Prepared for the exclusive use of USPF School of Law.

CONFLICT OF LAWS SYLLABUS

SY. 2021 – 2022
Atty. Tess Marie P. Tan

I. Introduction
Definition
Foundation
Significance
Difference between Private International Law and Public International Law
- As to persons involved
- As to nature
- As to transactions involved
- As to remedies applied
Classifications of municipal disputes
- Purely domestic dispute
- Dispute with a foreign element
Stages in the determination of a COL problem
- Choice of forum
o Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v Shute, 499 US 585 (1991)
o Burger King Corp v Rudzewucz, 471 US 462 (1985)
o Sweet Lines, Inc v Teves, et al, GR No L-37750 (1978)
o HSBC v Jack Robert Sherman, et al, GR No 72494 (1989)
- Determination of jurisdiction
o Jurisdiction over the person
§ Paula Llorente v Court of Appeals, GR No 124371 (2000)
§ Keeton v Hustler Magazine, Inc. et al 465 US 770 (1984)
o Jurisdiction over the subject or nature of the action
§ Pablo Malabanan v Republic of the Philippines, GR No 201821 (2018)
§ Hassan El-fadl, Appellant v Central Bank of Jordan, et al., Appellees, 75
F.3d 668 (DC Cir. 1996)
§ In Re: Philippine National Bank v United States District Court for the
District of Hawaii, ˆNo 04-71843, DC No MDL-00840-MLR
o Jurisdiction over the res
§ Gulf Oil v Gilbert, 330 US 501 (1947)
§ World-wide Volkwagen Corp v Woodson, 444 US 286 (1980)
§ Travelers Health Assn v Virginia, 339 US 643 (1950)
§ Licaros v Licaros, GR No 150656 (1996)
o Principle of forum non conveniens
§ Forum Shopping, Sec 5, Rule 7, Rules of Court
• Spouses Carpio v Rural Bank of Sto, Tomas Batangas, GR No
153171
• Multinational Village Homeowners Association v Court of Appeals,
GR No 98023 (1991)
• Bernardo Zamora v Emmanuel Quinan et al, GR No 216139
(2017)
• First Philippine International Bank v Court of Appeals, 322 Phil
280 (1996)
§ Gil Puyat v Ron Zabate, GR No 141536 (2001)
§ Manila Hotel Corp and Manila Hotel Int’l Ltd v NLRC, GR No 120077
(2000)

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§ Pioneer Concrete Philippines, Inc., Pioneer Philippines Holdings, and

Philip J. Klepzig v Antonio Todaro, GR No 154830 (2007)
§ Piper Aircraft Co v Reyno, 454 US 235 (1981)
§ Bernabe Navida et al v Hon. Teodoro Dizon et al, GR No 125078 (2011)
§ Bank of America International NT&SA, et al v Court of Appeals, GR No L-
105395 (1993)
§ Raytheon International v Stockton Rouzie, Jr., GR No 162894 (2008)
§ Hasegawa and Nippon v Kitamura, GR No 14177 (2007)
- Choice of law
o Jurisdiction versus choice of law
§ Hasegawa and Nippon v Kitamura, GR No 14177 (2007)
§ Bienvenido Cadalin, et al v Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration, GR No L-104776 (1994)
§ Bank of America v American Realty Corporation, GR No 133876 (1999)
o Lex causae
§ Atci Overseas Corporation v Amalia Ikdal, GR No 178551 (2010)
§ Spouses Zalamea v Court of Appeals, GR No 104235 (1993)
§ Edi-staff Builders International v NLRC, GR No 145587 (2007)
§ Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co v Guerrero, GR No 136804 (2003)
o Processual Presumption
§ Wildvalley Shipping Co. Ltd v Court of Appeals, GR No 119602 (2000)
§ Pakistan International Airlines Corporation v Hon. Blas Ople, GR No
61594 (1990)
§ Normal Del Socorro v Ernst Johan Brinkman Van Wilsem, GR No 193707
(2014)
§ Yao Kee, et al v Aida Sy-Gonzalez, et al, GR No L-55960 (1988)
§ Asiavest Ltd. v Court of Appeals, GR No 128803 (1998)
o Modes of Proving Foreign Law
§ Official publication, Section 24, Rule 132, Rules of Court
§ Certified true copy of the original law, Section 25, Rule 135, Rules of
Court
§ Testimonies of expert witnesses
• Asiavest Ltd. v Court of Appeals, GR No 128803 (1998)
• Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. v Rafael Guererro, GR No
136804 (2003)
o Characterization
§ Saudi Arabian Airlines v Court of Appeals, GR No 122191 (1998)
§ Allison Gibbs v Government of the Philippine Islands, GR No L-35694
(1933)
o Renvoi Doctrine
§ Edward Christensen v Aznar, GR No L-16749 (1963)
§ Paula Llorente v Court of Appeals, GR No 124371 (2000)
§ Theory of Mutual Disclaimer
§ Foreign Court Theory
- Enforcement of Judgment

