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.
- A.M. P-15-3299Apr 2023(Formerly a.m. No. P-14-12-404-RTC) Office of the Court Administrator v. Atty. Robert Ryan H. Esmenda, Clerk of Court Vi, Regional Trial Court, Lipa City, BatangasA clerk of court who fails to deposit court collections on time and ends up with millions of pesos in shortages is dismissed from the service for serious dishonesty and gross neglect of duty.
- A.C. 11227Apr 2023(Formerly Cbd Case No. 16-5210) Mercedita v. Cuenca Vs. Atty. Albert VillasecaA lawyer who takes a client's money, neglects her case, hides its dismissal and has already been suspended for similar neglect is disbarred, meaning he loses his license to practice law.
- G.R. 227004Apr 2023Abs-Cbn Corporation and Jorge Cariño v. Datu Andal Ampatuan, JrA petition to punish a TV network and its reporter for contempt over a pre-trial interview of a Maguindanao Massacre witness must be dismissed when it does not allege the required mental element or the clear and present danger to the court's administration of justice, although the Court said that airing such an interview would otherwise have been contempt.
- G.R. 253480Apr 2023Teodoro B. Bunayog v. Foscon Shipmanagement, Inc., /green Maritime Co., Ltd., /evelyn M. DefensorA seafarer who asks for a third doctor must send a written request with his own doctor's report, and an employer who ignores a valid request is treated as in the wrong, though the seafarer's doctor's report must still have a real medical basis.
- A.M. P-23-084Apr 2023Judge Genie G. Gapas-Agbada v. Atty. Louie T. Guerrero, Clerk of Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes Atty. Louie T. Guerrero, Clerk of Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes Vs. Judge Genie G. Gapas-Agbada, Presiding Judge, Regional Trial Court, Branch 42, Virac, Catanduanes a.m. No. P-23-086 Atty. Louie T. Guerrero, Clerk of Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes Vs. Judge Lorna Santiago-Ubalde, Municipal Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes, Designated as Acting Presiding Judge, Municipal Trial Court in Cities, General Santos City, South Cotabato; Aristotle Ramos, Legal Researcher, Orlando v. Arcilla, Jr., Process Server; and Isidro Guerrero, Utility Worker, All of Regional Trial Court, Branch 42, Virac, Catanduanes Atty. Louie T. Guerrero, Clerk of Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes Vs. Karina Tabuzo, Former Clerk III, Regional Trial Court, Branch 42, Virac, Catanduanes, Now Clerk of Court, Metropolitan Trial Court, Branch 69, Pasig City Liberty So-Guerrero Vs. Presiding Judge Genie G. Gapas-Agbada, Regional Trial Court, Branch 42, Virac, Catanduanes and Judge Lorna Santiago-Ubalde, Municipal Trial Court, Virac, Catanduanes, Designated as Acting Presiding Judge, Municipal Trial Court in Cities, General Santos City, South CotabatoA court clerk who is also a lawyer and who insulted his judge, secretly recorded and photographed her, threatened witnesses and campaigned for a candidate was disbarred, while the counter-complaints against the judges were dismissed for lack of proof.
- G.R. 256700Apr 2023People of the Philippines v. Jomerito S. SolimanA court may punish online libel with a fine alone instead of imprisonment, and the prosecution cannot get a higher penalty on appeal if the trial court did not gravely abuse its discretion.
- A.C. 7526Apr 2023Lazaro G. Javier, Jr. v. Atty. Carlos P. RiveraA lawyer who notarizes documents without a notarial commission breaks the Lawyer's Oath, and a lawyer who has done it before and defies orders can be disbarred, even if already disbarred for something else.
- A.C. 10808Apr 2023Daniel Scott Mckinney v. Attys. Jerry Bañares and Rachel S. Miñon-BañaresA lawyer who helps a scheme to get public land for a corporation through a dummy, and who practices law while serving as a mayor, can be suspended even if the complainant withdraws.
- G.R. 228234Apr 2023Jovencio H. Evangelista v. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor); Andrea D. Domingo; Alfredo C. Lim; Carmen N. Pedrosa; Reynaldo E. Concordia; and Gabriel S. Claudio Miguel Daniel C. Cruz, in His Personal Capacity and as the Representative of Union for National Development and Good Governance-Philippines (Unlad-Philippines) Vs. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and Andrea D. Domingo, in Her Capacity as the Chief Executive Officer (Ceo) and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Pagcor Anti-Trapo Movement of the Philippines, Inc., Represented by Its Founding Chairperson, Leon Estrella Peralta, and Leon Estrella Peralta Vs. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Represented by Andrea D. Domingo, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Pagcor, and John and Jane Does of Pagcor (Unnamed Public Officers of the Pagcor)The Supreme Court refused to rule on whether PAGCOR's rules for offshore online gambling are valid, because the petitioners skipped the lower courts and could not show they were personally harmed by the rules.
