BCH & Partners

12/08/2026

A misleading question is designed to trick or confuse the witness by assuming a fact they have not even testified to yet, or by contradicting what they already said. Because it is an unfair manipulation tactic, misleading questions are NEVER allowed in court under any circumstances!

09/07/2026

01/07/2026

As we celebrate our 4th year of serving the community with trusted legal service, B*H & Partners is pleased to offer free legal consultation and notarial services for simple affidavits on July 8, 2026, as a way of saying thank you. We look forward to assisting you. ⚖️

02/03/2026

Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Marian Ivy F. Reyes-Fajardo, 2024 Bar Examiner for Commercial and Taxation Law, talks about claiming tax refunds in Episode 107: Tax Refunds: Wrong Collections, Wrong Time.

What are the kinds of tax refunds recognized under the Philippine tax laws? Do the three types of refunds have different timelines for when you can file a claim?

This week's podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Facebook, and the website.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6F3uTQ9UsdkldxQk4l59eK?si=euLZ0O2WRDGItlah9aJnag

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/supreme-court-ph-podcast/id1852172756?i=1000751884574

YouTube: https://youtu.be/9bUsoimDkqk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1TwXuPkR8i/

SC website: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/podcasts/

21/01/2026

The 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤 has suspended the sentence of a child in conflict with the law (CICL), reaffirming the intent of Republic Act No. 9344, or the 𝘑𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘤𝘵, to promote the best interests and rehabilitation of the child.

In a Decision written by then Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, the SC 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤 denied the appeal of ###265302 (accused) and found him guilty of qualified r**e of a minor, imposing a penalty of 12 years to 14 years, eight months and one day in prison.

It remanded the case to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) to order the accused's confinement in an agricultural camp or other training facility under Section 51 of the law.

The accused, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, was charged with ra**ng his five-year-old playmate.

The RTC found ###265302 guilty of statutory r**e after he turned 18 years old. It imposed on him the penalty of imprisonment for eight years and one day to 14 years, eight months and one day, but it suspended his sentence, following Section 38 of RA 9344.

A few months later, the RTC issued an arrest warrant, and ###265302 was detained at the New Bilibid Prison. The Court of Appeals denied his appeal.

The SC affirmed ###265302’s conviction but clarified that the crime was qualified r**e and ordered the suspension of his sentence.

Section 40 of RA 9344 provides that when the CICL reaches 18 while under suspended sentence, the court may discharge them, order the ex*****on of their sentence, or extend the suspended sentence for a period or until they reach the maximum age of 21 years old.

In this case, the accused, who was transferred to the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, is now 25 years old.

Nonetheless, the SC extended the suspension of his sentence to fulfill the law’s legislative intent, which prioritizes the child offender’s restoration, rehabilitation, and reintegration into the community.

Read the full text of the Press Release at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=159175.

Read the full text of the Decision at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=159085.

Copying of this content is subject to the SC PIO’s Credit Attribution Policy: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/credit-attribution-policy/.

21/01/2026

We’re looking for a highly organized and motivated individual to join our team.
If you’re a college graduate, computer literate, and eager to learn, we’d love to hear from you. ⚖️

📩 Send us a message or submit your application today.