Legal Insights

When Mental Capacity at Arraignment Matters: A Landmark Drug and Criminal Case Remand

The Supreme Court vacated a death penalty conviction because the trial court failed to assess the accused's mental fitness before arraignment.

Qualified Rape and the Burden of Proof: Lessons from People v. Baroy

The Supreme Court clarifies when the death penalty applies in qualified rape and why aggravating circumstances must be alleged in the information.

Rape With Deadly Weapon: Why Alleging Aggravating Circumstances Matters

The Supreme Court explains why aggravating circumstances must be alleged in the information before they can increase the penalty for rape.

Online Posts as VAWC Abuse: When Social Media Use Raises the Penalty

The Supreme Court clarifies how Facebook posts can prove psychological abuse under RA 9262 and why ICT use raises penalties.

Kidnapping for Ransom: When Taking a Child Even Briefly Is a Capital Crime

The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for kidnapping for ransom, clarifying that even brief detention of a minor for ransom constitutes the capital offense.

Kidnapping for Ransom: The State's Duty to Protect Children and Punish Abductors

In People v. Suriaga, the Supreme Court affirmed a death sentence for kidnapping a two-year-old for ransom, stressing that child victims trigger the harshest penalty.

Rape and Stepfather Relationship: When Death Penalty Applies in Philippine Law

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a stepparent's rape of a minor warrants death penalty versus simple rape.

Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding the Death Penalty for Incestuous Rape of a Minor

The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a grandfather who raped his six-year-old granddaughter, reinforcing legal protections for minors.

Double Jeopardy: Why the Prosecution Cannot Appeal to Increase a Criminal Penalty

The Supreme Court explains why the prosecution cannot appeal a conviction to seek a higher penalty, citing the constitutional right against double jeopardy.

Rape Conviction Upheld but Death Penalty Cut Over Defective Information

The Supreme Court affirmed a stepfather's rape conviction but reduced the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because the information wrongly alleged a step relationship.

Diminished Conviction Reassessing Guilt IN Rape Homicide Cases Based ON Circumstantial Evidence

The Supreme Court clarifies that circumstantial evidence can prove murder but not rape, reducing death penalty to reclusion perpetua.

Credibility of Rape Victim's Testimony Alone Can Uphold Conviction

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape conviction based on victim's credible testimony, and why death penalty requires minority alleged in information.

Rape Conviction Upheld BUT Death Penalty Reduced THE Importance OF Proving Qualifying Circumstances

The Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion temporal after finding the prosecution failed to prove robbery and nighttime as aggravating circumstances.

Supreme Court Rules on Social Media as Qualifying Circumstance in VAWC Cases

The Supreme Court clarifies when social media use raises the penalty for psychological abuse under VAWC, citing Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Conviction Upheld on Circumstantial Evidence Despite Accused's Escape in Rape-Homicide Case

Supreme Court affirms death penalty for rape-homicide based on circumstantial evidence, ruling escape waives right to appeal.

Rape Shield Laws Protecting Victims AND Ensuring Fair Trials IN THE Philippines

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape cases clarifies that exact dates need not be alleged, but victim's minority must be for death penalty.

Uncertain Testimony in Rape Cases: Safeguarding Justice and Due Process

The Supreme Court clarifies that an imprecise date in a rape information does not void it, but failure to allege the victim's age bars the death penalty.

Police Officer Convicted of Rape Under Custody: Public Trust and the Death Penalty

The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a police officer who raped a 16-year-old detainee in his custody, underscoring abuse of authority.

Parental Authority vs Incestuous Abuse: Why a Guilty Plea Did Not Ensure the Death Penalty

The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because the Information failed to state the victim's exact age.

Protecting Children from Parental Rape: When the Death Penalty Applies

A father raped his 13-year-old daughter, yet the Supreme Court reduced his death sentence to reclusion perpetua. Here's why.

Incestuous Rape Conviction Affirmed But Death Penalty Set Aside for Unproven Minority

Supreme Court affirms incestuous rape conviction but reduces death penalty to reclusion perpetua because the victim's minority was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Rape Conviction Affirmed Minors AGE Mitigates Penalty BUT Does NOT Excuse THE Crime

Double Jeopardy and Modification of Criminal Penalties: Protecting the Accused

The Supreme Court rules that courts cannot increase a convicted person's penalty on the prosecution's motion, citing double jeopardy protections.

Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Qualifying Circumstances and Aggravating Factors

Understand how treachery qualifies killing as murder but cannot be double-counted to impose the death penalty, per the Supreme Court.