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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Notarial Duties: Judges Must Certify Lack of Lawyers and Remit Fees to Avoid Sanctions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judges acting as notaries public ex officio, their certification duties, and fee remittance requirements.
Incestuous Rape: The Standard of Proof for Multiple Charges in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that finger insertion and licking do not constitute rape under the old law, but may be acts of lasciviousness.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Loss of Confidence Justifies Termination
Explaining when Philippine employers may validly dismiss employees for breach of trust, based on a Supreme Court ruling on cashiers and tellers.
Retroactive Regular Employment: When Prior Service Counts Toward Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when prior contractual service counts toward regular employment and CBA benefits under labor law.
Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale: How the Supreme Court Protects Jobseekers from Deceptive Offers
A 2003 Supreme Court ruling affirms that illegal recruitment may be proven through credible testimony alone, even without receipts, and clarifies when it becomes economic sabotage.
Breach of Contract in Property Sales: Rights, Interest, and Damages Under Philippine Law
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on unpaid property sale balances clarifies when nominal damages, attorney's fees, and 12% interest apply.
Conspiracy and Liability in Robbery with Homicide: Lessons from People v. Tuppal
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how conspiracy makes every participant in a robbery liable for a killing, even the one who did not fire the fatal shot.
Reclamation Rights Private Property VS Public Domain IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court ruling on SRA's liability as trustee clarifies how government agencies assume obligations of abolished entities.
Prescription of Penalties: Why Actual Imprisonment Matters in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when prescription of penalties begins—only after a convict actually escapes from imprisonment.
Prescription of Penalties: Evasion of Sentence Requires Prior Imprisonment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: prescription of penalty starts only when a convicted person escapes from actual imprisonment, not from hiding.
Eyewitness Identification vs. Alibi: The Weight of Positive Testimony in Murder Cases
How Philippine courts weigh eyewitness identification against alibi defenses, explained through a 2002 Supreme Court ruling on murder.
Substantial Compliance Prevails When Procedural Rules Meet Substantive Justice
Supreme Court ruling on substantial compliance with non-forum shopping certification requirements in corporate cases.
Stock Transfer Recording Requirement for Corporate Recognition as Stockholder
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why transfer of shares must be recorded in corporate books before a transferee can compel issuance of stock certificates.
When a Lawyer's Mistake Can Be Excused: Client Rights and Attorney Negligence in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when attorney negligence binds clients, and the exceptions that protect clients from a lawyer's gross mistakes.
Illegal Dismissal Case: Why Salary Deductions Defeated a Theft Claim
Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal: employer's theft claim failed because goods were paid via salary deductions and due process was not observed.
How Barangay Conciliation Affects Prescription Periods in Philippine Criminal Cases
Learn how filing a complaint with the barangay interrupts prescription periods for criminal offenses, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Proportional Representation in Electoral Tribunals: The Pimentel Case
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on proportional representation of party-list groups in the HRET and Commission on Appointments.
Rape and Incest: Minor Testimony Inconsistencies Don't Undermine Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how minor inconsistencies in a rape victim's testimony don't weaken her credibility, and why minority must be proven.
Rape and the Illusion of Safety: Challenging Alibi and Affirming Survivor Testimony
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reckless imprudence underscores how alibi fails against positive identification and why survivor testimony holds weight.
Diminished Liability Understanding Homicide Conviction IN THE Absence OF Treachery
When a killing lacks treachery, the crime is homicide, not murder. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling.
Reasonable Doubt and Evidentiary Integrity in Criminal Convictions
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on frustrated homicide clarifies the burden of proof, credibility of witnesses, and the limits of damages.
Reckless Abandon Establishing Driver Identity IN Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reckless imprudence homicide, witness identification, and the penalty for abandoning victims at the scene.
Insufficient Notice, Insufficient Funds: Safeguarding Rights in Bouncing Check Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why proper written notice of dishonor is essential before a person can be convicted under the Bouncing Checks Law.
Illegal Dismissal: Employers Must Substantiate Claims and Observe Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Atlas Farms v. NLRC clarifies employer burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases and due process requirements.