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.
Service by Publication in the Philippines: Strict Rules for Valid Summons
Learn the strict requirements for valid service of summons by publication in the Philippines, and why procedural lapses can void court judgments.
Reconstituting Lost Land Titles: Supreme Court Clarifies Standards for Judicial Reconstitution
Supreme Court clarifies the rules and evidence needed to reconstitute a lost or destroyed land title under Republic Act No. 26.
LGU Right to Immediate Possession in Expropriation: City of Iloilo v. Legaspi
When can an LGU take immediate possession of private property in expropriation? The Supreme Court explains the 15% deposit rule.
Overlapping Land Titles: Registration Date and Reconstitution Validity in Philippine Property Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve conflicting land titles, weighing registration dates, reconstitution validity, and evidence of ownership.
Barangay Conciliation Substantial Compliance Sufficient For Unlawful Detainer Cases
Substantial compliance with barangay conciliation suffices for unlawful detainer cases, even without pangkat proceedings, per Zamora v. Heirs of Izquierdo.
When Survey Plans Lack Approval Reversion OF Land Titles TO THE State
A land title issued without a survey plan approved by the Director of Lands is void, and the State may seek its reversion.
Provocation and Homicide: When a Victim's Actions Reduce Criminal Liability
Explore how a victim's provocative act can reduce murder to homicide, as ruled in People v. Tigle.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Can a Parent Company Be Liable for Its Subsidiary's Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court explains the strict requirements for piercing the corporate veil and holding a parent liable for subsidiary obligations.
Mistake of Law vs Mistake of Fact: Grounds for Relief from Judgment in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that only mistakes of fact, not errors of law, justify relief from judgment under Rule 38.
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.
Landlord Rights Prevail Recovering Possession Despite Ownership Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when tenants cannot appeal denial of new trial and how counsel's errors bind clients.
Perfecting a Sale vs. Transfer of Ownership: Forged Documents and Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when ownership transfers in a sale, and why forged documents cannot defeat a registered owner's title.
Flight as Evidence of Guilt in Philippine Criminal Cases: People v. Lobrigas
When does running away or escaping detention prove guilt? The Supreme Court explains the legal weight of flight in criminal cases.
Self-Defense in Parricide: When Unlawful Aggression Fails
A son who killed his father in a drunken argument could not invoke self-defense because unlawful aggression was not proven. The Supreme Court explains why.
How Youth and Voluntary Surrender Affect Criminal Liability in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when voluntary surrender is a mitigating circumstance and how self-defense claims are judged.
Resolving Conflicting Supreme Court Decisions: The Doctrine of Law of the Case
When two Supreme Court divisions issue conflicting final rulings, the en banc resolves the impasse. Learn the law of the case doctrine.
Sale vs Promise to Sell: When Ownership Passes in Real Estate Deals
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the difference between a contract of sale and a promise to sell, and when ownership actually transfers to the buyer.
Improvident Guilty Pleas: Protecting Rights in Capital Offenses
A guilty plea does not admit aggravating circumstances; the prosecution must still prove them, as shown in People v. Gutierrez.
Can a Non-Party Be Bound by an Injunction? The Due Process Rule
A preliminary injunction binds only parties to the case. Here's what Mabayo Farms v. Santos means for due process.
The Sanity Presumption Determining Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Philippine law presumes every person sane. This case explains when insanity can exempt an accused from criminal liability.
Conspiracy and Abuse of Superior Strength in Murder: Lessons from People v. Sumibcay
The Supreme Court explains how treachery, not conspiracy or abuse of superior strength, qualified killing to murder in People v. Sumibcay.
Lone Witness Credibility: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Criminal Law
How Philippine courts assess a lone witness's credibility in criminal cases, and why positive identification defeats alibi.
Attorney’s Lien in the Philippines: Can It Attach to Real Property?
Philippine law limits attorney’s liens to judgments and client documents—not land. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Res Judicata and Security of Tenure: When a Land Registration Judgment Cannot Oust a Tenant
A land registration victory does not automatically allow ejectment of an occupant claiming tenant rights. The Supreme Court explains the limits.