II. Conflict Rules on Personal Law

- Nationality Theory, Art 15, Civil Code
- Rules on Divorce, Art 26(2), Family Code
o Alice Van Dorn v Hon Manuel Romillo, GR No L-68470 (1985)
o Imelda Manalaysay Pilapil v Corona Ibay-Somera, GR No 80116 (1989)

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o Dacasin v Dacasin, GR No 168785 (2010)

o In Re: Petitition for Judicial Recognition of Divorce Between Minuro Takahashi
and Juliet Moraña, GR No 227605 (2019)
o Racho v Tanaka, GR No 199515 (2018)
o Republic v Manalo, GR No 221029 (2018)
- Rules on Same Sex Marriage and Gender Confirmation Surgery
o Rommel Jacinto Dantes Silverio v Republic of the Philippines, GR No 174689
(2007)
o Nationality Theory, Art 15, Civil Code
o Public Policy Principle, Art 17(3), Civil Code

III. Conflict of Rules on Contracts

- Autonomy of Contracts, Art 1306, Civil Code
o Bagong Filipino Overseas Corporation v NLRC, GR No L-66006 (1985)
o Pakistan International Airline v Hon. Blas Ople, GR No 61594 (1990)
- Extrinsic Validity
o Lex Loci Celebracionis, Art 17, Civil Code
- Intrinsic Validity
o Lex loci solutionis
o Lex loci contractus, Art 1306, Civil Code
§ Lex Loci Voluntatis
§ Lex Loci Intentionis
§ Phil Export and Foreign Loan Guarantee Corporation v VP Eusebio
Construction, Inc, GR No 140047 (2004)
§ United Airlines v Court of Appeals, GR No 124110 (2001)
§ PCL Shipping Philippines, Inc. v National Labor Relations Commission,
GR No 153031 (2006)
- Most Significant Relationship
- Capacity of Contracting Parties
o Nationality Theory, Art 15, Civil Code

IV. Conflict Rules on Property

- Lex rei sitae, Art 16, Civil Code
o Salvador Laurel v Ramon Garcia, GR No 92013 (1990)
o Republic of the Philippines v Sandiganbayan, GR No 104768 (2003)
o Exceptions to lex rei sitae

V. Conflict Rules on Wills and Succession

- Extrinsic Validity
o Lex loci celebracionis, Art 17, Civil Code
§ Testator is a Foreigner
• Will executed abroad, Art 816, Civil Code
• Will executed in the Philippines, Art 817, Civil Code
§ Testator is a Filipino
• Will executed abroad, Art 815, Civil Code
• Will executed in the Philippines
- Intrinsic Validity
o Order of succession
o Amount of successional rights
o Intrinsic validity of testamentary provisions

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o Capacity of the heir to inherit, Art 1039, Civil Code

- Probate of Wills
o Foreign will probated abroad, Arts. 17, 815, 816 & 817, Civil Code
o Foreign wills
§ Foreign will is probated for the first time in the Philippines
§ Foreign will is reprobated in the Philippines

VI. Conflict Rules on Marriage

- Art 26, Family Code
- Lex Loci Celebracionis
- Art 35(1), (4), (5), (6), Family Code
- Art 36, Family Code
- Art 37, Family Code
- Art 38, Family Code
- Marriages between Filipinos abroad
- Marriages between foreigners abroad
- Marriages between foreigners in the Philippines
- Marriages between a foreigner and a Filipino in the Philippines
- Marriages between a foreigner and a Filipino abroad
- Nullity of Marriage and Legal Separation

VII. Conflict Rules on Torts

- Torts in the Philippines
o Spanish Concept, Art 2176, Civil Code
o American Concept, Art 20
o Tort v crime
- Substantive Law, lex loci delicti commissi
o Civil law theory
o Common law theory
o State of the Most Significant Relationship Rule
§ Saudi Arabian Airlines v Court of Appeals, GR No 122191 (1998)
- Procedural law, lex fori
o Eastern Shipping Lines v Intermediate Appellate Court, GR No L-69044 (1987)
- Jurisdiction
- Laws Governing Maritime Torts
o Public vessels
§ Law of the Flag
o Private or merchant vessels
§ Law of Registry

