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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Homicide vs Murder: Proving Intent and Circumstances in Criminal Law
When qualifying circumstances like treachery and evident premeditation lack proof, a killing is homicide, not murder.
Treachery Defined: Understanding Intent and Opportunity in Philippine Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts define treachery in murder cases, requiring both a sudden attack and deliberate adoption of the means.
Liability IN Robbery With Homicide THE Intent TO ROB Governs THE Outcome
Parricide vs. Accident: When a Fatal Shooting Is Not an Exempting Circumstance
The Supreme Court explains why the defense of accident fails when intent to kill is shown by overt acts, affirming a parricide conviction.
Ombudsman's Discretion and the Power to Prosecute in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on reckless imprudence, malice, and criminal intent shows why intent, once proven, defeats a defense of accident.
Theft of an Aircraft: When Taking Without Consent Is Still Theft in the Philippines
A pilot's unauthorized flight of his former employer's aircraft was ruled theft. The Supreme Court clarifies intent to gain and penalties.
Reforming Insurance Policies How Manifest Intent Prevails Over Technical Descriptions In Property Claims
A fire insurance dispute shows how courts prioritize the parties' true intent over technical misdescriptions in policies.
Mistake of Identity and the Limits of Treachery: Intent in Criminal Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when mistaken identity negates treachery and how intent shapes murder versus homicide liability in the Philippines.
Homicide vs Murder: Proving Intent and Circumstances in Criminal Cases
How Philippine courts distinguish murder from homicide through qualifying circumstances like treachery, and why intent alone is not enough.
From Murder to Homicide: Proving Treachery and Intent in Criminal Cases
When qualifying circumstances like treachery aren't proven beyond reasonable doubt, a murder charge may be reduced to homicide.
Conspiracy, Intent, and Frustrated Homicide: Lessons from Salvatierra v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies conspiracy and frustrated homicide in Salvatierra v. People, explaining when accomplices share liability for a crime.
The Boundaries of Conspiracy: Examining Intent in Frustrated Homicide Cases in the Philippines
How Philippine courts determine conspiracy in frustrated homicide, using the Salvatierra case to explain shared intent and liability.
Sale vs Commodatum: Property Rights and Contractual Intent in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how to distinguish sale from commodatum, and why proving ownership in recovery actions requires clear evidence of title and identity.
Treachery in Murder and Homicide: Intent and Qualifying Circumstances Explained
Understand treachery as a qualifying circumstance in murder, and the difference between frustrated and attempted murder under Philippine law.
Accountability for Group Violence: Assessing Liability and Intent in Philippine Law
How Philippine courts assign criminal liability when multiple persons conspire to commit murder, and when aggravating circumstances apply.
Treachery Defined: How a Sudden Attack Determines Murderous Intent in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains how treachery qualifies a killing as murder, and why sudden, coordinated attacks negate self-defense claims.
How the Prosecution Proves Intent to Gain in Robbery With Homicide
The Supreme Court explains how intent to gain is proven in robbery with homicide cases, using People v. Del Rosario as a guide.
Conspiracy and Intent: How Philippine Courts Establish Criminal Liability
A Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy and evident premeditation in murder, explaining how joint purpose and intent establish liability.
Intent to Gain in Carnapping and Liability Through Criminal Conspiracy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on intent to gain in carnapping, conspiracy liability, and penalties under the Anti-Carnapping Act.
Mistaken Identity or Intentional Act: The Fine Line Between Assistance and Kidnapping
Explore the Supreme Court's acquittal in People v. Ubongen, clarifying when helping a lost child is not kidnapping under Philippine law.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent in Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court explains how sudden, unexpected attacks establish treachery in murder cases, even when attacker and victim exchange words first.
Treachery and Intent: Differentiating Murder and Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder and when it remains homicide, in People v. Lucena.
Conditional Donations: Upholding Intent Despite Technicalities in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court ruled that substantial compliance with donation formalities and the donor's intent prevail over technical defects in accepting conditional donations.
Reckless Imprudence vs Intentional Felony: Determining Criminal Liability in Vehicular Accidents
Understand how Philippine courts distinguish reckless imprudence from intentional felonies in vehicular accidents, and why the distinction matters for criminal liability.