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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Corporate Rehabilitation Stay Orders: What They Mean for Property Claims
The Supreme Court explains how a stay order in corporate rehabilitation suspends all claims, including demands for specific performance of property sales.
Seafarers' Disability Claims: Strict Compliance With Post-Employment Medical Exam
Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers who fail the 3-day post-employment medical exam rule forfeit disability benefits, even if illness is work-related.
Mining Rights Due Process Prevails Over Automatic Abandonment in Philippine Mining Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that mining claims cannot be automatically abandoned for failure to file work obligation reports; due process must first be observed.
Navigating Seafarer Disability Claims: The Mandatory Third Doctor Rule
When a seafarer's doctor and the company physician disagree on disability, the POEA-SEC's third-doctor rule is mandatory. Hernandez v. Magsaysay explains why.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The 120-240 Day Rule for Medical Assessments
Understand the 120-240 day rule for company-designated physician assessments in seafarer disability claims, explained through a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
Employer Liability in Labor-Only Contracting: Allied Banking Corp. v. Calumpang
When a bank's janitorial contractor is a labor-only contractor, the bank becomes the true employer—liable for illegal dismissal claims.
Tax Refund Claims: When Remittance Proof Isn't Required for Exempt Taxpayers
Philippine Airlines' tax refund case clarifies when proof of remittance is needed and how CTA reviews administrative claims.
Self-Defense Claims and the Limits of Justification: The Panerio Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails and why multiple wounds negate it, reducing murder to homicide.
Seafarers Disability Claims: When the Company Physician's Assessment Prevails
Learn when a company-designated physician's fit-to-work certification prevails over a seafarer's own doctor in disability claims under the POEA-SEC.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The 120-Day Rule and Timely Medical Assessment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the 120-day and 240-day periods for company-designated physician assessments in seafarer disability claims, and the burden on employers to justify extensions.
Protecting Seafarers: Timely Disability Assessments and Employer Duties in Maritime Law
Learn how the Supreme Court protects seafarers' disability claims when company doctors miss the 120-day assessment deadline.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Seafarers' Disability Claims: Strict Compliance With 3-Day Reporting Rule Required
A seafarer who fails the three-day post-repatriation medical reporting requirement forfeits disability claims, as Tagud v. BSM shows.
Counterclaims in Libel Cases: Compulsory vs Permissive Claims Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when counterclaims in libel suits are compulsory or permissive, and the procedural requirements that follow.
Territorial Jurisdiction vs Ownership: Nullifying Land Titles and Resolving Boundary Disputes in the Philippin
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies why territorial jurisdiction claims cannot nullify land titles, and how boundary disputes should be resolved.
Untangling VAT Refund Claims Navigating Deadlines for Zero-Rated Sales
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified the mandatory deadlines for VAT refund claims on zero-rated sales, and why missing them is fatal.
Presumption of Regularity Shields Prosecutors From Baseless Bias Claims
Supreme Court clarifies that prosecutors enjoy presumption of regularity in performing duties, dismissing baseless administrative bias complaint.
Upholding Notarized Deeds: Supreme Court on Authenticity and Forgery in Property Sales
The Supreme Court affirms that notarized deeds enjoy a presumption of authenticity, and forgery claims require clear and convincing evidence to overturn them.
Timely Claims and Limited Liability: Arrastre Operator Obligations in Cargo Damage Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when cargo damage claims against arrastre operators are timely filed and how liability limits apply.
Equitable Estoppel in VAT Refund Claims: Protecting Taxpayers From Conflicting BIR Rulings
The Supreme Court shields taxpayers who relied on BIR Ruling No. DA-489-03 from premature VAT refund dismissals through equitable estoppel.
Baptismal Certificates and Filiation: Proving Legal Parentage in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that baptismal and marriage certificates alone cannot prove filiation for inheritance claims, citing Family Code rules.
Suicide and Seafarers' Death Benefits: Proving Intentional Self-Harm in Maritime Claims
When can a shipping company deny death benefits by proving a seafarer committed suicide? The Supreme Court explains the evidentiary standard.
Medical Abandonment in Seafarer Disability Claims: Upholding Treatment Obligations
Filing a disability claim while still under treatment can backfire. The Supreme Court explains medical abandonment in seafarer cases.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Filing Too Early Can Jeopardize Total Disability Benefits
Filing a disability claim before the 240-day treatment period ends can be fatal. Learn from the Supreme Court's ruling in C.F. Sharp Crew Management v. Orbeta.