BP MCM Law and Notarial Firm

27/10/2025

The has approved the “Rules on Extradition Proceedings."
The new rules will take effect on November 10, 2025, following their publication in the Official Gazette, in two newspapers of general circulation, and on the Supreme Court website.

The has approved the “Rules on Extradition Proceedings."

The new rules will take effect on November 10, 2025, following their publication in the Official Gazette, in two newspapers of general circulation, and on the Supreme Court website.

Read the full text of A.M. No. 22-03-29-SC here: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=154454

22/10/2025

OSG will no longer automatically appeal annulment cases granted by RTCs!!

Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe cited the liberalized interpretations of the law and limited resources as reasons for the agency’s new policy

22/10/2025

Iginiit ng na dapat na nakabatay sa lahat ng nauugnay na salik at hindi lamang sa market value ang just compensation o ang makatarungang kompensasyon sa mga kaso ng expropriation. Expropriation ang tawag sa pagkuha ng gobyerno ng pribadong ari-arian para sa pampublikong gamit.

Sa Desisyon na isinulat ni Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, ibinalik ng Ikatlong Dibisyon ng Korte Suprema sa Regional Trial Court (RTC) ang kaso sa pagitan ng City Government of Pasay (Pasay LGU) at Arellano University (University) para muling suriin ang halaga ng just compensation na dapat bayaran sa University.

Nagsampa ng reklamo noong 2015 ang University sa RTC at sinabing kinuha ng LGU ng Pasay ang 805-square-meter na parsela ng lupa nito sa Barangay San Isidro at ginawa itong pampublikong kalsada, na kilala ngayon bilang Menlo Street, nang hindi dumaan sa tamang expropriation proceedings o pagbabayad ng just compensation. Nagkasundo ang magkabilang panig na ipasa ang usapin sa isang board of commissioners na binubuo ng mga opisyal ng LGU ng Pasay.

Gumamit ang board ng base value na PHP200 kada metro kuwadrado (sqm) batay sa 1978 General Revision ng City Assessor’s Office, pagkatapos ay nagdagdag ng 6% na taunang interes mula 1978, ang taon na natuklasan ang kalye, hanggang 2017, na nagresulta sa halagang PHP2,060/sqm.

Hindi sumang-ayon ang University sa kompyutasyon at nagmungkahi ng kabuuang kabayaran na PHP 5,793,664.63 ang University batay sa mga rate na inilathala ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Pinagtibay ng RTC ang base value ng mga commissioner pero naglapat ng ibang interest rate. Inutusan nito ang Pasay LGU na magbayad ng PHP 161,000.00, at ang 12% taunang interes mula 1978 hanggang 2018.

Nagpasya ang CA na ibalik ang kaso sa RTC at sinabing nagbatay lamang ang RTC sa assessment noong 1978 at binalewala ang iba pang mahahalagang salik.

Sumang-ayon sa CA ang Korte Suprema nang makitang batay sa hindi kumpletong datos ang naging desisyon ng RTC.

Sa ilalim ng Article III, Section 9 ng Saligang Batas, hindi maaaring kunin ang pribadong pag-aari para sa pampublikong paggamit nang walang just compensation. Binigyang-diin ng Korte Suprema na dapat na totoo, malaki, buo, at sapat ang just compensation at dapat ang korte ang nagdedesisyon sa pagtukoy sa halagang ito.

Nilinaw ng Korte Suprema na bagamat nagbibigay ng mga appraisal ang mga tagasuri ng lokal na pamahalaan, ang mga ito ay hindi nagkokontrol sa mga kaso ng expropriation. Ang ganitong mga appraisal ay madalas na sumasaklaw sa malalawak na saklaw at hindi isinasaalang-alang ang mga partikular na pagkakaiba sa mga ari-arian. Umaasa ang mga ito sa pangkalahatang paglalarawan at maaaring hindi tumpak. At bagaman maaaring gamiting gabay ang mga tax value, hindi ito maaaring ipalit sa isang masusing pagsusuri para sa just compensation.

Dapat gumamit ang mga hukuman ng “totality of circumstances” approach, na isinasaalang-alang ang lahat ng mga datos tungkol sa kalagayan ng ari-arian, kapaligiran, mga kasalukuyang pagpapabuti, at mga kakayahan. Kabilang dito ang zonal valuation ng Bureau of Internal Revenue, acquisition cost, tax declarations, laki, hugis, lokasyon, at ang kasalukuyang halaga ng mga katulad na ari-arian.

Basahin ang press release sa https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=153762.

Basahin ang Desisyon sa https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=153692.

Basahin ang Hiwalay na Opinyon ni Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa sa https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=153737.

Sumunod sa Credit Attribution Policy ng SC PIO: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/credit-attribution-policy/.

20/04/2025

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. just landed a major legal win — reclaiming nearly ₱85 million in excise taxes it says were wrongly collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

03/04/2025

Fyi.

25/08/2024

“We must abide by the rule of law because the consequence of failing to do so will be chaos in our society and violence against our citizens.” - IBP Davao City Chapter

24/04/2024

The Supreme Court has ruled that the immunity granted to officials and personnel of international organizations, such as the Asian Development Bank, extends only to acts done in their official capacities.

READ: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/sc-immunity-of-adb-officials-limited-to-official-acts/

04/04/2024

SC Declares Trillanes’ Amnesty Valid; Strikes Down Proclamation No. 572 That Revoked Said Amnesty |

In G.R. Nos. 241494, 256660 & 256078 (Sen. Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV v. Hon. Salvador C. Medialdea, et al; People of the Philippines v. Antonio F. Trillanes IV, People of the Philippines v. Antonio F. Trillanes IV), the Supreme Court En Banc ruled that the amnesty granted to former senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV (Trillanes) is valid and that its revocation through Proclamation No. 572, issued by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, is unconstitutional.

The Court, speaking through Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, ruled that a President cannot revoke a grant of amnesty without concurrence from Congress. The Court also grounded its ruling on the primacy of the Bill of Rights and reaffirmed that neither the Government nor any of its officials, including the President, are above the law.

The Court ruled that the revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty long after it became final and without prior notice violated his constitutional right to due process.

Further, Proclamation No. 572, in seeking the revival of the criminal cases against Trillanes after they had been dismissed with finality, violated his constitutional rights against ex post facto laws and double jeopardy.

Finally, the Court found that there is convincing evidence that Trillanes did file his amnesty application. The Executive’s decision to revoke only Trillanes’ amnesty, notwithstanding the fact that the application forms of all the other amnesty grantees could similarly no longer be located, constituted a breach of his right to the equal protection of the laws.

The Decision affirms that in balancing the exercise of presidential prerogatives and the protection of the citizens’ rights, the Constitution and the laws remain as the Court’s anchor and rudder.

Read more at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/sc-declares-trillanes-amnesty-valid-strikes-down-proclamation-no-572-that-revoked-said-amnesty/

21/02/2024

SEC Update:

"📣 | 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑: 𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suspends the certificates of incorporation of 117,885 corporations, which names are enumerated in this link: bit.ly/Suspended2024, due to non-filing of reportorial requirements for more than 5 years.
The Corporations are hereby given a period of 30 days from the date of publication of this Order to avail of the existing remedies pursuant to the laws, rules and regulations implemented by the Commission.

A copy of the Suspension Order is posted at https://www.sec.gov.ph/.../suspension-of-corporations.../..."

02/02/2024