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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Perjury and Bouncing Checks in the Philippines: What Saulo v. People Teaches
Understand perjury and BP 22 bouncing check liability through the Supreme Court's ruling in Saulo v. People.
Understanding Negligent Malversation: Protecting Public Funds in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts define negligent malversation of public funds, the elements of the crime, and key lessons from a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Navigating Civil Service Misconduct: Penalties and Mitigating Factors in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on fake civil service eligibility explains when mitigating circumstances can reduce dismissal to suspension.
Forum Shopping and Lawyer Discipline: Lessons from a 2020 Disbarment Case
A lawyer's suspension for forum shopping shows how filing repeated cases over the same dispute violates legal ethics and court rules.
Understanding the Impact of Timely Appeals on Land Registration Disputes in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court handles land registration appeals, the importance of timely filing, and key procedural rules.
Navigating Tax Penalties: Understanding the Supreme Court's Ruling on Late Filing and Surcharges
A clear guide to the Supreme Court's ruling on tax penalties, late filing, and surcharges under Philippine tax law.
Understanding Vicarious Liability: When Employers Answer for Employee Negligence
A Supreme Court ruling explains when employers are solidarily liable for employee negligence under Philippine law, using a fatal tricycle accident as the key example.
Understanding Illegal Dismissal When Production Quotas Cross the Line
Philippine Supreme Court rules on when imposing production quotas becomes illegal dismissal, citing bad faith and unattainable targets.
Seafarer Death Benefits: The Burden of Proof and Contract Limits in Work-Related Illness Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer death benefits, contract interpretation, and burden of proof for work-related illness claims.
Direct Bribery in the Philippines: Key Lessons from Mangulabnan v. People
Direct bribery explained through a landmark Supreme Court case: elements of the crime, evidentiary standards, and practical lessons for public officers.
Understanding Bad Faith in Property Encroachment: Rights and Responsibilities
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a builder is in bad faith in property encroachment cases, and what remedies a landowner has under Philippine law.
Understanding Contempt of Court and the Consequences of Repeated Legal Harassment in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts penalize grave misconduct by judicial employees, including dismissal and forfeiture of benefits, to protect the integrity of the justice system.
Sexual Harassment in the Judiciary: When Clemency Has Limits
The Supreme Court denies a dismissed judge's plea for retirement benefits, clarifying the limits of judicial clemency in sexual harassment cases.
Understanding Grave Misconduct: Illegal Firearm Discharge in the Workplace
A Supreme Court employee was dismissed for firing a gun inside Court premises. Learn the rules on grave misconduct and workplace discipline.
Understanding Judicial Clemency and Retirement Benefits for Dismissed Judges in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when dismissed judges may receive retirement benefits through judicial clemency, using the Arceo case as a guide.
Regionalizing the Bar Exams: Expanding Access to Legal Practice in the Philippines
The Supreme Court approves Cebu City as a regional Bar exam site, easing access for Visayas and Mindanao candidates.
Contract of Sale vs Contract to Sell: When Ownership Transfers in Philippine Real Estate
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between contract of sale and contract to sell, and when ownership actually transfers in real estate transactions.
Retirement Benefits and Reinstatement: Service Credit for Re-Employed Government Workers
Understand the Supreme Court's ruling on retirement benefits, reinstatement, and service credit for re-employed government workers in G.R. No. 278615.
Disbarred Lawyer Fined for Defiance and Disrespect of Court Authority
A disbarred lawyer faces PHP 155,000 in fines for disrespecting the court and defying IBP orders, showing discipline extends beyond disbarment.
When a Judge's Private Misconduct Becomes a Public Offense
The Supreme Court dismissed a judge for gross immorality after an extramarital affair, showing how private conduct affects judicial office.
Judge Dismissed and Suspended From Law Practice for Gross Immorality: A.M. No. MTJ-24-031
Supreme Court dismisses a judge for an extramarital affair and suspends him from law practice for three years, balancing penalties with mitigating circumstances.
When Customary Law Claims Cannot Stop a Final Ejectment Judgment
Supreme Court clarifies when IPRA claims of indigenous status can and cannot block execution of a final unlawful detainer judgment.
Self-Defense and Defense of a Relative: Key Insights from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
A police officer shot two attackers to protect himself and his pregnant wife. The Supreme Court explains when self-defense and defense of a relative apply.
Valid Land Titles and Res Judicata: Key Lessons from a Philippine Property Dispute
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why tax declarations don't prove ownership and how res judicata bars relitigating property claims.