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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Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Sudden Attacks and Intent
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden, unexpected attack qualifies as treachery, aggravating a killing to murder under Philippine law.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Intent and Qualifying Circumstances
The Supreme Court explains when treachery qualifies a killing as murder, and why sudden attacks alone do not prove it.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Intent and Qualifying Circumstances
The Supreme Court explains treachery as a qualifying circumstance in murder, using People v. Villegas to illustrate sudden, unexpected attacks.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Intent and Circumstances
The Supreme Court explains how treachery qualifies killing to murder, using a 1996 case as a clear example.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Intent, Liability, and the Limits of Qualifying Circumstances
A Supreme Court ruling explains when treachery qualifies a killing as murder, and how conspiracy affects criminal liability in the Philippines.
Eyewitness Testimony and the Perils of Alibi in Philippine Criminal Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on eyewitness identification, alibi as weak defense, and treachery in murder cases.
Evident Premeditation: Proving Intent and Cool Thought in Philippine Criminal Law
Understand how Philippine courts prove evident premeditation to qualify a killing as murder, and why treachery was rejected in People v. Belga.
Positive Identification in Philippine Criminal Law: When Is It Enough for Conviction
When does a witness's positive identification suffice for conviction? The Supreme Court explains in People v. Compendio.
Self-Defense and Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: A Supreme Court Analysis
The Supreme Court explains when self-defense fails and treachery qualifies a killing to murder in People v. Vallador.
Alibi Defense in Philippine Criminal Law: Requirements and Limitations
Understand when alibi works as a defense in Philippine criminal cases, its legal requirements, and why courts view it with suspicion.
Bail Hearings Protecting Due Process in Philippine Criminal Law
A judge was dismissed for granting bail without hearing and acquitting before defense rested. Learn the due process rules.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Alevosia and Its Implications
A look at how Philippine courts define treachery (alevosia) in murder cases, using the 1996 Paragua decision as a guide.
Protecting the Accused: The Importance of Valid Arraignment in Philippine Criminal Law
A Supreme Court ruling on invalid arraignment underscores why a guilty plea must be free and informed, especially in capital cases.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Application and Implications
How Philippine courts apply treachery as a qualifying circumstance in murder, explained through the 1996 Supreme Court ruling in People v. Caritativo.
Self-Defense and Conspiracy in Philippine Criminal Law: Lessons from People v. Bernal
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails and conspiracy arises in group attacks, using the Bernal brothers' murder conviction as a guide.
The Alibi Defense Proving Physical Impossibility in Philippine Criminal Law
Learn how Philippine courts test alibi defenses through physical impossibility, using the 1996 Bautista case as a guide.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Intent and Attack
Learn how Philippine courts define treachery, why it qualifies killing as murder, and what Patrolla v. People teaches about intent and attack.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Understanding Sudden and Unexpected Attacks
The Supreme Court explains treachery in murder cases through a sudden, unexpected bolo attack at a dance.