- G.R. 244054Apr 2023Gloria F. Quiroz v. Ramon R. NalusWhen a case is decided on the pleadings alone, the amount of damages is not treated as admitted, so the plaintiff must still be allowed to prove it in court.
- G.R. 225722Apr 2023Republic of the Philippines, Represented by the Regional Director of the Department of Education, Region II v. Grelinda D. Espejo, Ma. Carolina D. Espejo, Gregorio v. Espejo, Roger v. Umipig, Alma v. Umipig, Helen v. Umipig, Constance S. Sales, Faustino Llanes, and the Register of Deeds for the Province of IsabelaBuyers of registered land are treated as knowing everything recorded at the Register of Deeds, so they cannot claim to be innocent buyers when the records show the government's earlier claim.
- G.R. 240883Apr 2023Luzviminda Pascua y Bulan v. People of the PhilippinesA teacher who pinched, tapped and slapped a pupil on the spur of the moment to discipline him is guilty only of slight physical injuries, not child abuse, because the injuries were minor and she did not mean to humiliate him.
- G.R. 198609-10Apr 2023Department of Finance and Department of Energy v. Philippine Airlines, Inc. G.r. No. 229812 the Department of Finance and the Department of Energy Vs. Philippine Airlines, IncA company cannot escape a tax ruling by going to an ordinary trial court to attack one of the facts the ruling was based on, because tax matters belong to the tax authorities and the Court of Tax Appeals.
- G.R. 237558Apr 2023Margarito B. Teves v. Office of the Ombudsman and Field Investigation Office, Represented by Dayid a. Lucero Cyril C. del Callar, Albert C. Balingit, George J. Regalado, and Roberto S. Vergara Vs. Office of the Ombudsman and Field Investigation Office, Represented by Dayid a. Lucero Gilda E. Pico and Carel D. Halog Vs. Office of the Ombudsman and Field Investigation Office, Represented by Dayid a. LuceroGovernment officials are not guilty of entering a grossly disadvantageous contract just because a deal could have been better for the government; the disadvantage must be glaring and shocking.
- G.R. 249283Apr 2023Po2 Ireneo M. Sosas, Jr. v. People of the Philippines Spo3 Ariel D. Salvador Vs. People of the PhilippinesPolice officers who use their authority to scare a person in their custody into paying money are guilty of robbery by extortion.
- G.R. 230649Apr 2023People of the Philippines v. Noel M. Cariño, Ferdinand T. Santos, Robert John L. Sobrepeña, Exequiel E. Robles, Roberto J. Chan, Susana S. Chan, Ruben C. Sy, Sofia C. Sy, Vicente Santos, and Igmidio RoblesAn estimated project completion date in a registration statement is not an untrue statement when made, and company officers are not criminally liable unless shown to be directly responsible for the violation.
- G.R. 240316Apr 2023Unicorp Finance Limited v. Herma Corporation G.r. No. 241752 Unicorp Finance Limited Vs. Herma CorporationA creditor cannot hold land that its debtor had already sold, so notices of levy on the titles must be cancelled and the new owner may stop the auction sale.
- G.R. 216608Apr 2023& 216625 Standard Chartered Bank, Philippine Branch v. Philippine Investment Two (Spv-Amc), Inc., Philippine Investment One (Spv-Amc), Inc., and Mrm Asset Holdings 2, Inc. G.r. No. 216702-03 Philippine Investment Two (Spv-Amc), Inc. Vs. Standard Chartered Bank, Represented by Duncan Van Der Feltz, and Atty. Patricia-Ann T. ProdigalidadA loan made under Philippine law is not treated as paid just because the lender returned security to its true owner in a foreign bankruptcy settlement, so the bank stays in the debtor's rehabilitation.
- G.R. 235737Apr 2023Sps. Melchor and Yolanda Dorao v. Sps. Bbb and Ccc, by Themselves and as Natural Guardians of Their Minor Daughter, AaaAdults who publicly shame a child with insulting words cannot excuse it as discipline, and they can be made to pay damages for violating the child's dignity.
- G.R. 223808Apr 2023Heirs of Aida Pineda, Represented by Ella Pineda Torcedo v. Office of the President, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Any/all Their Subordinate, Agents, and All Other Persons Acting on Its Behalf, and Heirs of Teofilo Pilando, SrIn Baguio City, a Certificate of Ancestral Land Claim alone does not prove ownership of the land, so it cannot defeat another claimant's earlier rights.