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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Age of Criminal Responsibility: Mental Capacity vs Chronological Age in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies how a victim's age affects penalties in rape and lascivious conduct cases under Philippine law.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Credible Testimony and Victims' Rights in Sexual Assault Cases
A father's rape conviction upheld by the Supreme Court, affirming the weight of a child victim's credible testimony.
Rape and Statutory Rape: Establishing Guilt and Proper Penalties in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when rape becomes qualified rape, the penalties involved, and how courts assess victim testimony.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Credibility of Testimony and Immateriality of Pregnancy
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that a victim's pregnancy does not negate rape and that court testimony prevails over affidavits.
Challenging the Sweetheart Defense: Consensual vs Forced Intimacy in Philippine Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when the "sweetheart defense" fails in rape cases, and how courts weigh consent against force and intimidation.
Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Shifting Defenses: The Importance of Victim Testimony
Supreme Court affirms qualified rape conviction, ruling that credible victim testimony prevails over denial, ill motive claims, and pregnancy timing arguments.
Sweetheart Defense in Rape Cases: Why the Supreme Court Rejected It in People v. Dioquino
The Supreme Court affirms seven rape convictions, explaining why the sweetheart defense fails without corroborating evidence and how damages are computed.
Familial Trust Betrayed Upholding Justice IN Cases OF Qualified Rape
Mental Capacity and Witness Testimony: Protecting Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Assault
How Philippine courts assess mental capacity of rape victims with disabilities, and why mental retardation alone does not disqualify a witness.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of a Person Deprived of Reason
The Supreme Court affirms the rape conviction of a man who sexually abused a mentally deficient minor, clarifying the distinction between "demented" and "deprived of reason" under the Revised Penal Co
Protecting the Vulnerable: Statutory Rape and the Evolution of Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a conviction for statutory rape, clarifying how Philippine law protects minors and how penalties evolved under RA 8353.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Credibility of Testimony and Indeterminate Sentence Law in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
Supreme Court affirms father's rape conviction, clarifies proper indeterminate penalty and damages in child sexual assault cases.
Parental Authority and Rape: When Rubbing the Penis Is Not Consummated Rape
A father's conviction for rape is modified by the Supreme Court, which distinguishes sexual assault from consummated rape and attempted rape.
The Peril of Uncorroborated Rape Allegations: Protecting the Accused's Rights
The Supreme Court acquits a rape accused, stressing that uncorroborated testimony and inconsistent conduct create reasonable doubt.
When Rape Claims Fail the Test of Credibility: People v. Patentes
The Supreme Court acquits a rape convict, showing how inconsistent testimony and doubtful conduct can create reasonable doubt.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Statutory Rape and Sexual Assault in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a man for statutory rape and sexual assault against a six-year-old child, clarifying key legal principles.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Victim’s Credibility and the Weight of Positive Identification
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, detailing how a victim's credible testimony and positive identification outweigh denial and alibi defenses.
Credibility in Rape Cases: The Weight of the Victim's Testimony and Positive Identification
In rape cases, the victim's credible testimony alone can convict. This article explains the rules on credibility, identification, and damages.
When Silence Isnt Consent Credibility IN Rape AND Acts OF Lasciviousness Cases
Incestuous Rape: Child Victims' Testimony and Parental Responsibility
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on child victim's credible testimony, clarifies attempted rape vs. acts of lasciviousness distinction.
Protecting Children: High Court Clarifies Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness Rules
The Supreme Court clarifies when sexual acts against minors constitute rape versus acts of lasciviousness, and explains the rules on conviction.
Incestuous Rape: Why Courts Trust Child Victims' Testimony in Parental Abuse Cases
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on child victims' credible testimony, explaining why intact hymen and minor inconsistencies don't defeat prosecution.
Credible Testimony Alone Sufficient FOR Rape Conviction Examining Standards OF Evidence
Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Victim's Mental Retardation: People v. Manicat
The Supreme Court upheld a rape conviction where the victim had mild mental retardation, ruling that mental disability does not automatically disqualify a witness.