DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF LAW

CONFLICT OF LAWS
1
(PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW)
2nd Semester, AY 2017-2018
Monday, 6-8, Room 302

Atty. Severo C. Madrona, Jr., LL.M., Ph.D.

Course Description

The course deals primarily with conflict of law rules under Philippine law, and the
relevant principles and case law which deserve the attention of law students,
particularly the areas most frequently asked in the bar exams.

The course begins with a discussion of the general principles of private

international law and the corresponding cases, which provide an overview of the
entire subject matter. A thorough treatment of the different subject areas will
follow, including the concepts of jurisdiction, choice of law, choice of forum,
characterization, nationality, domicile, renvoi, personal status and capacity,
family law, contracts, international sale of goods, conflict laws in torts, foreign
corporations, and enforcement of foreign judgment.

Course Reading Materials

Aquino, Ranhilio Fr. 2016. Elements of Philippine Private International Law.

Coquia, Jorge and Elizabeth Pangalangan. Conflict of Laws.

Course Grading System

Class Standing 30%

Midterm Examinations 35%
Final Examinations 35%
Total 100%

 Class standing includes attendance, quizzes and other written works,

which may be assigned from time to time. 

Course Outline

Introduction
I. The Concerns and Basic Premise of Private International Law
2
II. Choice of Forum
III. Jurisdiction
A. Jurisdiction over the Person
B. Forum Non-Conveniens
C. Jurisdiction over the Res
D. Act of State Doctrine
IV. Choice of Law
V. Enforcement of Judgment
VI. Internet Cases

Course Schedule

January 29, 2018

Introduction

SOURCES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS:

Family Code: Articles 10, 21, 26, 35, 36, 37, 38, 80, 96, 184, and 187

Civil Code: Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, 815, 816, 818, 819, 829, 1039, 1319,
and 1753

Penal Code: Article 2

Corporation Code: Section 133 – Doing Business Without License

Constitution: Art. IV and Art. V, Section 1

Rules of Court: Rule 14 and 39, Section 48, Rule 131, Section 3 (n), 132,
Section 25

CHAPTER ONE: THE CONCERNS AND BASIC PREMISES OF PRIVATE

INTERNATIONAL LAW



Aquino, Chapters 1-2

   Phil. Export and Foreign Loan Guarantee Corp., v. V.P.
Eusebio Construction, Inc., 
G.R. No. 140047, July 13, 2004 

  Northwest Orient Airlines, Inc., v. CA, G.R. No. 112573,
February 9, 1995 

3
  Saudi Arabian Airlines v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 122191,
October 8, 1998 

  Bienvenido M. Cadalin v. POEA, G.R. No. 104776, December
5, 1994 


February 5, 2018

CHAPTER TWO: CHOICE OF FORUM

 Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. vs. Shute, 499 U.S. 585 (1991) Decided: April
17, 1991
 Burger King Corp. vs. Rudzewicz, 471, U.S. 462 (1985), Decided: May 20,
1985
 
 Sweet Lines, Inc. vs. Teves, et al., G.R. No. L-37750, Decided: 19 May 1978
 
 HSBC vs. Jack Robert Sherman, et al., G.R. No. 72494, 11 August 1989.

CHAPTER THREE: JURISDICTION

Aquino, Chapter III

A. JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON

Paula T. Llorente v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 124371, November 23, 2000
Imelda Marcos v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 119976, September 18, 1995
Philsec Investment et al vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 103493, June 19,
1997
Keeton vs. Hustler Magazine, Inc. et al, 465 U.S. 770, Decided March 20,
1984
World-wide Volkswagen Corp. vs. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286 (1980)
Rush vs. Sauchuk, 444 US 320 (1980)
Compuserve Inc. vs. Richard Patterson, No. 95-3452, Decided: July 22, 1996

February 12, 2018

B. FORUM NON-CONVENIENS

Santos III v. Northwest Orient Airlines, Inc., G.R. No. 101538, June 23, 1992
Communications Materials and Design v. CA, G.R. No. 102223, August 22,
1996
First Philippine International Bank v. CA, G.R. No. 115849, January 24, 1996
Manila Hotel Corp and Manila Hotel Int’l Ltd. vs. NLRC, G.R. No. 120077, 13
4
October 2000
Communications Materials and Design vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
102223, 22 August 1996
Islamic Republic of Iran v. Pahlavi, 62 NY 2d. 474 (1984)
Piper Aircraft Co. vs. Reyno, 454 U.S. 235 (1981)

