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. 268546Aug 2024An 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.
- G.R. 260973Aug 2024Benjamin 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.
- G.R. 235010Aug 2024People 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.
- G.R. 256720Aug 2024Maibarara 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.
- G.R. 264746Aug 2024Marcelina 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.
- G.R. 263676Aug 2024Pedro 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.
- G.R. 259609Aug 2024Paolo 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.
- G.R. 268876Aug 2024Dr. 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.
- G.R. 264473Aug 2024People 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.
- G.R. 219598Aug 2024Arnold 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.
- G.R. 266608Aug 2024People 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.
- G.R. 223582Aug 2024Ricardo 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.
- G.R. 248974Aug 2024Heirs 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.
- G.R. 266538Aug 2024Sps. 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.
- G.R. 268143Aug 2024Goldland 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.
- G.R. 270257Aug 2024Xxx270257,* 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.
- G.R. 256856Aug 2024Tommy 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.
- G.R. 214042Aug 2024Foundation 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.
- G.R. 264071Aug 2024Ben 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.
- G.R. 260013Aug 2024E.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.