Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Due Process in Philippine Administrative Investigations: The Casuela Case and the Five-Day Bar Rule
The Supreme Court affirms that administrative investigations must respect the five-day bar rule before hearing, ensuring due process for respondents.
Confessions and Constitutional Rights: Safeguarding the Accused in Custodial Investigations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on inadmissible uncounselled confessions and the constitutional rights of persons under custodial investigation.
Preliminary Investigation Rules and Jurisdiction: Lessons from a Philippine Court Case
A Philippine judge's error on preliminary investigation jurisdiction offers practical lessons on criminal procedure and court authority.
Admissibility of Extrajudicial Confessions: Safeguarding Rights in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the four requirements for admissible extrajudicial confessions and what makes counsel "competent and independent" in custodial investigations.
Independent Counsel Safeguarding Rights In Philippine Custodial Investigations
The Supreme Court acquits two accused whose confessions were taken with the help of an NBI job applicant, not independent counsel.
When Judges Overstep in Preliminary Investigations: A Lesson from Depamaylo v. Brotarlo
A judge reduced murder to homicide to grant bail, ignored prosecution rights, and was fined P20,000 for misconduct.
Custodial Investigation in the Philippines: Rights and the Admissibility of Confessions
An extrajudicial confession is worthless without proof of effective counsel, but the Supreme Court still affirmed a murder conviction on eyewitness evidence.
Preliminary Investigation Essentials: A Judge's Duty and Probable Cause
What a landmark administrative case teaches about a judge's non-negotiable duties in preliminary investigation and probable cause determination.