Courts may convict accused to as many offenses as are charged and proved

Dear PAO, My neighbor’s brother was accused of kidnapping a family of three. Their family was shocked when the judgment came — he was convicted of three crimes, one for each family member allegedly kidnapped, even though only one complaint was filed against him. I have read that a complaint can only charge one offense, […]

Sale of registered SIM card per se is not prohibited

Dear PAO, I complied with the law requiring subscribers to register their SIM cards. Last month, Liza introduced me to her foreign friend who is doing business in the country. This foreigner offered to buy my SIM card for a considerable amount of money. His offer is tempting, especially since I am currently jobless, so […]

Closure of business as a basis for employee termination

Dear PAO, My cousin worked for a private company that manufactures and supplies school materials. Unfortunately, their office and warehouse were gutted by fire. As a result, he and his co-workers were left without work because all the company equipment and materials were destroyed. For several months, my cousin had to take odd jobs to […]

Enforcement of a divorce decree obtained abroad

Dear PAO, I was previously married. Nonetheless, my spouse (a foreign national) and I were able to obtain a divorce decree abroad through our joint petition after failing to settle our irreconcilable issues. When I inquired about whether this divorce would be recognized here in the Philippines, I encountered a potential issue regarding its enforcement. […]

Kinds and effects of acquittal on civil liability

Dear PAO, My wife, a medical doctor, faced a complaint for medical negligence related to the death of her patient. In its decision, the court acquitted my wife after finding that she was not the author of the act complained of. However, the court still held her civilly liable, explaining that the quantum of proof […]