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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Understanding Parricide in the Philippines: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
The Supreme Court explains how circumstantial evidence can prove parricide beyond reasonable doubt in People v. De Vera.
Commodities Futures Trading: Understanding Risks and Legal Protections in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts treat disputes over commodity futures trading, including fraud claims and where investors can seek legal remedies.
Probation After Appeal Understanding THE Waiver Rule IN THE Philippines
Learn how appealing a conviction waives probation eligibility in the Philippines, based on Supreme Court rulings and the Probation Law.
Earnest Money and Conditional Obligations: Navigating Real Estate Sales in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on earnest money, conditional obligations, and what happens when a seller fails to deliver in Philippine real estate sales.
Lease Renewal vs Extension Understanding Your Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the crucial difference between lease renewal and extension, and why verbal assurances of renewal may not hold up in court.
Litis Pendencia Understanding When A Prior Lawsuit Bars A NEW Case IN THE Philippines
Learn the elements of litis pendencia and how a prior case can bar a new lawsuit in Philippine courts.
Temporary Business Suspension: When Is It Bad Faith in the Philippines?
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a temporary business suspension is bad faith, and the employer's burden to prove bona fide closure.
Sheriffs Authority: Understanding the Limits of Property Attachment in the Philippines
Learn the limits of a sheriff's authority in property attachment in the Philippines, based on a landmark Supreme Court administrative case.
Self-Defense in the Philippines: When Can You Justifiably Use Force?
Philippine law allows force in self-defense, but the Supreme Court explains strict limits. Learn the rules from a murder case.
Reinstatement vs Separation Pay: Employee Rights After Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines
When can separation pay replace reinstatement after illegal dismissal? The Supreme Court explains in Zarate v. Olegario.
Retraction of Witness Testimony: When Does It Affect a Criminal Conviction in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when witness retraction affects convictions, the weight of positive identification, and the limits of alibi as a defense.
Protecting Minors: Understanding Statutory Rape Laws in the Philippines
A look at statutory rape under Philippine law through the case of a 7-year-old victim, explaining the rules on consent, penetration, and evidence.
Rape and Incest in the Philippines: Legal Consequences and Victim Rights
A father's repeated rape of his daughter yields three reclusion perpetua terms and P225,000 in damages, clarifying Philippine incest-rape law.
Illegal Recruitment and Estafa in the Philippines: Key Lessons from a Supreme Court Case
Learn how Philippine courts handle illegal recruitment and estafa, and what job seekers must know to avoid scams.
Independent Contractor vs Labor-Only Contracting: Employee Rights in the Philippines
When is a contractor truly independent? Learn how Philippine courts distinguish labor-only contracting from legitimate job contracting and what it means for employee rights.
Initiative vs Referendum: Understanding Direct Democracy in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains the difference between initiative and referendum, and how Filipinos can directly propose or reject laws.
Verbal Agreements to Sell Property: When Are They Enforceable in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when oral contracts to sell real property are enforceable and why buyers must prove readiness to pay.
Employee Transfers: Understanding Employer Rights and Limits in the Philippines
Learn the rules on employee transfers in the Philippines—when employers can validly transfer workers and what limits the law imposes.
Self-Defense and Defense of Relatives in Philippine Law: Limits and Lessons from People v. Babor
When does self-defense fail in the Philippines? People v. Babor clarifies the limits of justifying circumstances, unlawful aggression, and reasonable force.
Husband's Liability for Wife's Debts: Protecting Conjugal Property in the Philippines
When can a husband be liable for his wife's debts? Learn how final judgments protect conjugal property from execution in the Philippines.
Consent and Rape: Understanding the Nuances of Sexual Assault in the Philippines
The Bawar case shows how Philippine courts weigh consent, credibility, and behavior in rape cases—crucial for understanding sexual assault law.
Retirement Pay in the Philippines: Understanding Employee Rights Before RA 7641
Philippine Scout Veterans case explains when retirement pay was not yet guaranteed by law, and how RA 7641 changed the rules for Filipino employees.
Diplomatic Immunity in the Philippines: Protecting International Organizations From Legal Suits
The Supreme Court explains how diplomatic immunity shields international organizations like the Asian Development Bank from local lawsuits, and why courts must respect it.
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.