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. 192694Feb 2023Bases Conversion and Development Authority and John Hay Management Corporation v. City Government of Baguio City, as Represented by Its Mayor, City Treasurer, and City Legal OfficerFees for a city business permit are regulatory fees, not taxes, so businesses in a tax-exempt economic zone still have to pay them unless they are registered with the zone's regulator.
- G.R. 258914Feb 2023Jocelyn Eleazar Monteros v. Task Force Abono-Field Investigation Office, Office of the OmbudsmanThe right to a speedy disposition of cases also protects government employees facing administrative cases, and an administrative case that the Ombudsman leaves unresolved for years without a good reason must be dismissed.
- G.R. 264179Feb 2023Ariel Cadayday Singgit* and Genivieve Mayondo But-Ay v. People of the PhilippinesA married man and his partner can be convicted of concubinage for living together as husband and wife anywhere, so it did not matter that the charge said "private dwelling" instead of "conjugal dwelling."
- G.R. 251792Feb 2023Lourdes N. Cando v. Flocerfida* de Guzman Solis, Joan Solis and Michelle** SolisA deed of sale signed to secure an existing loan is really an equitable mortgage, meaning a mortgage in disguise, so the lender cannot keep the land.
- G.R. 260704Feb 2023People of the Philippines v. Marlon Conti y ParagguaA man who raped a seven-year-old girl was also convicted of sexual assault for first inserting his finger, because both acts were charged and proven in the same case.
- G.R. 214087Feb 2023Heirs of Spouses Silvestre Manzano and Gertrudes D. Manzano, Represented by Conrado D. Manzano as Attorney-in-Fact and Also in His Personal Capacity v. Kinsonic Philippines, IncA person who may someday be appointed administrator of a dead person's estate is not someone who must be included in a lawsuit, and sellers who benefited from a contract cannot later claim it was void.
- G.R. 242957Feb 2023The Board of Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration and the Jail Warden, Bureau of Immigration Detention Center v. Yuan WenleGovernment agencies such as the Bureau of Immigration may issue warrants to arrest people in non-criminal matters like deportation, but only if they follow eight strict guidelines, and a person arrested this way should use the agency's own remedies before going to court.
- G.R. 222537Feb 2023Cosac, Inc. v. Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, IncA restaurant that plays copyrighted songs, live or recorded, without a license from the society that holds the performing rights commits copyright infringement, though the Court replaced the royalty award with P300,000.00 in temperate damages.
- A.M. P-13-3124Feb 2023(Formerly Oca Ipi No. 07-2482-P) Office of the Court Administrator v. Atty. Jerry R. Toledo, Then Branch Clerk of Court and Menchie Barcelona, Clerk III, Both of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 259, Parañaque CityA court branch clerk who failed to supervise the custody of seized drug evidence stays guilty of gross neglect of duty, but the Court reduced his dismissal to a two-year-and-six-month suspension because of mitigating circumstances.
- G.R. 255668Jan 2023Jeremy Reyes y Collano v. People of the PhilippinesA person can still be convicted of illegal possession of a firearm even when the drug charges from the same police operation fail for broken evidence handling.
- G.R. 243259Jan 2023Patricia Halagueña, Ma. Angelita L. Pulido, Ma. Teresita P. Santiago, Marianne v. Katindig, Bernadetta a. Cabalquinto, Lorna B. Tugas, Mary Christine a. Villarete, Cynthia a. Stehmeier, Rose Ana G. Victa, Noemi R. Cresencio and Other Female Flight Attendants of Philippine Airlines Vs. Philippine Airlines, IncA union contract that forces female flight attendants to retire at 55 while male attendants retire at 60 is discriminatory against women and void.
- A.M. P-14-3248Jan 2023(Formerly a.m. No. 14-6-66-MTC) Office of the Court Administrator v. Virgilio M. Fortaleza and Norberta R. FortalezaCourt employees who tamper with receipts and pocket court funds are punished severely, and a clerk of court who retires cannot escape forfeiture of benefits and repayment of what was taken.
- G.R. 244587Jan 2023Amil P. Sula, Gaspar S. Asi, and Hussien K. Malig, Sr. v. Commission on Elections, in Its Official Capacity as the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi- Vs. Commission on Elections, in Its Official Capacity as the National Plebiscite Board of CanvassersThe Supreme Court upheld the Commission on Elections' handling of the Cotabato City plebiscite, so Cotabato City stays in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
- G.R. 258424Jan 2023Philippine Health Insurance Corporation v. Commission on Audit, Represented by Its Chairperson, Michael G. AguinaldoPhilHealth cannot hand out allowances and benefits to its staff on its own, because it needs the President's approval, so most of the payments were disallowed, though longevity pay was allowed.
- G.R. 237322Jan 2023Civil Service Commission v. Po1 Gilbert FuentesThe Civil Service Commission can generally appeal to the Supreme Court when a lower court overturns its decision, and a police officer who drew his gun over a traffic incident and shot a man was properly dismissed for grave misconduct.
- G.R. 214223Jan 2023Republic of the Philippines v. Spouses Jovito and Kathleen BercedeA court can order a lost land title to be rebuilt only if the law's strict requirements are followed, and a petition that skips them must be dismissed.
- G.R. 255509Jan 2023Edwin D. Rodriguez and Michael T. Defensor v. Commission on Elections, Maria Josefina G. Belmonte, Gian Carlo G. Sotto, Wilfredo B. Revillame, and Elizabeth a. DelarmenteA complaint for vote-buying fails if it rests only on unsupported video clips and screenshots, with no witness affidavits to prove the elements of the offense.
- G.R. 219425Jan 2023Violeta C. Magaso v. the Hon. Commission on AuditA government accountant who certifies that a payment's supporting documents are complete and proper cannot escape liability by saying she merely relied on others or signed as routine.
- G.R. 263061Jan 2023Glenda Buray Ecleo v. Commission on ElectionsThe Commission on Elections took seven years to decide whether to charge a governor with overspending, and that unexplained delay violated her right to a speedy disposition of her case.
- G.R. 250636Jan 2023Merlinda Plana v. Lourdes Tan Chua and Heirs of Ramon ChiangA true landowner who was not at fault keeps the land even against a bank-like lender who honestly relied on a fraudulent title, so the mortgage on her lot was cancelled.