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.
Vicarious Liability and Common Carrier Duties: The Mendoza Case Explained
Learn how the Mendoza ruling clarifies employer liability for employee negligence and the obligations of common carriers in the Philippines.
Direct Assault vs. Resistance to Authority: The Mallari Case Explained
The Supreme Court in Mallari v. People clarifies when force against a police officer is direct assault or merely resistance to authority.
Brokers Entitlement Establishing Procuring Cause IN Real Estate Joint Ventures
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a real estate broker earns a commission in a joint venture deal, explained in plain language.
When Procedural Lapses Yield to Substantial Justice: The Latogan Doctrine
The Supreme Court in Latogan v. People relaxed procedural rules to prevent a grave injustice, protecting a defendant's right to appeal a murder conviction.
Child Abuse Under RA 7610: Intent as the Key Element
The Supreme Court clarifies that intent to debase or degrade is essential to prove child abuse under RA 7610.
Demurrage and Detention Fees: Supreme Court Clarifies Tax Treatment for International Shipping
The Supreme Court ruled demurrage and detention fees are subject to regular corporate income tax, not the preferential Gross Philippine Billings rate.
Unconscionable Interest Rates: When 5% Monthly Loan Interest Is Void in the Philippines
Philippine courts void unconscionable loan interest rates even if borrowers agreed to them. Learn the rules, the legal interest substitute, and foreclosure effects.
Unlawful Detainer: Proving Prior Possession in Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies how prior physical possession is proven in unlawful detainer cases, using judicial admissions and documentary evidence.
Malicious Mischief in Property Disputes: What the Supreme Court Said
The Supreme Court clarifies when destroying property in a dispute becomes malicious mischief, and why claims of ownership do not justify taking the law into one's own hands.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: When a Sudden Attack Is Not Murder
The Supreme Court clarifies that treachery cannot be presumed from suddenness alone, reducing a murder conviction to homicide in People v. Bulutano.
Conspiracy and Probable Cause: When Presence Alone Does Not Imply Guilt in Fraud Cases
Mere presence at a meeting does not prove conspiracy in estafa cases. The Supreme Court explains what evidence is needed.
Falsification vs Estafa: Identifying the True Crime in Fraudulent Schemes
The Supreme Court clarifies when falsification of a private document, not estafa, is the proper charge in fraud cases.
Forged Signatures and Land Titles: Proving Fraud in Philippine Property Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence is needed to prove forged signatures in land transactions and reconveyance claims.
When a Motorcycle Ride Makes a Killing Murder: People v. Padal Explained
A Supreme Court ruling shows how using a motorcycle to chase a victim can elevate a killing from homicide to murder under Philippine law.
Disbarment for Adultery and Abandonment: Moral Standards for Philippine Lawyers
The Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer for adultery and abandoning his family, reaffirming that private misconduct reflects on fitness to practice law.
Boundary Disputes Cannot Be Settled by Forcible Entry: The Proper Remedy Is Accion Reivindicatoria
Boundary disputes that question ownership cannot be resolved through forcible entry; the Supreme Court requires an accion reivindicatoria instead.
Project vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure and Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between project and regular employment, and the security of tenure rights of employees.
Are Membership Fees of Recreational Clubs Taxable Income? SC Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when membership fees and assessment dues of recreational clubs are subject to income tax and VAT.
Nepotism in Government: Designation of Relatives Is a Prohibited Appointment
The Supreme Court ruled that designating a relative to government duties—even unpaid or off-plantilla—violates the ban on nepotism.
Upholding Constitutional Rights: The Imperative of Impleading Indispensable Parties in Seizure Cases
This case clarifies the Ombudsman's right to intervene in appeals from its administrative rulings, and the procedural rules that govern such intervention.
Tax Refund Claims: Timely Filing and the Commissioner's Inaction
The Supreme Court clarifies when taxpayers may seek judicial tax refund claims despite the Commissioner's inaction, and the two-year prescriptive period.
Stop and Frisk During Election Periods: When Police Searches Are Valid
The Supreme Court explains when a warrantless stop and frisk search is valid, using an election gun ban case as an example.
Common Carriers and Stolen Goods: The Extraordinary Diligence Standard in the Philippines
Philippine law holds common carriers liable for stolen goods unless theft involved grave threat or irresistible force. Learn the extraordinary diligence standard.
Reasonable Doubt in Qualified Theft: When Missing Proof Means Acquittal
A look at how the Supreme Court acquitted an accounting-in-charge of qualified theft when the prosecution failed to prove taking and intent.