose T. Kollin, Florence R. Gut-Omen, Edward B. Likigan, Soledad Theresa F. Wanawan, Jerome M. Falingao, Abdon a. Imingan and Ronald C. KimakimBreaking procurement rules is not automatically a crime of graft: the prosecution must still prove corrupt intent, actual undue injury or unwarranted benefit, and each accused's own part in it.
- G.R. 244071May 2024Shiela Marie B. Cafranca and Ma. Josephine B. Cafranca v. People of the Philippines Raymark Velasco @ "Mamark" and Carlito Orbiso y Abique @ "Carla" Vs. People of the PhilippinesA person cannot be convicted of homicide for a death after a quarrel unless the prosecution proves, usually with an autopsy, that the quarrel actually caused the death, and hurtful words alone are not a crime of ill-treatment by deed.
- G.R. 266880May 2024National Transmission Corporation v. Clemente P. Untiveros, Spouses Jose v. Pagcaliwagan and Teodora M. Pagcaliwagan, Lucila M. Plata, Heirs of Juan Torres and Geronima a. Torres, Spouses Leonisa M. Lopez and Natalio B. Lopez, and Spouses Bernardo B. Pagcaliwagan & Anita C. Pagcaliwagan, All Represented by Freddie M. ArguellesIn a landowners' suit for payment for land restricted by a power transmission line, the company now operating the grid, NGCP, must be made a party to the case.
- A.C. 11020May 2024Inocentes Domie Balansag, Joel Molejon, and Bonifacio Catarata v. Atty. Dave Duallo and Atty. Rodolfo Dacalos, JrA lawyer who keeps filing motions and petitions just to delay carrying out a final judgment abuses court processes and can be suspended from practice.