Denial of treatment due to HIV status is illegal
Dear PAO,I was rushed to the hospital just this week because of a knee injury. On the Emergency Admission Form, I was required to disclose my HIV Status where I was reactive. Thereafter, the doctor explicitly denied my treatment because he claimed that they cannot treat me. I was given no other explanation and I […]
Sexual Abuse Shield Rule | The Manila Times
Dear PAO, Can the accused in a child sexual abuse case raise the past sexual activity of a victim as a defense? Lilibeth Dear Lilibeth, Sexual abuse cases are often difficult for victims, especially minors, to pursue due to fear, stigma, and the possibility of being shamed or discredited in court. The Supreme Court pronounced […]
Obligation to provide support for family rests on both spouses
Dear PAO, My wife and I have been living separately since 2009. We have three children together, two of whom are still in school. I work as a seafarer, and my estranged wife works in a bank. While we both earn a decent amount of money to support our children, my estranged wife has been […]
Routine stop and limited warrantless search of vehicles are considered legal
Dear PAO, My girlfriend was stopped and requested to surrender her vehicle for inspection at a police checkpoint, without a search warrant. Does a warrantless search at checkpoints violate the constitutional right of a person against unreasonable searches and seizures? Piolo Dear Piolo, The general rule is that no arrest, search, and seizure can be […]
Conditions for entitlement under the GSIS Act of 1997
Dear PAO, I have been currently employed in a government agency for more than 25 years and counting. I am now 58 years old, and the increasing frailty of old age has already taken a toll on my health. From time to time, I suffer from severe headaches, coughs and colds. Considering my circumstances, can […]
Manning agency cannot legally withhold employee’s Philippine passport
Dear PAO, I am a sea-based OFW who disembarked in October 2024. Shortly thereafter, I surrendered my travel and employment documents, including my passport, to the manning agency with the expectation that they will process the renewal of my US visa. Two weeks later, I was informed that my contract will not be renewed. When […]
Supervisory employees prohibited from joining collective bargaining unit of rank and file
Dear PAO, I am employed as a supervisor in a factory. Currently, there is a labor union composed of the rank-and-file employees in our company. I want to know whether I could join the said labor union considering that I am not a member of any union right now. Kristoff Dear Kristoff, First and foremost, […]
Licensing and payment of royalties for performance of copyrighted songs
Dear PAO, As an owner of a bar and restaurant, I want to confirm if there is really a need to get a license and pay royalties for playing music in my establishment. I have a live entertainment band that performs popular foreign and local songs in my bar every night, and we also have […]
Property donated by relative may still be subject to donor’s tax, documentary stamp tax
Dear PAO, I got married to my now-husband two (2) months ago. As a wedding present, my parents gifted us with a lot in Cavite. The title of the property is still under my parents’ names. Will the transfer be subject to tax? How do we transfer the title of the lot to my name? […]
Grace period under the ‘Bayanihan To Heal as One Act’
Dear PAO, I secured a car loan from a reputable bank sometime in 2019. I religiously paid all of the monthly installments except for the months of April 2020 and May 2020, as I remember having read online that all monthly payments falling due within the period of the enhanced community quarantine were waived by […]