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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Workplace Boundaries: Defining Acts of Lasciviousness and Consensual Acts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when sexual acts are rape, not consensual, and why workplace familiarity does not imply consent.
Rape and Credibility: How Inconsistencies in Victim Testimony Are Weighed
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts assess victim credibility, force, intimidation, and qualifying circumstances in rape cases.
Recounting Votes in Fraudulent Election Returns: Safeguarding the Electorate's Will
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when COMELEC must recount votes instead of excluding fraudulent election returns, protecting voter enfranchisement.
Protecting Property Rights: The Absolute Right to Possess Foreclosed Property After Redemption Period
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property rights, redemption, and the right to possess foreclosed property after the redemption period.
Credibility of Testimony in Rape Cases: The Importance of Consistent and Believable Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, force, intimidation, and proof of qualifying circumstances in rape cases.
When an Annotation Order Is Not a Final Resolution in Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a court order in a land case is interlocutory and not appealable, using a Lapu-Lapu City title dispute.
Forged Signatures and Land Titles: Upholding Property Rights Against Fraud
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on forged special powers of attorney, nullifying land transfers and protecting property rights against fraud.
Carrier Liability for Cargo Damage: The Duty of Extraordinary Diligence Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on common carrier liability for cargo damage, extraordinary diligence, and the limits of actual damages claims.
Kidnapping Conviction Stands Even If Victim's Body Is Never Found
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: a kidnapper cannot escape liability simply because the victim's remains are never discovered.
Kidnapping and Illegal Detention: Why Rape Must Be Pleaded as an Aggravating Circumstance
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on kidnapping with serious illegal detention, and why unpleaded rape cannot justify the death penalty.
Credibility of Testimony Can Overcome Medical Findings in Philippine Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why a rape conviction can rest on credible victim testimony even when medical findings show no hymenal laceration.
Lenient Application of Procedural Rules Upholds Justice in Agrarian Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court rules courts may relax procedural rules to serve substantial justice, citing a 2003 agrarian case.
Voice Recognition as Evidence Identifying the Accused in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on voice recognition evidence in rape cases, admissibility standards, and the importance of credible victim testimony.
Gross Receipts Tax: When Withheld Interest Income Still Counts for Banks
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether the 20% final withholding tax on banks' passive income forms part of gross receipts for the 5% gross receipts tax.
Supervisory Negligence: When Court Officials Are Liable for Delayed Writs
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies liability of sheriffs and clerks of court for unreasonable delay in implementing writs of demolition.
When Heirs Cannot Sue to Void Parents' Property Sales Before Death
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when compulsory heirs lack legal standing to challenge parents' sales of property during their lifetime.
Accountability in Armed Robbery: Redefining Liability Through Criminal Conspiracy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on criminal conspiracy in robbery with homicide, explaining liability for all participants and penalty rules.
Retirement Benefits and Abandonment: Crediting Years of Service in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how abandonment of work affects crediting years of service for retirement benefits computation.
Child's Testimony and Unusual Behavior: When Rape Convictions Stand on Credibility
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a child's testimony can sustain a rape conviction despite claims of unusual behavior.
Bank Negligence in Foreclosure: Damages and Attorney's Fees Reassessed
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts compute actual, moral damages and attorney's fees when banks act negligently in foreclosure disputes.
Judicial Accountability: Timely Resolution of Motions and Execution of Judgments
A sheriff's delay in executing a writ and a judge's inaction on a motion draw administrative sanctions in this Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Rape and Conspiracy: When the Act of One Is the Act of All
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how conspiracy in rape makes each accused liable for the acts of all co-conspirators.
Documentary Stamp Tax: When Unstamped Documents Are Still Admissible in Court
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether unstamped documents like letters of credit and surety agreements can be admitted as evidence in court.
Affidavit Ambiguity in Manning Agency Liability: A Philippine Maritime Law Lesson
Philippine Supreme Court rules on how ambiguous affidavits of undertaking by manning agents should be interpreted in maritime claims.