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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Rape Shield Protecting Child Victims AND Upholding Justice
The Supreme Court affirms rape convictions based on the credible testimony of a victim, explaining key evidentiary rules in Philippine rape cases.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Supreme Court on Uncorroborated Testimony and Victim Behavior
SC explains why a rape victim's testimony can stand alone, and why the death penalty needed the relationship alleged in the information.
Parental Authority and Rape: Why Minority Must Be Alleged in Qualified Rape Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a father's conviction for raping his daughter was reduced from death to reclusion perpetua when her minority was not alleged.
Intrafamilial Rape: Proving Guilt and the Nuances of Consent and Evidence
A father's rape conviction upheld on appeal, clarifying evidence rules, consent issues, and penalty requirements in incestuous rape cases.
Intimidation in Rape Cases: Protecting Minor Victims Under Philippine Law
How Philippine courts assess intimidation, delay in reporting, and child testimony in rape cases involving minors.
Rape and Parental Authority: Proving Qualifying Circumstances for Enhanced Penalties
In rape cases, the death penalty requires proof of both the victim's minority and the offender's relationship. This case explains why.
Proving Victim’s Age in Rape Cases: When Death Penalty Fails
In People v. Virrey, the Supreme Court ruled that minority must be proven beyond reasonable doubt before the death penalty can be imposed in rape cases.
Voice Identification in Rape Cases: Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How Philippine courts treat voice recognition as valid identification in rape cases, and why unpleaded aggravating circumstances reduce the penalty.
Upholding Victims Rights Positive Identification AND Aggravating Circumstances IN Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on voice identification, but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because aggravating circumstances were not alleged in the information.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Philippine Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape cases: positive identification by victims outweighs denial and alibi defenses.
Credibility in Rape Cases: How Philippine Courts Weigh Witness Testimony
In the Sanchez rape-with-homicide case, the Supreme Court explains why trial court findings on witness credibility are rarely overturned on appeal.
Affidavit of Desistance in Rape Cases: Overcoming Coercion and Protecting Victims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an affidavit of desistance in rape cases is coerced and how courts protect victims from intimidation.
Beyond Consensual Proving: The Qualification of Step-Parent Relationship in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that a step-parent relationship in statutory rape must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, not just by testimony.
Parental Authority vs Filial Rights: Consent Boundaries in Statutory Rape Cases
A father's rape of his 14-year-old daughter clarifies consent, parental authority, and split appellate jurisdiction in Philippine law.
Credibility Is Key: How Philippine Courts Decide Rape Cases on Witness Testimony
Philippine courts weigh victim credibility heavily in rape cases. This article explains the rules from People v. Galvez, including alibi and damages.
Incestuous Rape: When a Father's Moral Ascendancy Replaces Force and Intimidation
The Supreme Court explains how a father's moral ascendancy over his daughter substitutes for force and intimidation in incestuous rape cases.
Rape and Credibility: Evaluating Testimony in the Face of Physical Disability
Physical disability alone does not negate rape liability. The Supreme Court affirms conviction, explaining how credibility, not disability, decides rape cases.
Defining the Boundaries of Rape Penetration as a Necessary Element in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that touching the labia, not mere epidermal contact, is required to consummate statutory rape.
Moral Ascendancy as Substitute for Force in Incestuous and Family Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how moral ascendancy and intimidation can substitute for physical force in rape convictions.
Moral Ascendancy and the Absence of Violent Resistance in Rape Cases: Protecting Vulnerable Victims
Why a rape victim's lack of violent struggle does not mean consent, and how moral ascendancy and threats establish intimidation.
Credibility of Witness Testimony in Rape Cases: People v. Calimlim
The Supreme Court affirms four rape convictions, explaining how trial courts weigh victim credibility, alibi, and the limits of the death penalty.
THE Perils OF Identification Safeguarding Rights IN Robbery With Rape Cases
Parental Incest Establishing Minority of the Victim Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Rape Cases
How Philippine courts prove a rape victim's minority for the death penalty, using parental incest as the key example.
Date Discrepancies and Fair Notice in Rape Cases: Protecting the Accused's Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how vague dates in rape informations violate the accused's constitutional right to fair notice and defense.