The police arrested my NPA girlfriend without a warrant

Dear PAO, I am a young engineer in the energy sector and met my girlfriend on the internet about six months ago. Unfortunately, I received an information that my girlfriend was arrested by the police without a warrant. She had recently dropped out of university and joined the New People’s Army (NPA) as one of […]

Complainant for unsound real estate business must be buyers or homeowners

Dear PAO, I owned a parcel of land adjacent to a subdivision project. My property is a lowland, so I understand that run off waters coming from the adjacent project will naturally fall to my land creating a drainage issue. I talked to the manager of the project to address the issue, but the same […]

What is a ‘retaining lien’?

Dear PAO, I am about to engage the services of a private lawyer. We agreed that the legal fees will be paid after the resolution of the case. The lawyer explained that while he is not asking for any legal fees at the moment, he will be exercising his right to a “retaining lien” when […]

Abuse committed after relationship ended will not absolve the perpetrator

Dear PAO, My ex-boyfriend, Jose, keeps on abusing me even after we ended our relationship. I told him to stop calling and sending demeaning or threatening messages; otherwise, I will file a case for VAWC against him. He just laughed and claimed that such law will not apply since we are already separated. He claims […]

Noise from school: Actionable nuisance or mere inconvenience?

Dear PAO, An influencer recently went viral for her remarks about the noise of “hindi cute na bata” in a public place. While I do not condone hate toward children, I am experiencing a similar problem. In my case, our house is located near a private elementary school. During school activities, the noise becomes excessively […]

Recognition of foreign adoption in the Philippines

Dear PAO, I am a Japanese citizen who adopted the legitimate child of my Filipina wife while we were living in Japan. Can such adoption be recognized in the Philippines and reflected in his birth certificate? Takeshi Dear Takeshi, Yes, the adoption decree obtained in a foreign country can be recognized here in the Philippines […]

Judicial settlement as an alternative when heirs’ whereabouts are unknown

Dear PAO, My friends and I jointly purchased a condominium unit with the intention of converting it into an Airbnb investment. Unfortunately, one of our co-owners passed away in a car accident. He was not married and had been abandoned by his family; his only known relative is an estranged father whose whereabouts are unknown. […]