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.
Court Personnel and Immoral Conduct: When Private Acts Become Administrative Liability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how court employees' private immoral conduct can lead to administrative sanctions and suspension.
Agency Responsibility Clarifying Liability In Overseas Placement Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a Philippine recruitment agency remains liable to overseas workers despite an alleged transfer of accreditation.
Probate Appeals and Executor Disqualification: Lessons from the Marcos Estate Case
The Supreme Court clarifies appeal rules in probate cases and when a criminal conviction disqualifies an executor for moral turpitude.
Eyewitness Testimony and Conspiracy Decide Double Murder Case
How credible eyewitness testimony and conspiracy principles led to homicide convictions in a juvenile double murder case.
Novation and Loan Enforceability: When a Verbal Change Makes a Debt Due
Explaining how a verbal agreement to start paying early can novate a loan's conditions, making it due and demandable under Philippine law.
Marital Cohabitation and Consensual Acts: Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when cohabitation does not imply consent, and how rape and acts of lasciviousness are distinguished in Philippine criminal law.
From Rice Fields to Fair Value: Determining Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform
When PD 27 lands remain unpaid at RA 6657's passage, just compensation follows RA 6657, not the old decree.
Finality of Judgments: Why Prior Dismissals Can Prevent New Lawsuits
A dismissed case can bar a refiled lawsuit. The Supreme Court explains the doctrine of res judicata and finality of judgments.
Letters of Intent: When a Preliminary Document Is Not a Contract of Sale in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a Letter of Intent remains a mere declaration of intention, not a binding contract to sell or conditional sale.
Probationary Employees Can Vote in Certification Elections: Key SC Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies probationary employees' voting rights in certification elections, ordering a run-off after votes were wrongly excluded.
Clerk of Court Suspended for Unauthorized Fee Collection: Breach of Duty
A branch clerk of court was suspended for collecting commissioner's and stenographer's fees without authority. Learn the rules on court fee collection.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Solidary vs Joint Obligations: When Liability Is Not Presumed in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that solidary obligations are not presumed; joint debtors are liable only for their proportionate shares.
Voluntary Appearance and Motion to Dismiss: When Filing Confers Jurisdiction in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when filing a motion to dismiss without raising lack of jurisdiction constitutes voluntary appearance.
Voluntary Appearance and Summons: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a defendant's court filings waive defective summons, protecting property rights in quieting title cases.
When Retirement Moots a Disapproved Appointment: CSC vs. Tahanlangit
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that optional retirement during the appeal period renders a CSC appointment disapproval moot.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Corporate Officer Liability in Labor Disputes
When can corporate officers be personally liable for labor claims? The Supreme Court clarifies the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in Nisda v. Sea Serve Maritime Agency.
Forum Shopping in Ejectment Cases: Lessons from Dy v. Mandy Commodities
Filing two ejectment suits over the same property amounts to forum shopping, a practice the Supreme Court penalizes with twin dismissal.
Default Orders and the Law of the Case: When Prior Rulings Bind Subsequent Appeals
The Supreme Court explains how the doctrine of law of the case bars relitigating a default order previously upheld with finality.
Accountability FOR ALL Establishing Conspiracy IN Robbery With Homicide
A conviction for robbery with homicide does not require each conspirator to wield the weapon. Presence and common purpose suffice.
Hierarchy of Courts: When Direct Resort to the Supreme Court Is Not Allowed
The Supreme Court explains the hierarchy of courts rule and why direct petitions for certiorari must first go to the Court of Appeals.
Falsification of Public Documents: When Notarizing False Affidavits Becomes a Crime
A mayor's conviction for notarizing false affidavits of ownership and joint affidavits shows how public officials can be liable for falsification under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.
Chain of Custody Imperative Safeguarding Drug Evidence for Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court acquits drug suspect when prosecution fails to prove unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu.
Possession Is Nine Tenths of the Law: Enforceability of a Writ of Possession During Appeal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a writ of possession in extrajudicial foreclosures can be enforced even while an appeal is pending.