Atty. (BLUE) 💙⚖️

Revisit the moments that made the 2025 Bar Examinations #AJustBar that was grounded on faith and excellence #Bar2025 #AMYingForExcellence #HaveFaith #SupremeCourtPH

The Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) Board has issued ULAS Advisory No. 1, S. 2026, which informs all lawyers of the scheduled launch of the ULAS Portal – Phase 1 on March 3, 2026. The ULAS Portal refers to the centralized online platform that will be used for purposes of reporting and monitoring compliance with the ULAS Rules and the Manual. Upon the launch of Phase 1, registered organizations may already submit their manifestations of intent to aggregate, and applicants may apply for pre-accreditation or post-accreditation of legal outreach programs and legal missions through the Portal. All lawyers are advised that access to the ULAS Portal requires an active PJP account. Read the full text of ULAS Advisory No. 1, S. 2026 at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-conte…

The #SupremeCourtPH (SC) has ruled that same-sex couples who live together may be recognized as co-owners of property under Article 148 of the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦, provided there is proof of actual contribution. In a Decision written by Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, the SC’s Second Division granted a woman’s complaint for partition of property and recognized her as a co-owner of the house and lot she shared with her same-sex partner. Article 148 of the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 governs the property relations of couples who are living together but cannot legally marry, acknowledging co-ownership based on their actual contributions. The two women lived together as a couple. A year into their relationship, they purchased a house and lot, and agreed to register the property in one partner’s name to facilitate banking transactions. Upon separation, they agreed to sell the property and divide the proceeds equally. One partner signed an 𝘈𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 stating that the other had paid about 50% of the purchase and renovation costs. However, she later refused to sell the property and denied that her former partner was a co-owner. To protect her interest, the former partner annotated an adverse claim on the title and demanded partition of the property. When this failed, she filed a case for partition of real estate and damages, relying on the 𝘈𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 as proof of co-ownership. The SC granted the complaint for partition of real estate, as it clarified the provisions in the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 governing the property relations of unmarried couples living together. Article 147 applies to unmarried couples who may legally marry. Property acquired during their cohabitation is presumed jointly owned. Article 148, on the other hand, applies to couples who are not permitted to marry. Only properties obtained through actual contribution are considered common property. Since the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 only allows marriage between a man and a woman, the SC held that same-sex couples necessarily fall under Article 148. Here, the SC found that the signed 𝘈𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, where one partner admitted that the other paid about half of the property costs, was a binding admission and sufficient proof of actual contribution. This established co-ownership. Read the full text of the press release at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=16046…. Read the full text of the Decision at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=16043…. Read the Concurring Opinion of Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=16044…. Read the Concurrence of Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=16043…. Copying of this content is subject to the SC PIO’s Credit Attribution Policy: sc.judiciary.gov.ph/credit-a….