San Beda College of Law, Alabang

Conflict of Laws – Private International Law

A.Y. 2021-2022, 2nd Semester
Course Outline

I. Introduction to Conflict of Laws

a. Definition
i. Private International Law vs. Public International Law

b. Object, Function and Scope

c. Framework

d. Theories

e. Sources
i. Statutes
ii. Treaties
iii. Judicial Decisions

II. Citizenship
a. Importance

b. Citizenship vs. Nationality

c. Provisions
i. Article IV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution
ii. Sections 2 and 3 of Commonwealth Act 473, also known
as “Revised Naturalization Law”
iii. Section 15 of Commonwealth Act 473, also known as
“Revised Naturalization Law”
iv. Section 3 of Republic Act 9139, also known as “The
Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000”
v. Section 1 of Commonwealth Act No. 63, also known as
“An Act Providing For The Ways In Which Philippine
Citizenship May Be Lost Or Reacquired”

d. Jus Sanguinis vs. Jus Soli

 e. Natural Born Citizens

f. Expatriation

g. Cases
i. Poe-Llamanzares v COMELEC, G.R. Nos.
221697-221700, 6 March 2016
ii. Talaroc v. Uy, G.R. No. L-5397, 26 September 1952

iii. Co v. Electoral Tribunal of the House of Representatives,
G.R. Nos. 92191-92, 30 July 1991

iv. Tecson v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 161434, 3 March 2004
v. Poe-Llamanzares v COMELEC, G.R. Nos.
221697-221700, 6 March 2016
vi. Frivaldo v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 87193, June 23, 1989
vii. Frivaldo v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 120295, June 28, 1996
viii. Labo v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 86564, August 1, 1989
ix. Valles v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 137000, August 9, 2000
x. Maquiling v COMELEC, G.R. No. 195649, April 16,
2013
xi. Kookooritchkin v. Solicitor General, G.R. No. L-1812,
27 August 1948

III. Elements of Conflict of Laws

a. Foreign Element
i. Saudi Arabian Airlines v. Court of Appeals, et.al., G.R.
No. 122191, 8 October 1998
ii. Continental Micronesia Inc. v. Basso, G.R. No. 178382,
23 September 2015
iii. Laurel v. Garcia, G.R. No. 92013, 25 July 1990

b. Application of Foreign Law

i. Cadalin, et.al., v. POEA, et.al., G.R. No. 104776, 5
December 1994
ii. Doctrine of Processual Presumption
1. Philippine National Construction Corporation v.
Asiavest Merchant 
Bankers (M) Berhad, G.R. No.
172301, 19 August 2015


 2. Northwest Orient Airlines, Inc. v. CA and C.F.
Sharp & Company, Inc., 
G.R. No. 112573, 9
February 1995 


IV. Resolution of Conflicts Problems

a. Kazuhiro Hasegawa and Nippon Engineering Consultants Co.,

Ltd. v. Kitamura, G.R. No. 149177, 23 November 2007

b. Doctrine of Qualification
i. Saudi Arabian Airlines v. Court of Appeals, et.al., G.R.
No. 122191, 8 October 1998

c. Enforcement
i. Oil and Natural Gas Commission v. Court of Appeals and
Pacific Cement Company, G.R. No. 114323, 23 July
1998

V. Jurisdiction

a. Jurisdiction vs. Venue

i. Rule 4, Revised Rules of Court
ii. Saudi Arabian Airlines v. Court of Appeals, et.al., G.R.
No. 122191, 8 October 1998.
iii. Davao Light & Power Co., Inc. v. Court of Appeals,
et.al., G.R. No. 111685, 20 August 2001
iv. Unimasters Conglomeration, Inc. v. Court of Appeals,
G.R. No. 119657, 7 
February 1997



b. Jurisdiction Over the Person

i. Rules of Court, Rule 14, Secs. 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18,
19 and 23 

ii. SC Administrative Order No. 251-2020 dated 11
September 2020 

iii. Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and
Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters,
15 November 1965 


