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19/10/2026

E-NOTARIZATION NOW AVAILABLE IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Supreme Court has officially launched eNotarization on October 19, allowing Filipinos to have electronic documents notarized through online platforms.

Users can register through the first batch of SC-accredited facilities: Twala, QLegal and NotarizeIT, then choose from the list of commissioned electronic notaries public.

09/10/2026

THE growing demand for free, reliable legal assistance from poor clients belonging to the over 16.4 million indigent Filipinos has prompted the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to β€œbeg” for more lawyers.

Read more: https://mrf.lu/2fbbV

18/09/2026

Kusganong gipanghimakak sa buhatan ni Deputy Speaker Bambi Emano ang balita sa usa ka mantalaan ug page: Mindanao Daily News, nga "Speaker of the House of Representatives" na ang Kongresista. Walay kamatuoran ang maong balita, ug walay lakang sa pag hulip sa kasamtangan nga Speaker of the House nga si Speaker Bojie Dy, kinsa nagpabilin nga suportado ni Deputy Speaker Emano.

Palihug dili deretso motoo kon ugaling inyo kining nabasahan sa nasangpit nga mantalaan o kaha nadunggan ni bisan kinsa hilabina kon walay konpirmasyon sa official social media platforms ug official statement ni Deputy Speaker Bambi Emano.

Daghang salamat.

24/08/2026
15/08/2026

SUPREME COURT: CYBER LIBEL PRESCRIBES IN ONE YEAR, NOT 15 YEARS

The Supreme Court has ruled that cyber libel prescribes in one year, rejecting the argument that the offense should be subject to the 15-year prescriptive period applicable to crimes punishable by other afflictive penalties.

In its En Banc ResolutionΒΉ dated April 8, 2026, the Court explained that cyber libel is not an entirely new crime created by the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Rather, it is libel as defined under Article 353, in relation to Article 355, of the Revised Penal Code, committed through a computer system or information and communications technology (ICT).

The Court noted that Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act, expressly refers to libel under the Revised Penal Code. Section 6 of the same law merely provides for a penalty one degree higher when crimes under the Revised Penal Code or special laws are committed through ICT. Thus, the use of a computer system constitutes a qualifying circumstance that increases the penalty; it does not transform cyber libel into an entirely different offense for purposes of prescription.

The Court therefore applied Article 90, paragraph 4 of the Revised Penal Code, which specifically provides that β€œlibel or other similar offenses” prescribe in one year. The fact that cyber libel carries a heavier penalty does not, by itself, place it under the 15-year prescriptive period in Article 90, paragraph 2.

The Court further emphasized that the Legislature has historically treated libel differently from other offenses carrying comparable penalties. Republic Act No. 4661 shortened the prescriptive period for libel to one year, in part to synchronize it with the one-year period for civil actions involving defamation under Article 1147 of the Civil Code.

Applying the principle that penal laws on prescription must be construed in favor of the accused, the Court held that the one-year period under Article 90, paragraph 4 governs cyber libel.

Thus, while cyber libel carries a penalty one degree higher because it is committed through ICT, the prescriptive period remains one year. The Court denied the motions for partial reconsideration with finality.

FOOTNOTES

1 Causing v. People, SC En Banc, (2026) Per Inting, J. [https://dlsurf.com/l/f0a673e]

25/06/2026

NEW REVENUE ISSUANCE

REVENUE REGULATIONS NO. 4-2026

Prescribing guidelines and procedures for the availment of a one-time abatement of taxes and/or penalties for Micro Taxpayers

25/06/2026

π—œπ—ͺ𝗔𝗦 π—”π—•π—”π—Ÿπ—”. π—œ-π—©π—˜π—₯π—œπ—™π—¬ π—”π—‘π—š π—œπ—¬π—’π—‘π—š π—§π—œπ—‘ π—’π—‘π—Ÿπ—œπ—‘π—˜.

Mag-aapply ng trabaho? Magbubukas ng bank account? Mag-aapply ng loan? O may iba pang transaction na nangangailangan ng Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)?

I-verify muna ang inyong TIN gamit ang BIR's Online Registration and Update System (ORUS) o BIR Chatbot Revie.

Sa pamamagitan ng online TIN verification, mabilis ninyong makukumpirma kung valid at tama ang inyong TIN information nang hindi na kailangang pumunta sa Revenue District Office (RDO).

