Monthly Archives: October 2006

Change of name without court intervention (R.A. 9048)

Posted on October 20, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 168 Comments

It’s now easier to ask for corrections in first names and typographical errors under Republic Act No. 9048, which took effect on 22 April 2001. Under this law, the city or municipal civil registrar (or the consul general) may correct a clerical or typographical error in an entry, or change the first name or nickname in the civil register without need of a court order. The law characterizes “clerical or typographical error” as: Read more »

Posted in Family Law, Legal Procedure

Even pain has a purpose: Justice Reynato Puno

Posted on October 19, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 4 Comments
Justice Reynato Puno

Chief Justice Puno

You may be wondering about the choice of this blawg’s header quote. It’s from the statement of Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno (inset photo), months back after PGMA appointed Justice Panganiban as the new Chief Justice (by tradition, the most senior justice is appointed as the Chief Justice; Justice Puno is the most senior justice). For posterity, here’s the full statement: Read more »

Posted in Legal Misc, Life

Freewill versus Destiny

Posted on October 19, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 2 Comments

You may have heard others say: “God has a plan for each of us”; “You must fulfill your destiny”; “He is destined to be great”; “I am willing to go through this, if this is God’s plan for me”; or “I need a sign that this is God’s plan for me”. In short, there seems to be a predetermined end.However, I understand that one of Gods gift to mankind is Freewill (is it?). A predetermined end appears to be inconsistent with Freewill, for the end ceases to be predetermined if we are free to accept or reject it. On the other hand, Freewill is hardly free if, no matter what choice we make, we still end up with the same thing. Read more »

Posted in Life

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Psychological Incapacity and Annulment

Posted on October 19, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 31 Comments

Among the grounds for annulment of marriage (annulment is different from divorce), psychological incapacity is the most commonly used. It is also one of the more controversial provisions of the Family Code (Article 36). Read more »

Posted in Family Law

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The irony of love and annulment (steps and procedure for annulment)

Posted on October 19, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 24 Comments

It’s no surprise that one of the most popular internet searches is annulment, psychological incapacity and divorce. The emergence of these topics on top of the list makes my task easier. In order to achieve one of the purposes of this blawg, which is to make the law less alien to non-lawyers, I am constrained to choose topics (like bouncing checks or BP 22) that are, in my opinion, more relevant. The task of identification what topics to discuss would be much easier with feedback (either through the trends or, better still, actual suggestions). Read more »

Posted in Family Law, Legal Procedure

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Blawgging platforms – i.ph, wordpress, blogger, blogsome

Posted on October 18, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 14 Comments

So, you’ve finally decided to create a blog (short for “weB LOG”), particularly a blawg. A blawg is a blog focusing on commentary about the law, generally written by a law professor, law student, or lawyer (see other blog-related terms at Wikipedia). You’ve finally hurdled the issue that lawyers don’t blog. Read more »

Posted in Internet & Technology

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Bouncing Checks (B.P. 22)

Posted on October 18, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 121 Comments

Some people still have this misplaced confidence in the deterrent effect of Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg. 22, also known as the Bouncing Checks Law (full text here). Here are some things a layman should know: Read more »

Posted in Money & Finance

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Life in the Fast Lane

Posted on October 17, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 2 Comments

Last week, I reported back for work after a paternity-vacation leave of almost a month. Paternity leave is only for 7 working days and the extended vacation was necessary to address my work burnout. Although the time off did not allow me to completely rest (our “little monster” had cholic episodes at night), it allowed me to reflect on things. Read more »

Posted in Life

Moving out of Comfort Zones and Starting your Own Business

Posted on October 17, 2006 by Atty. Fred| Leave a comment

Some time ago, my father handed me a book, Who Moved My Cheese, by Dr. Spencer Johnson. It’s a short one; I finished it in just under an hour. The theme is about anticipating, accepting and enjoying change in work and in life. It’s about having the guts to step out of our comfort zones. The tendency to stay in one’s comfort zone, specially within the corporate ladder, is also touched by Robert Kiyosaki in his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Mr. Kiyosaki beautifully explains why we have to move out of the rat race, and to do it early. Striking out on one’s own becomes more difficult later in life – with family, loans and other expenses. Read more »

Posted in Entrepreneurship

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Nigerian Scam

Posted on October 17, 2006 by Atty. Fred| Leave a comment

A sucker is born every second.

You’ve heard of the “Nigerian Scam”. If not, it usually goes like this: “a supposedly wealthy foreigner (usually from Africa) is seeking assistance in getting his money — in millions of dollars — stashed away in a bank. This wealthy foreigner could be a member of the monarchy, a philanthropist, or an exiled heir. To complete the scam and to make it more convincing, an element of human tragedy is added — usually somebody dying or an ongoing civil war — which is supposedly preventing the withdrawal of the money. Continue reading here.

Posted in Money & Finance