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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When Supervening Events Trump Dismissal: Due Process and Equity in Philippine Administrative Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how supervening events and equity can overturn an administrative dismissal despite valid due process.
Philippine Supreme Court on Default Orders: When a Late Answer Is Excusable
The Supreme Court explains when a party's failure to answer on time may be excused and how courts should liberally treat default orders.
Credibility of Child Testimony in Rape Cases: Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
How Philippine courts assess a minor rape victim's testimony, minor inconsistencies, and absence of injuries in incest cases.
Limits of Protest Striking Teachers and the Public Interest in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on teacher strikes, free assembly limits, and public interest in education.
Correcting Birth Certificate Errors in the Philippines: When Is a Summary Proceeding Enough?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when Rule 108 summary proceedings can correct birth certificate errors versus when adversarial proceedings are required.
Acceleration Clauses in Philippine Chattel Mortgages: Rights and Limitations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on acceleration clauses in chattel mortgages, good faith, and damages for wrongful foreclosure.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Why Uncorroborated Testimony and Delay Can Lead to Acquittal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when uncorroborated victim testimony suffices for rape conviction and when delay or inconsistency may warrant acquittal.
Credibility of Child Testimony in Statutory Rape Cases: Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence
How Philippine courts assess the credibility of a mentally disturbed minor's sole testimony in multiple statutory rape cases, based on People v. Vaynaco.
Resolving Conflicts Between Reconstituted and Transfer Certificates of Title in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a reconstituted title is void if an existing transfer certificate of title covers the same land.
Credibility Counts: Rape Convictions Upheld Despite Victim's Mental Health Condition
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape convictions based on credible testimony of a mentally disturbed victim, clarifying rules on witness credibility and judge questioning.
When Witnesses Can't See: Proving Robbery With Homicide Through Circumstantial Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how circumstantial evidence can prove robbery with homicide even without eyewitnesses to the killing.
Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Arbitration Finality and Limited Court Intervention
Explore how the Supreme Court affirmed arbitration finality under RA 876 while correcting interest rates and damages in National Steel Corp. v. E. Willkom Enterprises.
Complex Crime vs Separate Offenses: When Multiple Murders Are Not a Single Crime
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when multiple killings form one complex crime or separate offenses, and the effect on penalties.
Time Is of the Essence: Prescription and Laches in Philippine Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how prescription and laches bar property claims filed decades after a sale with pacto de retro.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Proving Your Case Even Without a Termination Letter
Illegal dismissal can be proven even without a termination letter. Learn the rules from a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Certiorari vs Appeal: When Courts Can Review Dismissal Orders in Administrative Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when certiorari, not appeal, is the proper remedy for challenging dismissal orders in administrative disputes.
Land Ownership in the Philippines: Why Possession Isn't Always Nine Tenths of the Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when lengthy possession of public land cannot ripen into private ownership, and why free patents prevail.
Legal Interest Rates in the Philippines: When Does 6% vs 12% Apply
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when 6% or 12% legal interest applies—loans and forbearance versus other obligations. Learn the rules.
When Courts May Reopen a Criminal Case After Evidence Is Closed
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a trial court may reopen a criminal case after the parties have rested, and the limits of that discretion.
Grievance Before Strike: SC Upholds CBA Machinery in Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court rules unions must exhaust CBA grievance and arbitration procedures before declaring a strike, citing San Miguel Corp. v. NLRC.
Heirship First, Claim Later: Proving You're an Heir Before Filing Property Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why heirs must first be declared in special proceedings before filing property reconveyance cases.
Unmasking Equitable Mortgages in the Philippines: When a Deed of Sale Isn’t Really a Sale
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage, protecting borrowers from unfair land deals.
AGE Matters Most Understanding Statutory Rape Convictions IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies statutory rape: victim's age under 12 is the sole element, making force or consent irrelevant.
The Unwavering Credibility of Child Testimony in Statutory Rape Cases: A Philippine Jurisprudence Analysis
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on statutory rape: a child victim's credible testimony alone can sustain a conviction, even without force or intimidation.