Amicus Curiae

On 24 August 2026, following its required publication, the Rule on the Civil Forfeiture of POGO-Related Assets (“the Rules”), takes effect. The Rules set out the judicial process for forfeiting property and other assets connected with prohibited POGO activities and mark a significant development in the government’s efforts to dismantle illegal POGO operations.

The rapid growth of financial technology has transformed how credit is offered, evaluated, released, and collected. Borrowers can now complete the lending cycle through a mobile phone, without visiting a physical office. While this development has widened credit access, it has raised concerns involving excessive charges, misleading disclosures, unauthorized disbursements, data misuse, and abusive collection practices.

I recently spoke with a friend who works as an information technology expert for a mobile communications company. Our discussion turned to artificial intelligence (AI) and its ability to create music. Today, anyone can generate a song simply by entering a prompt into an AI application. Within seconds, the system can produce a composition tailored to the user’s preferred theme and style, often at minimal cost.

In this increasingly globalized age, love transcends boundaries and distance no longer confines human connection. In matters of the heart, citizenship may at first seem irrelevant. In matters of law, however, nationality carries significant legal consequences, particularly under Philippine immigration and citizenship laws.

Can a company assert ownership and exclusivity over a single letter? The Supreme Court tackled this issue with nuance in the case of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC (formerly Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.), v. Oceanic Empire Limited, promulgated on 28 January 2026.

The new Konektadong Pinoy Act (KPA), which took effect on 23 August 2025, marks a significant shift in how the Philippines approaches digital infrastructure. Positioned as a comprehensive framework for data transmission and connectivity, the new law and implementing rules and regulations (IRR) aims to dismantle longstanding structural barriers in the telecoms sector while accelerating universal internet access. As with any transformative reform, its promise is matched by the complexity of its implementation.