My brother and I cannot inherit from the woman who raised us?
Dear PAO, My brother, Xolo, and I were adopted and raised by a rich woman who ran several businesses. Unfortunately, our adoption did not go through the legal process. Apparently, two of our “mother’s” housemaids had gotten pregnant a year apart and then left their babies, namely us, in her care. Our “mother” died a […]
Application for probation | The Manila Times
Dear PAO, My friend is on trial for a criminal case filed against him, and his lawyer informed him that he will likely lose the case. He said that he wasn’t too concerned because he could apply for probation to avoid serving jail time. Is it true that he can avoid jail time by applying […]
When blood is thicker than water
Dear PAO, My mother stole P500,000 from me. I want to file a criminal case against her. However, a private lawyer told me that it is impossible for me to indict my mother for the crime of theft. I want a second opinion. Jodar Dear Jodar, Yes, it is true that you cannot indict your […]
Person with mental disability can be a witness
Dear PAO, I am worried that the criminal case I intend to file against a certain individual who molested my kid could be dismissed because the only witness we can present is an adult who has the mental capacity of a child and is considered a person with disability. The accused even claims that our […]
Premature marriages are no longer punishable by law
Dear PAO, My husband died ten months ago. Fortunately, my first love helped me get through the grieving process. Yesterday, he proposed to me. I know my deceased husband would want me to be happy, so I said, “Yes.” However, a friend of mine told me that a widow cannot remarry within 301 days from […]
An employee has the right to be issued a certificate of employment
Dear PAO, I need your advice urgently. My Korean employer refuses to give me a certificate of employment (COE). I need it for my government teaching job application. I was supposed to submit the COE last Friday. I have followed up many times, but they just ignored my messages. Until now, they still have not […]
Self-employed professionals are not required to submit appointment books for proper tax assessment
Dear PAO, I am a dentist with a small clinic in Manila. My CPA-friend told me that for the purposes of proper tax assessment, I need to submit my appointment books, along with the list of my professional fees, to the BIR. However, I think that this is a potential violation of physician-patient confidentiality. Am […]
Playing music from a radio in an eatery, a form of copyright infringement?
Dear PAO, I have this neighborhood eatery (carinderia) and happen to put on my favorite radio on blast at night for my diners’ enjoyment. I feel that music over the radio helps with my sales, but my neighbor, Karen, wants me to stop. Yesterday, Karen told me that she would report me to several music […]
Responsibilities of a pet owner
Dear PAO, I have a neighbor who has a son who is a person with disability (PWD). This kid walked in front of my house the other day and got bitten by my fur-baby (dog), which was leashed to my front gate. Honestly, the child should have avoided my leashed dog because it was clearly […]
When a conjugal property is mortgaged behind your back
Dear PAO, My mother pawned our land title for P60,000 back in 2018. She did this without the consent of my father or us, their children. The property is conjugal, so both spouses should have agreed to the mortgage. We only discovered the transaction about four years ago. I offered to pay the balance, but […]