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.
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Can Administrative Dismissal Extinguish Criminal Liability? A Philippine Case Study
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that dismissal of administrative charges does not extinguish criminal liability under Article 89 of the RPC.
Finality Prevails: Enforcing Judgments and Preventing Alterations in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why final judgments are immutable and why execution must strictly follow the dispositive portion.
Conspiracy and Liability: When Presence at the Scene Makes You Guilty of Murder in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how conspiracy in murder can be proven by concerted acts, not just a prior agreement.
Liability in Group Crime: How Conspiracy Establishes Individual Guilt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy in group crimes, individual liability, and why treachery failed in People v. Ladit.
Accepting a Lower Position Does Not Waive an Illegally Terminated Employee’s Reinstatement Claim
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: accepting a lower or coterminous position during reorganization does not waive an illegally terminated employee’s right to reinstatement.
Robbery With Rape: How Intimidation Proves Lack of Consent in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how intimidation, not physical force, suffices to prove lack of consent in robbery with rape cases.
Witness Credibility: Inaction During a Crime Does Not Mean False Testimony
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why a witness's stunned inaction during a crime does not undermine credibility or testimony.
The Reach of Conspiracy: When Concerted Acts Establish Guilt in Criminal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how conspiracy makes all participants equally liable for murder, explained in plain language.
Breach of Express Warranty: Seller Liable for Unpaid Taxes Despite Transfer of Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: a vehicle seller's assurance that taxes were paid is an express warranty; breach makes seller liable for unpaid duties.
Representation in Legal Disputes: Clarifying Counsel Rights for Local Government Officials
Learn when local government officials may hire private counsel and how service of notices affects appeals, based on a 2000 Supreme Court ruling.
Guardianship and Estate Rights: Resolving Inheritance Disputes Over Unauthorized Property Sales
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs can redeem property sold on execution and how courts protect estate rights in inheritance disputes.
Execution Pending Appeal: When Property Deterioration Justifies Immediate Enforcement
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on execution pending appeal, redemption rights, and when immediate enforcement is justified to prevent property deterioration.
The Right to Litigate Must Be Exercised in Good Faith: Lessons from a Baseless Insurance Suit
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when filing a baseless lawsuit can expose a party to damages for bad faith litigation.
Contractor's Tax Assessments: Prescription Periods and Gross Receipts Rules
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tax assessment prescription periods, contractor's tax on security agency gross receipts, and protest deadlines under the NIRC.
Barangay Conciliation and Jurisdiction: When Prior Settlement Is Not Required
Learn when prior barangay conciliation is not required before filing a case in court, based on a Supreme Court ruling on gross ignorance of the law.
Presumption of Guilt for Possession of Stolen Vehicle: The Duty to Explain
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how possessing a stolen vehicle creates a presumption of guilt and the accused's duty to explain.
Regular vs Project Employee: Continuous Rehiring and Security of Tenure Under Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when project employees become regular employees through continuous rehiring, securing tenure under Article 280.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Victim Testimony and Prior Abuse Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape conviction, victim credibility, and prior sexual abuse as evidence.
Heir Disputes: When Courts Can Order Partition Instead of Estate Administration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when heirs may partition an estate without full administration proceedings, and when courts may convert petitions.
Conspiracy and Intent: How Philippine Courts Establish Criminal Liability
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how conspiracy and intent establish criminal liability, and why charging documents must state every qualifying circumstance.
Forcible Abduction vs Rape: Distinguishing Intent and Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on People v. Abalde clarifies statutory rape, force, intimidation, and evidence standards in sexual assault cases.
Rape, Intimidation, and Resistance: What the Law Requires in the Philippines
Philippine law does not require "tenacious" resistance in rape. A knife threat is intimidation enough. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
When Heirs Disagree: Judicial Partition Over Administration of an Estate
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when courts may convert estate administration proceedings into judicial partition among heirs.
Self-Defense and Unlawful Aggression: The Limits of Justifiable Force in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when self-defense applies, when it ends, and why unlawful aggression must be real and ongoing.