As early as last year, there has been widespread discussion on the internet about artificial intelligence potentially replacing lawyers and even judges. Honestly, I’m no longer surprised. Many jobs are already being taken over by robots, and it’s only a matter of time before this becomes reality. In light of this, I’ve decided to shift careers by enrolling in a bachelor’s degree in computer science and sharing all my “lawyering” secrets. Kidding aside, even without artificial intelligence, the internet has, in many ways, been replacing lawyers. Instead of visiting a lawyer’s office for advice, many people simply turn to a Google search. Technology is truly transforming numerous industries and professions. One of the most common legal topics people search for online is legal forms. Documents like contracts, affidavits, and other legal forms can now be easily downloaded from the internet. So, is that it? Just download a lease contract online, and you’re done? Kidding again! … [Read more...]
Estate Planning in the Philippines: An Introduction
When people ask me about my area of legal practice, I often mention estate planning. A common response I get is, “So, you focus on real estate law?” While estate planning does involve some aspects of real estate, it is not primarily about real estate. It’s understandable that there are misconceptions about estate planning. Given the low level of personal financial planning awareness in this country, it's not surprising that understanding of estate planning is even lower. Many Filipinos lack a personal financial plan or even a basic retirement plan, so it's expected that most don’t have a comprehensive estate plan. An estate plan is simply a plan for how an estate owner's assets will be handled after they pass away. It considers several factors, such as the owner’s goals, payment of estate taxes, and proper distribution to heirs according to the owner's wishes and legal requirements. Lack of estate planning can lead to several problems: strained family relations, reduced estate … [Read more...]
Should we go to church services despite government ban on mass gatherings due to COVID-19 ?
About three days ago the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a “pandemic.” COVID-19, officially also known as the “NOVEL CORONA VIRUS” (nCoV) and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) , was detected in the late 2019 rapidly spreading in provinces in China and later on spreading to the rest of the world. As a response just a few days ago, our very own President Rodrigo Duterte, proclaimed proclamation 922 declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines in accordance with Republic Act 11332. As of the time of this writing Metro Manila has been placed under “Community Quarantine.” Other jurisdictions also made their own local proclamations and provinces and cities all across the country also imposed their own “Community Quarantine.” Since as announced by the President, “Community Quarantine” involves the prevention of “mass gatherings” which of course includes church services, several churches in Metro Manila have … [Read more...]
High Yield Investment scams in the Philippines from a legal, theological, business, investment and economic perspective – Part 1
High yield investment schemes are a hot topic nowadays in the Philippines. Various entities have successfully enticed not only Filipinos both in the Philippine and abroad but even foreigners to get into these get rich quick scheme which offers rate of returns from 30% per month to as high as 400% per month! This burning issue (which has become a big headache for the Philippine government) is multi-faceted as it has not only legal implications. The problem is multi-faceted as it is also an investment, business, economic and even a theological problem! Why is it a theological problem that needs to be addressed? I will explain this later in part 2. As a pastor, lawyer, businessman and personal finance and investment professional this is my take on this matter. We will tackle the legal perspective first. Republic Act 8799 otherwise known as the “Securities Regulation Code” (SRC) prohibits the sale or distribution of “Securities” in the Philippines without first registering it … [Read more...]
Free compilation of laws, Labor Law for Non-Lawyers and Bar Reviewers for all subjects 2012 Edition
As a non-lawyer, or as a foreigner, have you ever wished there were one book that summarizes the laws and jurisprudence of the Philippines? This is such book. Each book in this series probably encompasses 95% of the legal principles in each bar subject. For practical purposes, studying this book is like going to law school, after all, this is used as a bar reviewer. These notes are a compilation of educational and academic research materials from various public domain sources. No authorship is claimed as to all the materials herein. Laws and jurisprudence are non-copyrightable. Titles in this Series are as follows: - Political Law - Labor Law - Taxation Law - Civil Law - Mercantile Law - Remedial Law - Legal Ethics - Criminal Law Since files are big, the files will be sent only upon request. Please give your full name, title and affiliation (only those with full info with receive the file) You may forward this to anybody who is an employee and to anybody who is an … [Read more...]
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