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SC fines judge P200,000 for sitting on petition.

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The Supreme Court has penalized a judge for a seven-year delay in resolving a request for a writ of preliminary injunction (WPI) against a construction company accused of forcibly evicting stallholders from a market in Cainta, Rizal. In an 11-page decision promulgated on Aug. 12 and made public on Tuesday, the Supreme Court en banc found Presiding Judge Miguel Asuncion of the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 99 guilty of gross neglect of duty. Asuncion was fined P201,000 . Voting 15-0, the Supreme Court affirmed the JIB’s ruling that Asuncion had failed to resolve the case within the three-month period mandated by Article VIII, Section 15 of the Constitution. “ Judge Asuncion’s seven-year delay is inexcusable considering that the prayer for the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction , by its nature, implies that it must be addressed urgently,” the high court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Henri Paul Inting. Rejecting Asuncion’s argument that th

President Marcos signs ARAL Law to accelerate learning recovery

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  CITY OF MANILA, 18 October 2024 – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Act into law during a ceremony at Malacañang Palace on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to address the learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. The ARAL Law, a priority measure identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), aims to create a national learning intervention program designed to help struggling learners catch up with the required standards for their grade levels. The signing was witnessed by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, and Rep. Roman Romulo and other members of the Congress and officials of Department of Education (DepEd). Sec. Angara praised the passage of the law, noting that it is a critical intervention at a time when education needs the most support. He further express

Richard Gomez is proposing a bill to ban soda and sugary drinks in all government offices to combat diabetes problem

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  Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez is proposing a bill to ban soda and sugary drinks in all government offices to combat diabetes problem Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez is proposing legislation that will ban soda and other sugary drinks in all government offices to help address the country’s diabetes problem. In House Bill 10708, Gomez said the consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks has been  “consistently linked to numerous health issues which pose a significant public health challenge." ✍️Via philStarGlobal  

Illegal notarial services: 5 persons nabbed near Cebu City hall

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  Waterfront Police Station in Cebu City | CDN Digital/ Emmariel Ares CEBU CITY, Philippines – Five individuals were arrested by police near the Cebu City Hall on Thursday, October 17, for allegedly notarizing legal documents on behalf of some notaries public. This was part of their inspections of areas where unauthorized individuals were allegedly conducting notarization. According to Macatangay , a notary public is a commissioned official who serves as an impartial witness in the signing of private documents to make it public. The duty of such individuals is important to ensure that the execution of legal documents will be done properly. However, authorities recently discovered that some notaries public in Cebu City had been allowing unauthorized individuals to take their place. 📸/✍️ via Cebu daily News 🥑 https://bit.ly/m/AttyEblogger

SC: Criticism of public official’s performance not oral defamation

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  The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA Statements uttered against public officers cannot be considered slanderous when these are related to the performance of their official duties—and unless they are done maliciously. Thus ruled the Supreme Court as it acquitted Argelyn Labargan of grave oral defamation against Aileen Macabangon , a barangay councilor of Muntay, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte. The high tribunal’s Second Division granted Labargan’s petition for review on certiorari, overturning the 2018 Court of Appeals (CA) decision that had upheld her conviction and sentenced her to six months of imprisonment. 📸/✍️ via Inquirerdotnet 🥑 https://bit.ly/m/AttyEblogger

PWDs can claim full discount on group meals if for personal consumption' - DOJ

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 ' PWDs can claim full discount on group meals if for personal consumption ' - DOJ's legal opinion released on October 8, 2024 Persons with disabilities (PWDs) can still avail themselves of the 20% discount and value-added tax (VAT) exemption on food purchases even when dining in groups. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said this in a legal opinion released on October 8. It was in response to a request from Glenda D. Relova, executive director of the National Council on Disability Affairs, who sought clarification on how the PWD discount should be applied in group settings. Relova noted that the current practice is to apply the discount only to the PWD's share by dividing the total bill by the number of people in the group. Justice Assistant Secretary Randolph Pascasio stated in the legal opinion: "In [the] purchase of a group meal which is ideally for food sharing, if it can be clearly determined that it was for the exclusive use, enjoyment or availment of only on

#Bar2024 #PoliLaw Suggested Answer to Q. No. 11

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  The members of the Barangay Council wanted to make the yuletide celebrations of their constituents more festive. Accordingly, the Barangay Council adopted a resolution authorizing the solicitation of funds from  private individuals to build a seven-meter tall statue of “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” in the plaza in front of the basilica. The residents from other barangays questioned the resolution for alleged violation of Section  5, Article III of the 1987 Constitution which states that “[n]o law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Is the barangay resolution invalid for violation of  the non-establishment of religion clause? Explain . FACTUAL ANTECEDENTS   This case is about the constitutionality of four resolutions of the barangay council of Valencia, Ormoc City, regarding the acquisition of the wooden image of San Vicente Ferrer to be used in the celebration of his annual feast day. That issue was spawned by the contr