The Office of Atty. Ligmayo

18/02/2026

27/09/2025

Under Article IX-B, Sec. 7(1), 1987 Constitution:

> No elective official shall be eligible for appointment or designation in any capacity to any public office or position during his tenure.

“Special adviser” is still a public office/position if it carries functions, duties, and authority attached to government.

Therefore, a sitting mayor cannot legally be appointed as “special adviser” to ICI (or any other government agency) while serving his term.

30/08/2025

𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐓

For in this jurisdiction, as we have also consistently held, accusation is not synonymous with guilt. While the tendency of the courts in r*pe cases is to believe the complaining witness for the reasons above stated, there is still a significant number of decisions in which the accused has been exonerated for failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. This had to be so for under the Bill of Rights the accused is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved.

It cannot be stressed often enough that the conviction of the accused must rest not on the weakness of the defense but on the strength of the prosecution. Even if the defense is weak, the accused is still entitled to acquittal if the prosecution is also weak, not to say even weaker. To repeat, it is for the prosecution to prove that the accused is guilty, not for the defense to prove that he is innocent. Innocence is presumed; it is guilt that must be established.

(People v. Ignacio, G.R. No. 90318, July 24, 1992)

(Future Servants of the Law)

29/08/2025

Just for Laff:

Son : Dad, what is the difference between r**e, romance & marriage?

Father : Clothes my son! The difference is all about clothes.

The totally puzzled son asked: What?

Father : Listen son. In r**e you tear the clothes. In romance you voluntarily remove the clothes. In marriage, you wash the clothes!

Hehehe…

02/07/2024

Art. VI Section 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution

“No Senator or Member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or employment in the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, during his term without forfeiting his seat.”

05/03/2024

𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗦

When an offense has just been committed and the arresting officer has probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it. (𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟱𝗯, 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝟭𝟭𝟯 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁)

Requisites:

1. An offense has just been committed (immediacy), and
2. The person making the arrest has personal knowledge of the facts indicating that the person to be arrested committed it.

09/02/2024

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄

• The equipoise rule provides that where evidence in a criminal case is evenly balanced, the constitutional presumption of innocence tilts the scales in favor of the accused. [People v. Erguiza, 571 SCRA 634, 660]

• The inculpatory facts and circumstances are capable of two or more explanations, one of which is consistent with his guilt, then the evidence does not fulfill the test of moral certainty and is not sufficient to support a conviction. Under such circumstances, the presumption of innocence must prevail and the court must acquit. [Atienza v. People, G.R. No. 188694, February 12, 2014]

• There is, therefore, no equipoise if the evidence is not evenly balanced. Said rule is not applicable where the evidence presented is not equally weighty. The equipoise rule cannot be invoked where the evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming. [Malana v. People, 549 SCRA 451, 465]

• But any doubt shall be resolved in favor of the accused. [People v. Cruz, G.R. 194234]

09/02/2024

What is LOCUS STANDI?

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝑳𝑶𝑪𝑼𝑺 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑰?

“Legal standing” or locus standi refers to a personal and substantial interest in a case such that the party has sustained or will sustain direct injury because of the challenged governmental act. The requirement of standing, which necessarily “sharpens the presentation of issues,” relates to the constitutional mandate that this Court settle only actual cases or controversies. Thus, generally, a party will be allowed to litigate only when (1) he can show that he has personally suffered some actual or threatened injury because of the allegedly illegal conduct of the government; (2) the injury is fairly traceable to the challenged action; and (3) the injury is likely to be redressed by a favorable action.

This Court has the discretion to take cognizance of a suit which does not satisfy the requirement of legal standing when paramount interest is involved. In not a few cases, the court has adopted a liberal attitude on the locus standi of a petitioner where the petitioner is able to craft an issue of transcendental significance to the people. Thus, when the issues raised are of paramount importance to the public, the Court may brush aside technicalities of procedure.

(Tolentino v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 148334, January 21, 2004)

11/01/2024

Laches is defined as the "failure or neglect for an unreasonable and unexplained length of time, to do that which, by exercising due diligence, could or should have been done earlier, it is negligence or omission to assert a right within a reasonable length of time, warranting a presumption that the party entitled to assert it either has abandoned it or declined to assert it." (Regalado v. Go; G.R. No. 167988, February 6, 2007, 514 SCRA 616.) 😝

31/12/2023

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Happy New Year…..

30/12/2023

Naragsak, Narampaya ken Nagasat nga baro a Tawen Kakabsat, Gagayyem ken Kakailian….

Life has its own way of making us smile even when you want to give up and lose hope, because certain surprises come your way just when you thought you would never smile again. God's blessing may come as a surprise, and how much you receive depends on how much your heart can believe.

Author: unknown