Treachery may be regarded as aggravating circumstance in a frontal attack
Dear PAO, Cito was warned that Lino, who was armed with a bolo, was looking for him. They met along the road, and Lino killed Cito. Appropriate charges were filed against my friend Lino, but the relatives of Cito insisted that the manner in which he was killed is considered treacherous, and thus, carries a […]
Lack of resistance from the minor victim will not affect his/her credibility
Dear PAO, My teen-aged son was touched in his private part by Mr. Y (his male teacher). This happened thrice in their school. I want to file a criminal case against him. During the scheduled dialogue with school authorities, Mr. Y claimed that my son’s testimony is not credible for the reason that the location […]
Sexual harassment as a form of constructive dismissal
Dear PAO, I am a new hire in a company. I have been here for about three months and I really want to quit because my immediate supervisor is constantly harassing me. Whenever I am at the copier, she likes to pinch my buttocks. I always tell her to stop, but she insists that she […]
Salaries of government officials can be garnished to pay debts
Dear PAO, I have a friend who owed me money amounting to P2,500,000 when he was still a businessman. This year, he was elected as a councilor in our municipality. I tried asking him to pay me back but he reasoned that he still cannot pay me. Can I file a case against him and […]
Sanction imposed on erring employee must be commensurate to the degree of infraction committed
Dear PAO, Two months ago, I was relieved from my position as accounting officer after my immediate supervisor caught me nodding off at work during office hours. I was immediately issued a Notice to Explain, directing me to explain my action, which, according to my employer, constitutes a violation of the company Code of Conduct, […]
Female partner may be liable for VAWC
Dear PAO, I have a child born out of wedlock. Since I gave birth, the father of my child left me. After several years, I had a relationship with a woman and we planned to live together. However, when we had a heated argument about our finances, she became physically violent. I thought this was […]
Validity of non-compete clauses in employment contracts
Dear PAO, I resigned from my previous employer, and after three months, I was hired by another company. During the sixth month of employment with my new employer, I received a letter from a law office directing me to cease and desist from working with my current company, otherwise, I would be liable to pay […]
Refundability of security deposit | The Manila Times
Dear PAO, I rented an apartment unit in Makati City for a period of one year, beginning January 2025 until December 2025. I paid one month rent and two months security deposit to the lessor. On May 31, 2025, I noticed large cracks on the wall of the apartment which, I am afraid, would give […]
Separation pay and retirement pay are mutually exclusive benefits
Dear PAO, I am 62 years old and I worked as a janitor for the same company for almost 35 years. Last week, my employer handed me a notice of dismissal, stating that my employment was immediately terminated because I am already “too old” to work. They did not give me any separation package or […]
Writ of habeas corpus is available to address rightful custody of minor
Dear PAO, Julia and I lived together as husband and wife for three (3) years, and we have a non-marital child. Unfortunately, our relationship ended and now we have a dispute over child custody. During our confrontation, she claimed that custody belongs to her by law. She demanded that I surrender the kid to her […]