Visit ORUS: https://orus.bir.gov.ph/search/tinverification

22/06/2026

𝗣π—₯π—˜π—¦π—¦ π—₯π—˜π—Ÿπ—˜π—”π—¦π—˜
π—•π—œπ—₯ π—’π—£π—˜π—‘π—¦ π—’π—‘π—˜-π—§π—œπ— π—˜ 𝗧𝗔𝗫 π—”π—•π—”π—§π—˜π— π—˜π—‘π—§ 𝗣π—₯π—’π—šπ—₯𝗔𝗠 𝗙𝗒π—₯ π— π—œπ—–π—₯𝗒 π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯𝗦, π—’π—™π—™π—˜π—₯𝗦 𝗙π—₯π—˜π—¦π—› 𝗦𝗧𝗔π—₯𝗧 𝗙𝗒π—₯ π— π—œπ—–π—₯𝗒 π—•π—¨π—¦π—œπ—‘π—˜π—¦π—¦π—˜π—¦ 𝗔𝗑𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗒𝗣-π—™π—œπ—Ÿπ—˜π—₯𝗦

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has opened a one-time tax abatement program for micro taxpayers, offering micro businesses and stop-filers an opportunity to resolve outstanding tax liabilities, clean up their records, and start with a clean slate.

Through Revenue Regulations No. 4-2026 issued on June 22, 2026, the BIR prescribes the guidelines and procedures for the availment of a one-time abatement of taxes and/or penalties for qualified micro taxpayers with delinquent accounts, assessments, and open stop-filer cases. Qualified applicants may avail of the program until December 31, 2026.

The program covers micro taxpayers whose gross sales for the year do not exceed Three Million Pesos (P3,000,000) and whose covered total basic tax liabilities and/or penalties do not exceed Eighty Thousand Pesos (P80,000) for a taxable year. Eligible cases include delinquent accounts and assessments, whether preliminary or final and whether disputed or not, as well as open stop-filer cases, including those involving taxpayers who have already ceased business operations. Covered liabilities must pertain to cases existing as of December 31, 2025.

Encouraging qualified taxpayers to take advantage of the opportunity, Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said the measure supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ease compliance and make government services more accessible for the transacting public.

β€œThis is an opportunity to start with a clean slate. If you are a micro taxpayer with old tax obligations, delinquent accounts, assessments, or stop-filer cases, I encourage you to avail of this program. It is meant to help you settle past obligations without a heavy financial burden, update your records, and move forward as a compliant taxpayer,” Commissioner Mendoza said.

Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go welcomed the initiative as part of the administration’s continuing Ease of Doing Business reforms.

β€œWe aim to create a more taxpayer-friendly and business-friendly environment while helping micro businesses resolve lingering tax issues and maintain good compliance practices. By helping micro taxpayers resolve old liabilities and update their records, we are removing barriers to compliance and encouraging greater participation in the formal economy,” Secretary Go said.

The Revenue Regulations complement the earlier-issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 47-2026, which prescribed simplified and streamlined guidelines and procedures for the closure and cancellation of business registration with the BIR, under which tax clearances may be issued in as fast as three days for qualified cases.

β€œMany micro taxpayers have already stopped operating but continue to carry unresolved tax obligations or inactive registrations. We have already simplified the process of properly closing a business, and this one-time abatement program complements it by easing the financial burden of settling old tax liabilities for our micro taxpayers. Together, these reforms make it easier to close lingering cases, put their records in order, and move forward,” Mendoza said.

Under the regulations, qualified taxpayers must file an application for abatement with the Revenue District Office having jurisdiction over them and pay a one-time abatement fee of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) for each approved application. Upon compliance with the requirements, the concerned Revenue District Office shall issue a Certificate of Availment evidencing that the taxpayer availed of the program and that the covered case has been closed.

By helping taxpayers regularize their records, resolve dormant cases, and close lingering obligations, the Bureau aims to strengthen voluntary compliance and maintain cleaner, more accurate taxpayer records.

Read the full Revenue Regulation here: https://tinyurl.com/BIRRR4-2026

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2nd Floor JB Building (across CEPALCO Uptown), Fr. Masterson Avenue, Upper Canitoan
Cagayan De Oro
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