VIII. Conflict Rules on Crime

- Theories on jurisdiction
o Territoriality Theory
§ Subjective Territoriality
People of the Philippines v Roger Tulin, GR No 111709 (2001)
§ Objective Territoriality
US v NH Bull, GR No L-5270 (1910)
o Personal Theory
o Passive Nationality Theory
o Protective Theory
o Real or Eclectic Theory

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o Cosmopolitan or Universal Theory

- Territoriality Theory and Protective Theory
o Art 2, Revised Penal Code
o Art 14, Civil Code
- Crimes Committed on Board a Foreign Vessel
o English Rule
o French Rule
§ People of the Philippines v Wong Cheng, GR No L-18924 (1922)

IX. Conflict Rules on Business Organizations

- Theories in determining personal law
o Theory of Place of Incorporation
o Theory of Place of Management
o Theory of Place of Exploitation
- Internal Matters and Transactions
- Legal Personality of a Foreign Corporation to Sue and be Sued
o Sec 133, Corporation Code
§ Tuna Processing Inc. v Philippine Kingford Inc., GR No 185582 (2012)
- Foreign Corporation and Estoppel
o Doing business in the Philippines v isolated transactions
- Modes of Acquiring Jurisdiction over a Foreign Corporation
o Foreign corporation doing business in the Philippines with a license
o Foreign corporation doing business in the Philippines without a license or has no
resident agent
o Foreign corporation not doing business in the Philippines
§ Crown International v National Labor Relations Commission, GR No
78085 (1989)
§ Linger & Fisher GMBH v Intermediate Appellate Court, GR No L-63557
(1983)
§ MR Holdings v Bajar, GR No 138104 (2002)
§ Hahn v Court of Appeals and BMW, GR No 113074 (1997)
§ Agilent Technologies Singapore Ltd v Integrated Silicon Technology Phil
Corp, GR No 154618 (2004)

X. Conflict Rules on Foreign Judgments

- Recognition v enforcement
o Mijares v Ranada, GR No 139325 (2005)
o St. Aviation Services Co., Pte., Ltd., v Grand International Airways Inc., GR No
140288 (2006)
- Theories that justify recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments
o Theory of Comity
o Theory of Reciprocity
o Theory of Vested Rights
o Theory of Res Judicata
§ Rule 39, Sec 48, Rules of Court
§ Absolute res judicata
§ Qualified res judicata
o Form of foreign judgment and process of implementation
- Jurisdiction and Filing Fees
o Mijares v Judge Ranada, GR No 139325 (2005)
- Repel of a Foreign Judgment

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o Rule 39, Sec 48, Rules of Court

§ Gerbert Corpuz v Daisylyn Tirol Sto. Tomas, GR No 186571 (2010)
§ Roehr v Rodriguez, GR No 142820 (2003)
o Matters of remedy and procedure v matters of substance
§ Northwest Orient Airlines v CA and CF SHARP, GR No 112573 (1995)
§ Emilie Elmira Renee Boudard, et al v Stewart Eddie Tait, GR No L-45193
(1939)
§ Soorajmull Nagarmull v Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company, GR No L-
22470 (1970)
§ Asiavest Ltd. v Court of Appeals, GR No 128803 (1998)
§ Asiavest Merchant Bankers v PNC, GR No 110263 (2001)
§ Oil Natural Gas Commission v Pacific Cement, GR No 114323 (1999)
§ Fujiki v Marinay, GR No 196049 (2013)
§ Mijares v Judge Ranada, GR No 139325 (2005)
- Divorce
o Declaratory Relief, Rule 63, Rules of Court
§ Republic of the Philippines v Cipriano Orbedico III, GR No 154380 (2005)
§ Doreen Grace Parilla Medina Koike v Michiyuki Koike, GR No 215723
(2016)
§ Maria Rebecca Makapugay Bayot v Court of Appeals, GR No 155635
(2008)
§ Gerbert Corpuz v Daisylyn Tirol Sto. Tomas, GR No 186571 (2010)
§ Republic v Manalo, GR No 221029 (2018)
§ Racho v Tanaka, GR No 199515 (2018)