MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled Monday that the suspension of a teacher at Bohol Wisdom School (BWS) due to her pregnancy outside of marriage was illegal. 

In a decision written by Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, the SC’s First Division upheld the Court of Appeals’ (CA) finding that BWS wrongfully suspended Miraflor Mabao, a grade school teacher at the Christian institution, after she became pregnant.

The decision affirmed that premarital sexual relations leading to pregnancy do not constitute immorality.

Mabao, who was two months pregnant, was verbally suspended by BWS Principal Raul Deloso, who said that she would remain suspended until she married the father of her child. 

Five days later, Mabao received a formal written notice of indefinite suspension without pay for immorality, with the condition that she marry her boyfriend.

Mabao filed a complaint for illegal suspension, and while the Labor Arbiter initially ruled she had been constructively dismissed, the National Labor Relations Commission overturned the decision. 

The CA ruled that while there was no constructive dismissal, the suspension itself was illegal.

The SC affirmed the CA’s ruling, saying that sexual relations between consenting unmarried adults are not immoral. 

The Court clarified that no law prohibits such conduct, and it does not violate any constitutional policy. 

In its ruling, the high court also noted that public and secular morality—not religious doctrine—should govern such decisions, warning that basing public policies on religious beliefs would force everyone to conform to a specific religious agenda.

With Mabao’s pregnancy deemed not immoral, the SC ordered BWS to pay her back wages and benefits for the period she was suspended.