Bar Methods
G.R. No. 197142, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
Caguioa, J.:
The Supreme Court acquitted petitioners Gil
"Boying" R. Cruz and Dennis C. Carpio of violating Section 3(e) of
Republic Act No. 3019 due to insufficient evidence of conspiracy or overt acts
indicating their involvement in obstructing court orders, while the case
against Mayor Serafin N. Dela Cruz was dismissed following his death, which extinguished
his criminal liability.
G.R. No. 228107, October 9, 2019
Constitutional Law, Right
against unlawful searches and seizures
Leonen, J.:
The Supreme Court acquitted
Gregorio Telen of illegal possession of dangerous drugs, ruling that the
warrantless "stop and frisk" search leading to his arrest was
unlawful due to insufficient suspicious circumstances to justify such action.
Claret School of
Quezon City vs. Sinday
G.R. No. 226358, October 9, 2019
Labor Law, Illegal
Dismissal
Leonen, J.:
The Supreme Court ruled that Madelyn I. Sinday was a regular
employee and had been illegally dismissed, emphasizing that fixed-term
employment contracts are valid only when both parties enter into them
knowingly and voluntarily, without force or improper pressure, and on more or
less equal terms without moral dominance by the employer.
G.R. No. 234786, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
Perlas-Bernabe, J:
The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Jenny Tecson for
the illegal sale of dangerous drugs, affirming that the prosecution
sufficiently established the chain of custody despite the failure to
immediately conduct the marking, inventory, and photography at the place of
arrest.
G.R. No. 223682, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
Hernando, J:
The Supreme
Court acquitted Onni Addin y Maddan of illegal sale of dangerous drugs, noting
that there was no attempt at all to justify the absence of required witnesses
during the inventory and photographing of the seized items, especially given
that they had sufficient time to plan the buy-bust operation
G.R. No. 223708, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Extinction of Criminal Liability
Perlas-Bernabe, J:
The Supreme Court dismissed the
criminal cases against Norieto Monroyo due to his death during the pendency of
his appeal, which, under Article 89 of the Revised Penal Code, extinguished
both his criminal liability and the civil liability directly arising from the
offenses.
G.R. No. 217703, October 9, 2019
Property, Public
Dominion
Reyes, J. Jr., J:
The Supreme Court upheld the
State's ownership of a parcel of land occupied by Alibagu Elementary School, rejecting
the Abarca family's claim due to their failure to provide sufficient evidence
of private ownership and emphasizing the Regalian doctrine.
G.R. No. 240053, October 9, 201
Remedial Law, Modes
of Discovery
Hernando, J:
The Supreme Court permitted the
deposition of Mary Jane Veloso, detained in Indonesia, through written
interrogatories in the human trafficking case against her recruiters, Maria
Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, due to her unavailability to testify in
person.
G.R. No. 231980, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
Lazaro-Javier, J:
The Supreme Court acquitted Elizalde Diamante and Eleudoro
Cedullo III of illegal sale of dangerous drugs, noting that the repeated
breach of the chain of custody rule here is a fatal flaw which had destroyed
the integrity and evidentiary value of the corpus delicti.
G.R. No. 212215, October 9, 2019
Civil Procedure,
Prejudicial Question
Reyes, J. Jr., J:
The Supreme Court ruled that the pendency of a civil case
challenging the validity of Department Orders (D.O.) Nos. 1007 and 407, which
authorized a fact-finding investigation into alleged kidnapping and extortion
by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, did not constitute a
prejudicial question that would suspend the conduct of preliminary
investigation against former NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula.
G.R. No. 230555, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law,
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
Lazaro-Javier, J:
The Supreme Court acquitted Felicisimo Bombasi y Vergara of
charges of illegal sale and possession of dangerous drugs, noting that the multiple
violations of the chain of custody rule cast serious uncertainty on the
identity and integrity of the corpus delicti.
Land Bank of the
Philippines vs. Megaworld Corp.
G.R. Nos. 193893-94, October 9,
2019
Civil Procedure,
Appeals
Bersamin, J:
The Supreme Court the Supreme Court partially affirmed the
Court of Appeals' modifications to the Construction Industry Arbitration
Commission's (CIAC) amended awards, specifically reducing the costs of
rectification works for curtain walls from ₱40,975,126.41
to ₱32,293,042.58, while remanding to
the CIAC the determination of costs related to electrical works for the
telephone system and rectification of parking area slopes, due to unresolved
factual issues requiring further evaluation.
G.R. No. 198932, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law, Estafa
Bersamin, J:
The Supreme Court acquitted Danilo S. Ibañez of estafa,
concluding that the transaction in question was a conditional sale rather than
an agency relationship, thereby negating the element of misappropriation or
conversion necessary for a conviction under Article 315, paragraph 1(b) of the
Revised Penal Code.
G.R. No. 224222, October 9, 2019
Criminal Law, Murder
Lazaro-Javier, J.:
The Supreme Court modified the convictions of Dante and Lito
Galam from murder to homicide, ruling that the qualifying circumstances of
treachery and evident premeditation were not sufficiently established.
Light Rail Transit
Authority vs. Quezon City
G.R. No. 221626, October 9, 2019
Taxation, Local
Taxation
Lazaro-Javier, J.:
The Supreme Court ruled that the Light Rail Transit Authority
(LRTA), as a government instrumentality with corporate powers, is exempt from
real property taxes on properties used for public service, thereby voiding
Quezon City's tax assessments and related auction sales.