Atty. Edmundo "Bebot" Calo

29/05/2026

1. What is Force Majeure?

Force majeure is an event that is beyond the reasonable control of the obligor and that prevents performance of an obligation. Under the Civil Code, no person is liable for events that could not be foreseen, or which, though foreseen, were inevitable; the classic elements are that the cause is independent of human will, unforeseeable or unavoidable, renders performance impossible in the normal manner, and the obligor did not contribute to the injury.

2. Can a man-made event be considered force majeure?

It depends.

Not every man-made event qualifies.

In special cases, if it is an “act of man” that is beyond one’s control and satisfies the requisites of fortuitous event under Article 1174 of the Civil Code, then it can be considered force majeure. The Supreme Court has recognized examples such as riots, strikes, insurrection, war, and similar human-caused disruptions as possible force majeure events.

Note that if the event was foreseeable and the obligor failed to take reasonable precautions, the obligor can be held liable.

30/03/2026

10/02/2026

SC RECOGNIZES CO-OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY IN SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIP

The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples who live together may be recognized as co-owners of property under Article 148 of the Family Code, provided there is proof of actual contribution.

07/02/2026

✅ Pass the Bar Examinations
✅ Take the Lawyer’s Oath
✅ Sign the Roll of Attorneys

New Calo Lawyers! ⚖️

24/01/2026

JUST IN: The Supreme Court upheld lower courts rulings that 94 members of the Talents Association of GMA Network are regular employees and were illegally dismissed by the media giant, ending the group’s 11-year fight for separation pay and backwages.

Members of the group had been rendering work to GMA without being regular employees for up to 15 years when they first took the matter before the National Labor Relations Commission in 2014. As contractual workers, they did not have access to SSS, Pag-ibig, and PhilHealth benefits, and did not have security of tenure. The commission affirmed that the members were regular employees in 2015, which was later upheld by the Court of Appeals in 2019.

Raising the matter to the Supreme Court was GMA’s final attempt to reverse the decision. But the high court instead affirmed the rulings of the commission and the Court of Appeals for GMA to award separation pay and backwages to 50 illegally dismissed employees.

“This is 11 years in the making, during which our members have emotionally and mentally suffered from having to take to court what we considered our home network. It was not an easy decision to file the very first case in 2014, and it has not been easy since. We saw our friends leave one by one, their sudden departures heavily impacting livelihoods and careers, when all we ever wanted was to tell stories for the Filipino people,” the group said.

GMA can still file a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court, but the media workers already considered the matter settled.

“It is time for media companies, especially broadcast networks, to scrap its longtime practice of contractualization through a talent system. It is time to protect Filipino media workers. This should not have cost us this much to fight. But we are glad we did. This is our gift to the next generation,” the Talents Association of GMA said.

21/01/2026

In the upcoming documentary “Divorce Resort,” a 72-year-old Filipino man seems to have found a legal loophole to end his marriage.

“Divorce Resort,” set to screen at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW), follows Butch Meily, who has been separated from his wife for eight years. The two live in the Philippines, but Meily has discovered a way to finally end his marriage legally.

The catch? He must spend seven days on the island of Guam, which offers a “7-Day Residency Divorce.” As long as one partner in the marriage spends a week in Guam and establishes residence, they can apply for an internationally recognized divorce.

Photo courtesy of Marco Meily
Read more on rollingstonephilippines.com

21/01/2026

⚖️

The law is not a checklist. It is not a prompt. It is not an output. At its core, the practice of law is judgment. It is knowing what matters, what does not, and why.