One of the ironies in the practice of law is the continuing desecration of the notarial act by lawyers commissioned to notarize documents within the territorial jurisdiction of the granting courts. It is the notarial act -one of the most solemn acts in the practice of law- that churns
May 16, 2026
Family matters are almost always difficult to litigate. For lawyers practicing Family Law, it is hard to be lawyer and counselor at the same time as this area of practice is often too emotionally-charged. Three cases handed down in 2025 prove this point. Case no. 1 involves what this
May 9, 2026
What is ‘grossly abusive conduct’ by a spouse that serves as a ground for legal separation? Unlike a petition for nullity of marriage on the ground of psychological incapacity which requires that the psychological condition must be present before the marriage- technically known as juridical antecedence – even if
April 25, 2026
In a country populated by around 117 million people jostling to find their place in the Philippine archipelago comprising of 7,641 islands, its villages and towns would likely have to deal with overreaching noises among neighbors. On the one hand, there is a freedom of action and movement as
April 18, 2026
How long does a moment last? Only 2-3 seconds as psychologists and neuroscientists would approximate. Many of us have grown in homes with memories we can fondly remember. Life is like a river, they say, it only moves towards one direction: out into the ocean of another dimension. If
April 11, 2026
This week is Holy Week. It is the highlight of the Lenten season. For most Christians, even more important than Christmas, is the passion and death of Jesus Christ. It is His dying on the cross that saved humankind and forever changed the course of history. The Holy Week
April 2, 2026
Aguinaldo Hall at Goldberry Lite Hotel in Iloilo City was full for the 2-day seminar series on March 9 and 10, 2026 put together by the Iloilo Business Club, Inc., Soft Skills Management Consultancy Service, and Cornelius Magnate, which offered to Iloilo business persons insights on business strategies and
March 13, 2026
If a complaint or petition is dismissed after trial, may it still be refiled? Generally, it is a sound and efficient policy to bar the refiling of an already dismissed case. Courts are saddled by heavy dockets and to allow the limitless filing of previously disposed cases would only
January 12, 2026
Cheating and marital infidelity: these issues have swirled over social media in the past few days. Claiming that his girlfriend is cheating on her, a man hatched a plan to document his meet-up with his girlfriend from the time he picked her up somewhere until he handed her his
December 29, 2025
The earth literally shook on September 30, 2025. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake with its epicenter in Bogo City in Cebu, Philippines, struck. The tremors were felt in the Visayas including Negros, Panay, and Guimaras. In Iloilo City, occupants of structures both high-rise and bungalows were jolted and forced to
October 4, 2025
A brewing issue on the validity of RA 12232 which postponed the December 2025 Barangay and SK elections to November 2026 has ripened into a legal controversy with petitions filed and are now pending in the Supreme Court. The barangay which precursor is the “barrio” is the smallest local
September 20, 2025
Owning a tract of land with no adequate outlet to a public highway could be such a bane. Isolated lands lose their potential when getting there would be cumbersome or risky. Yet, acquiring a road right of way (ROW) is not easy. It must be pointed out that every
September 13, 2025