C. JURISDICTION OVER THE RES

Gulf Oil vs. Gilbert, 330 US 501 (1947)

World-wide Volkswagen Corp. vs. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286 (1980)
Travelers Health Assn. vs. Virginia, 339 U.S. 643; Decided: June 5, 1950
Schmidt vs. Driscol, 249 Minn 376 82, NW 2d 365 (1957)

February 19, 2018 – LIBRARY BREAK

February 26, 2018

D. ACT OF STATE DOCTRINE/JURISDICTION

OVER THE SUBJECT MATTER

Hassan El-fadl, Appellant v. Central Bank of Jordan, et al., Appellees, 75 F.3d

668 (D.C. Cir. 1996)
Republic of the Philippines, et al v Pimentel et al, Supreme Court of the
United States No. 06-1204, 464 F. 3d 885, Argued: March 17, 2008 Decided:
June 12, 2008
Helen Liu v The Republic of China, No. 87-2976, United States Court of
Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 892 F.2d 1419 (1989)
In Re: Philippine National Bank v. United States District Court for the District
of Hawaii, No. 04-71843, D.C. No. MDL-00840-MLR
Islamic Republic of Iran v. Pahlavi, 62 NY 2d. 474 (1984)
Lord Day & Lord v. Socialist Republic of Vietnam 134 F. Supp.2d 549
(S.D.N.Y. 2001)
Kirkpatrick Inc. v. Environmental Tectonics Corp., Int’l., 493 U.S. 400, 107
L.Ed. 2d 816 (1990)
th
Credit Suisse v. U.S.D.C., 130 F.3d at 1342 (9 Cir. 1997)
March 5, 2018 – MIDTERM EXAM

March 19, 2018

5
CHAPTER FOUR: CHOICE OF LAW

Aquino, Chapters IV-X


Llorente v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 124371. November 23, 2000.
Aznar v. Garcia, G.R. No. L-16749. January 31, 1963.
PCI Bank v. Escolin, G.R. Nos. L-27860 & L-27896. March 29, 1974.
Obergefell vs. Hodges, 14-556 (June 26, 2015), 576 US __
Tayag Renato vs. Benguet Consolidated, Inc., G.R. No. 23145, November 29,
1968
United Airlines Inc. vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 124110, 20 April 2001
Pakistan International Airlines vs. Ople, 190 SCRA 1990, G.R. No. 61594,
September 28, 1990
Testate Estate of Amos G. Bellis et al. vs. Edward Bellis, L-23678, June 6,
1967
Asiavest Merchant Bankers vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 110263, 20 July
200
Garcia vs. Recio, G.R. No. 138322, 02 October 2001
Sps. Zalamea vs. Court of Appeals and Transworld Airlines, Inc. G.R. No.
104235, 18 November 1993

April 2-9, 2018

CHAPTER FIVE: ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS

Aquino, Chapter XI

Asiavest Merchant Bankers v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 110263, July 20,
2001
Philsec Investment Corp., v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 103493, June 19,
1997
Phil. Aluminum Wheels v. FASGI Enterprises, G.R. No. 137378, Oct. 12, 2000
Gil Miguel Puyat v. Ron Zabarte, G.R. No. 141536, February 26, 2001
Oil & Natural Gas Commission v. CA, G.R. No. 114323, September 28, 1999
Mijares v. Hon. Ranada, G.R. No. 139325. April 12, 2005
Quasha et al., v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 182013. December 4, 2009
Borthwick vs. Castro Bartolome, 152 SCRA 229, 1987
Klaxon Co. vs. Stentor Electric Manufacturing Co.313 U.S. 487 (1941)
6
Siedler v. Jacobson, 383 N.Y. S.2d 833 (NY Sup.Ct.App.1976)
Bridgeway Corp. V. Citibank, 201 F. 3d 134 (2d Cir. 2000)

April 16, 2018

CHAPTER SIX: INTERNET CASES

Bensuan Restaurant Corporation vs. Richard B. King, Docket No. 96-9344;

Decided: September 10, 1997
America Online, Inc., v. Superior Court (Mendoza)
(2001) 108 Cal. Rptr. 2d 699, 90 Cal. App. 4th 1
th
Panavision International vs. Dennis Toeppen, 9 Circuit Court of Appeals,
No. 97-55467, 17 April 1998 (Jurisdiction)
Maritz, Inc. v. Cybergold, Inc., 947 F. Supp. 1328 (E.D. Mo. 1996),
CompuServe vs. Patterson, 89 F. 3d 1257 No. 95-3452, Decided: July 22,
1996

FINAL EXAM