c. Actions in personam vs. Actions in rem

 i. Banco de Brasil v. Court of Appeals, G.R. Nos.
121576-78, 16 June 2000
ii. Express Padala (Italia) S.P.A. v. Ocampo, G.R. No.
202505, 6 September 2017
iii. Santos vs. PNOC, G.R. No. 170943, 23 September 2008


iv. NM Rothschild & Sons v. Lepanto, G.R. No. 175799, 28
November 2011

d. Jurisdiction Over the Subject Matter

i. Eversley Childs Sanitarium v. Spouses Barbarona, G.R.
No. 195814, 4 April 2018

e. Jurisdiction Over the res

i. Perkins vs. Dizon, 69 Phil. 186 (1939)

VI. Foreign Corporations

a. General Considerations
i. Sec. 140 and 150 Revised Corporation Code of the
Philippines 

ii. Rule 1, Sec. 1 (f) of the Implementing Rules and
Regulations of the Foreign 
Investments Act (definition of
“doing business”) 

iii. European Resources and Technologies, Inc. v.
Ingenieuburo Birkham, G.R. No. 159586, 26 July 2004 

iv. Agilent Technologies Singapore (Pte) Ltd. V. Integrated
Silicon Technology, Philippine Corp., G.R. No. 154618,
14 April 2004

b. Service of Summons
i. Sec. 14, Rule 14, Rules of Court 

ii. 145 and 150, Revised Corporation Code of the
Philippines 

iii. Signetics Corporation v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
105141, 31 August 
1993 

iv. Avon Insurance PLC v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
97642, 29 August 1997

VII. Forum Non Conveniens

 a. Definition

b. Origin and Concept

c. Purpose

d. Cases
i. Saudi Arabian Airlines v. Rebesencio, G.R. No. 198587,
14 January 2015 

ii. Continental Micronesia Inc. v. Basso, G.R. No. 178382,
23 September 2015 

iii. Raytheon International, Inc. v. Rouzie, G.R. No. 162894,
26 February 2008 

iv. The Manila Hotel Corp. and Manila Hotel Intl Ltd v.
NLRC et al, G.R. No. 120077, 13 October 2000
v. Philsec Investment Corporation et.al. v. Court of
Appeals, G.R. No. 103493, 19 June 1997

VIII. Choice of Law Problems

a. Provisions
i. Articles 15, 16 (par. 2), 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of the
Civil Code
ii. Articles 1489, 1490, 1491 of the Civil Code
iii. Articles 390 and 391 of the Civil Code
iv. Articles 364 to 366 of the Civil Code
v. Article 376 to 378 of the Civil Code
vi. Sec. 146 of the Revised Corporation Code

b. Renvoi
i. Concept
ii. Definition
iii. Cases
1. Aznar v. Garcia, G.R. No. L-16749, 31 January
1963
2. Llorente v. CA, G.R. No. 124371, 23 November
2000
c. Notice and Proof of Foreign Law

i. Rule 132, Secs. 24 and 25 of the Revised Rules of Court
ii. Rule 130, Section 46 of the Revised Rules of Court

d. Theories on Personal Law

i. Nationality Theory (relate to Art. 15 and 16 of Civil
Code)
ii. Domiciliary Theory

e. Personal Status and Capacity

i. Definition
1. Government of the Philippine Islands v. Frank,
G.R. No. L-2935, 23 March 1909
ii. Juridical Capacity v. Capacity to Act 

iii. Beginning and End of Capacity
1. Geluz v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. L-16439, 20
July 1961
iv. Absence
1. Articles 390 and 391 of the Civil Code
v. Name
1. Articles 364 to 366 of the Civil Code
2. Article 376 to 378 of the Civil Code

f. Domicile
i. Articles 50 and 51 of the Civil Code
ii. Romualdez-Marcos v. Commission on Elections, G.R.
No. 119976, 18 September 1995