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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Land Rights and Oral Sales: Understanding Property Disputes in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when oral sales of land are valid, and why the five-year free patent ban on alienation matters.
Chain of Custody in Illegal Drug Cases: Ensuring the Integrity of Evidence
A Supreme Court ruling reminds law enforcers that failing to secure the required witnesses during drug inventory can
Safeguarding Rights: The Critical Role of Witness Presence in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to secure required witnesses during inventory, underscoring strict chain of custody rules.
Continuing Security Mortgage Coverage Beyond Initial Credit Agreements
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on when deeds of assignment serve as continuing security for credit facilities, and why summary judgment was properly denied.
Regular vs Project Employment: What the Supreme Court Requires of Employers
A 2019 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when construction workers are regular employees, not project employees, and what employers must prove.
Holding Company vs Financial Intermediary: Local Business Tax on Dividends
Supreme Court clarifies that holding companies receiving dividends are not non-bank financial intermediaries subject to local business tax under the Local Government Code.
Falsification of Public Documents: Intent to Injure Not Required for Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that intent to injure is not an element of falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code.
When Confessions Collide: Admissibility and Guilt in Murder Cases
A Supreme Court ruling on when extrajudicial confessions are admissible and how circumstantial evidence can prove guilt in murder cases.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Are Corporate Officers Personally Liable in Labor Cases?
The Supreme Court clarifies when corporate officers can be held personally liable for labor claims, emphasizing the need for clear allegations and proof of bad faith.
Land Reclassification and Agrarian Reform: Balancing Local Zoning With Farmer Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when local zoning reclassification removes land from CARP coverage, protecting farmer-beneficiary rights.
Regular vs Project Employment: Employer Must Prove Employee Status at Hiring
Supreme Court clarifies that employers bear the burden of proving project employment status, requiring clear notice at the time of hiring.
Just Compensation Balancing Zonal Value AND Fair Market Value IN Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that zonal valuation is not the sole basis for just compensation in expropriation cases, affirming fair market value standards.
Speedy Disposition of Cases: When Fact-Finding Delay Counts
The Supreme Court clarifies when delay violates the right to speedy disposition, excluding pre-complaint fact-finding from the reckoning period.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails When Lone Witness Testimony Fails to Convict
Supreme Court acquits accused of illegal firearm possession where prosecution relied solely on a compromised lone witness, underscoring proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Due Process and Land Title Reconstitution: Protecting Registered Owners' Rights
When a lost owner's duplicate title is reconstituted, the registered owner must be notified—even if another claims ownership. The Supreme Court explains why.
GSIS Lands Foreclosed by Government Financial Institutions Are Subject to Agrarian Reform
Supreme Court rules GSIS-acquired lands from foreclosures are not exempt from agrarian reform coverage under RA 6657.
Fair Price or Land Grab: Determining Just Compensation in Philippine Expropriation Law
The Supreme Court clarifies how Philippine courts determine just compensation in expropriation cases, rejecting reliance on outdated zonal valuations.
Treachery Defined: Examining the Elements of Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains treachery and the elements of murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code in People v. Almosara.
Arbitration Clauses and Contract Expiry: The Dupasquier Ruling on Separability
When a contract lapses, does its arbitration clause survive? The Supreme Court explains party intent and the limits of the separability doctrine.
Reinstatement vs Strained Relations: Clarifying Rights in Philippine Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when strained relations justify dismissal instead of reinstatement in illegal dismissal cases.
Recruiting Minors for Criminal Activities Is Trafficking Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court rules that recruiting minors to commit robberies constitutes qualified trafficking in persons under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
Unauthorized Notarization by Public Officials: The Limits of Authority in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when notarization by a government lawyer constitutes unauthorized private practice under R.A. 6713.
When Can Prosecution Amend an Information? Formal vs Substantial Amendment Explained
Supreme Court clarifies when the prosecution may amend a criminal information after arraignment, distinguishing formal from substantial amendments under Rule 110.
Verbal Contracts and Implied Ratification: Upholding Obligations in Broiler Chick Growing Agreements
The Supreme Court rules that verbal contracts bind parties even without a written agreement, and corporations may impliedly ratify unauthorized acts.