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Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death in Philippines: This DocketMath article is under primary-source review; claim-level legal values and citations are unavailable until verification is complete.

Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death in Philippines

ANO-831 verification 2026-04-26: primary source = Chan Robles Virtual Law Library Civil Code Book IV (full text) for Articles 1139-1155. (Lawphil.net's RA 386 page only serves Books I-III.)

Article 1150. The time for prescription for all kinds of actions, when there is no special provision which ordains otherwise, shall be counted from the day they may be brought.

Article 1108. Prescription, both acquisitive and extinctive, runs against: (1) Minors and other incapacitated persons who have parents, guardians or other legal representatives; (2) Absentees who have administrators, either appointed by them before their disappearance, or appointed by the courts; (3) Persons living abroad, who have managers or administrators; (4) Juridical persons, except the State and its subdivisions. Persons who are disqualified from administering their property have a right to claim damages from their legal representatives whose negligence has been the cause of prescription. (1932a)

Article 1109. Prescription does not run between husband and wife, even though there be a separation of property agreed upon in the marriage settlements or by judicial decree. Neither does prescription run between parents and children, during the minority or insanity of the latter, and between guardian and ward during the continuance of the guardianship. (n)

Article 1155. The prescription of actions is interrupted when they are filed before the court, when there is a written extrajudicial demand by the creditors, and when there is any written acknowledgment of the debt by the debtor. (1973a)

Article 1145. The following actions must be commenced within six years: (1) Upon an oral contract; (2) Upon a quasi-contract.

Article 1144. The following actions must be brought within ten years from the time the right of action accrues: (1) Upon a written contract; (2) Upon an obligation created by law; (3) Upon a judgment.

All money claims arising from employer-employee relations accruing during the effectivity of this Code shall be filed within three (3) years from the time the cause of action accrued; otherwise they shall be forever barred.

Article 1146. The following actions must be instituted within four years: (1) Upon an injury to the rights of the plaintiff; (2) Upon a quasi-delict.

Article 1147. The following actions must be filed within one year: (1) For forcible entry and detainer; (2) For defamation.

Article 1141. Real actions over immovables prescribe after thirty years.

Article 1150. The time for prescription for all kinds of actions, when there is no special provision which ordains otherwise, shall be counted from the day they may be brought. (1969)

Article 1139. Actions prescribe by the mere lapse of time fixed by law.

Written contracts and obligations created by law prescribe in 10 years from accrual (Art. 1144, NCC).

Philippine Civil Code Art. 1144 provides a 10-year SOL for written contracts, obligations created by law, and judgments.

Philippines has no UCC. Sale-of-goods claims under written contracts prescribe in 10 years under Civil Code Art. 1144. Oral sale-of-goods claims prescribe in 6 years under Art. 1145.

Article 1144. The following actions must be brought within ten years from the time the right of action accrues: (1) Upon a written contract; (2) Upon an obligation created by law; (3) Upon a judgment. (n)

Article 1145. The following actions must be commenced within six years: (1) Upon an oral contract; (2) Upon a quasi-contract. (n)

Article 1146. The following actions must be instituted within four years: (1) Upon an injury to the rights of the plaintiff; (2) Upon a quasi-delict; However, when the action arises from or out of any act, activity, or conduct of any public officer involving the exercise of powers or authority arising from Martial Law including the arrest, detention and/or trial of the plaintiff, the same must be brought within one (1) year. (As amended by PD No. 1755, Dec. 24, 1980.)

Article 1147. The following actions must be filed within one year: (1) For forcible entry and detainer; (2) For defamation. (n)

Article 1141. Real actions over immovables prescribe after thirty years. This provision is without prejudice to what is established for the acquisition of ownership and other real rights by prescription. (1963)

Article 1149. All other actions whose periods are not fixed in this Code or in other laws must be brought within five years from the time the right of action accrues. (n)

Article 1154. The period during which the obligee was prevented by a fortuitous event from enforcing his right is not reckoned against him. (n)

Article 1155. The prescription of actions is interrupted when they are filed before the court, when there is a written extrajudicial demand by the creditors, and when there is any written acknowledgment of the debt by the debtor. (1973a)

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Philippines — Statute of Limitations

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