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.
Affinity Survives Death But Not Falsification: Estafa and Article 332
The Supreme Court rules on whether a son-in-law can invoke the Article 332 exemption from criminal liability for estafa after his wife's death.
Intrafamilial Trust Betrayed Convicting A Father FOR Qualified Rape Despite Familial Proximity
The Supreme Court affirms a father's conviction for qualified rape of his minor daughter, ruling that familial proximity and the presence of sleeping relatives do not negate the crime.
Due Process, Jurisdiction, and Provisional Remedies in Philippine Criminal Law
A look at Villamor v. People on due process, jurisdiction, and provisional remedies in Philippine criminal procedure.
Accountability for Group Actions: Establishing Conspiracy in Criminal Law
Understand how Philippine courts determine conspiracy in criminal cases, when group liability attaches, and why mere presence or evasion of arrest does not equate to guilt.
Gender Equality in Retirement: Challenging Discriminatory Collective Bargaining Agreements
When can a flight attendant challenge a discriminatory retirement age in court? The Supreme Court clarifies jurisdiction over CBA provisions.
Employer Control Determines Employment Status: The PLDT Security Guard Case
When a security agency's contract ends but guards remain at their posts under the principal's direction, an employer-employee relationship may arise.
Compromise Agreements and Illegitimate Filiation: When Settlements Violate Public Policy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: compromise agreements on filiation and civil status are void. Learn the public policy limits on settlements.
Surety Bond Validity: The Impact of Accreditation on Appeal Perfection in Labor Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that a surety bond remains valid if the bonding company was accredited at the time of issuance, affecting labor appeal perfection.
Marital Cohabitation and Consensual Acts: Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when cohabitation does not imply consent, and how rape and acts of lasciviousness are distinguished in Philippine criminal law.
When a Dishonored Check Cannot Be Theft: The Impossible Crime Doctrine in the Philippines
Can a worthless check be the object of theft? The Supreme Court explains the impossible crime doctrine and why intent alone is not enough.
Age of Criminal Responsibility: Testimonial Evidence and Protecting Juvenile Offenders
How testimonial evidence can prove a juvenile offender's age for exemption from criminal liability under RA 9344.
Breach of Trust vs Estafa: Delineating Fiduciary Duty in Investment Transactions
When does an investment house's failure to return funds become estafa? The Supreme Court clarifies the line between fiduciary duty and mere debtor-creditor relations.
Double Sale and Good Faith Registration: Pagaduan v. Ocuma on Property Rights
Explore how the Supreme Court ruled on double sale, good faith registration, and prescription in Pagaduan v. Ocuma.
Doubt Benefits The Accused When Witness Testimony Falls Short In Rape Cases
The Supreme Court explains that reasonable doubt in rape cases arises when witness testimony is inconsistent, uncorroborated, or fails to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Probable Cause vs Prosecutorial Discretion: The Metrobank v. Gonzales Ruling on Trust Receipt Estafa
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of the Secretary of Justice's power to reverse probable cause findings in trust receipt estafa cases.
Finality of DARAB Decisions: No Reopening Despite Alleged Errors
A final DARAB ruling is immutable. Learn why the Supreme Court barred a tenant from reopening his case despite claims of jurisdictional errors.
Grave Threats vs. Light Threats: The Caluag Case on Gun-Pointing in the Philippines
When does pointing a gun become a grave threat? The Caluag case clarifies the legal line between grave and light threats under Philippine law.
Psychological Incapacity Reassessing Marital Nullity Under Article 36 of the Family Code
The Supreme Court clarifies that psychological incapacity under Article 36 need not fit rigid molds, urging a case-by-case, totality-of-circumstances approach.
Revocability of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney: Agrarian Reform Limits on Tenant Rights
Supreme Court clarifies when an irrevocable power of attorney over agrarian reform land may still be challenged and revoked.
Voluntary Surrender of Tenancy Rights: Landicho v. Sia Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on voluntary surrender of tenancy rights, farm helper claims, and prescription in Landicho v. Sia.
Upholding Public Trust: Dismissal for Gross Immorality in the Judiciary
A judge's extramarital affair led to dismissal from service and suspension from law practice, reaffirming strict ethical standards for the bench.
Solidary Liability of Recruitment Agencies: Protecting Overseas Workers' Right to Fair Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on recruitment agencies' solidary liability for overseas workers' unpaid wages and the prescriptive period for money claims.
Independent Contractor or Employee: The Four-Fold Test in Philippine Labor Law
When is an insurance agent an employee, not an independent contractor? The Supreme Court explains the four-fold test and the crucial "control test" in Tongko v. Manulife.
Peace vs. the Constitution: Delineating Executive Power in Ancestral Domain Agreements
The Supreme Court ruled the MOA-AD unconstitutional, limiting the executive's power to bind the state in peace agreements.