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.
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.
Injunctions and Property Rights: When Courts Will Intervene
A clear property right is essential for an injunction. The Supreme Court explains the rules in Far East Bank v. Court of Appeals.
When Can You Justifiably Use Force: Self-Defense in the Philippines
Learn the legal requirements for self-defense in the Philippines, including the elements of unlawful aggression and how courts assess justifiable force.
Retroactive Application of Penal Laws: When Does a Lighter Sentence Apply
Explaining when Philippine courts apply a new, lighter penal law retroactively, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Magtibay.
Liquidated Damages in Lease Agreements: Enforceability and Practical Implications
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when liquidated damages in lease contracts are enforceable and how courts treat penalty clauses.
Self-Defense and Treachery: Understanding Criminal Liability in Philippine Law
A look at how Philippine courts weigh self-defense claims against treachery in murder cases, using the Lapura ruling.
Eyewitness Testimony and Self-Defense: Lessons from People v. Rosales
The Supreme Court explains when eyewitness testimony prevails over self-defense claims and how courts assess treachery in Philippine criminal cases.
Judicial Accountability: Why Courts Must Follow Procedure in Capital Cases
Philippine Supreme Court annuls death sentence in rape case, reminding trial courts that guilty pleas in capital offenses require full evidentiary proof.
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.
Perfecting Appeals Understanding Timelines AND Motions FOR Reconsideration IN Philippine Courts
Learn why filing a motion for reconsideration with the NLRC is mandatory before seeking certiorari from the Supreme Court.
Child Witness Testimony in Philippine Courts: Competency and Credibility Standards
Philippine courts evaluate child witness competency case-by-case. Learn the standards from People v. Mendoza and practical takeaways.
Understanding Substituted Service and Extrinsic Fraud in Philippine Ejectment Cases
Learn how Philippine courts treat substituted service of summons and extrinsic fraud in ejectment cases, based on a 1996 Supreme Court ruling.
When Can Witness Testimony Lead to Acquittal: A Philippine Case Study
Learn how Philippine courts weigh witness credibility, hearsay exceptions, and declarations against penal interest in criminal cases.
Perjury in the Philippines: False Statements in Legal Documents Explained
Learn how Philippine courts define perjury, what makes a false statement criminal, and why withdrawing a petition does not erase liability.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: What the Supreme Court Says
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish project employees from regular employees, and what the Samson ruling means for workers' security of tenure.
Circumstantial Evidence Proving Guilt Beyond A Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Courts
How Philippine courts use circumstantial evidence to convict beyond reasonable doubt, explained through People v. Danao.
Warrantless Arrests and Drug Evidence: What Buy-Bust Operations Mean for Your Rights
Learn when warrantless arrests and drug evidence are valid in buy-bust operations, and how Philippine courts handle frame-up defenses.
Serving Summons to Foreign Residents: Protecting Your Rights in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how summons must be served on nonresident defendants in property cases, protecting due process rights.