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.
Forestry Laws: Driver Liability and Knowledge in Illegal Logging Cases
Supreme Court ruling on truck driver liability for transporting undocumented lumber under the Revised Forestry Code, and how knowledge and conspiracy are proven.
Fraud Voids Donations: Protecting Consent in Property Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how fraud and misrepresentation invalidate donations, protecting illiterate donors' consent in property transfers.
Surety's Liability Survives Death of Principal Debtor: Stronghold Insurance v. Republic-Asahi
The Supreme Court rules that a surety's solidary liability under a performance bond is not extinguished by the death of the principal debtor.
Reconstitution of Titles: Verifying Authenticity and Protecting Property Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies judicial reconstitution of lost titles under RA 26, emphasizing owner's duplicate authenticity and jurisdictional requirements.
Due Process Prevails in Property Disputes: When a Writ of Possession Cannot Be Enjoined
The Supreme Court clarifies when a writ of possession in extrajudicial foreclosures is ministerial and when due process protects third-party possessors.
Ombudsman's Power to Impose Administrative Penalties: Not Just a Recommendation
The Supreme Court clarifies that the Ombudsman can directly impose administrative penalties, not merely recommend them, under the Constitution and RA 6770.
Untangling Tax Assessment Appeals: Deadlines and Excusable Neglect
A bank missed the 30-day window to appeal its tax assessment to the CTA. The Supreme Court explains why deadlines are jurisdictional and when relief is unavailable.
Execution Pending Appeal in Election Cases: When "Good Reasons" Are Not Enough
The Supreme Court clarifies when execution pending appeal in election cases is allowed and why "good reasons" must be clearly established.
Seafarers Are Contractual Employees: What This Means for Benefits Claims
Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers are contractual, not regular, employees—affecting 13th month pay and disability benefits claims.
Unsigned Stipulations in Mortgages: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Consent as Key
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mortgage stipulation inserted after signing without the mortgagor's consent is void ab initio.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: What Philippine Courts Look For
When is a deed of sale really a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the rules on equitable mortgage in Cirelos v. Hernandez.
Challenging NLRC Decisions: Judicial Review in Illegal Dismissal Cases in the Philippines
Learn how courts review NLRC rulings in illegal dismissal cases, and when factual findings may be overturned.
Deficiency Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure: Can Banks Recover More After Auction?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks can collect deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure of real estate mortgages.
Successor Liability in Philippine Labor Law: When Is a Company Responsible for Another's Debts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company becomes liable for another firm's labor debts under successor liability rules.
Stare Decisis in Philippine Courts: How Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to bar relitigation of the Pepsi The decision demonstrates how prior rulings on the same controversy can bar subsequent claims and promote consistency in the ad
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Accion Publiciana: When Can You File to Recover Property Possession in the Philippines
Learn when to file accion publiciana instead of unlawful detainer to recover property possession in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Unconscionable Interest Rates When Courts Intervene in Surety Bond Disputes
Philippine courts can reduce stipulated interest rates that balloon beyond the principal debt. Learn the rule from a 2006 surety bond case.
Exhausting Administrative Remedies with the COA: A Prerequisite for Money Claims Against Government Agencies
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that money claims against government agencies must first be filed with the COA before going to court.
Protecting Landowner Rights Due Process and Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform
Learn how the Supreme Court balanced landowner due process rights with farmer-beneficiary qualifications in agrarian reform cases under RA 6657.
Constructive Dismissal and OFWs: What the Supreme Court Says About Quitting
The Supreme Court explains when an OFW's resignation is constructive dismissal and how quitclaims affect claims for unpaid wages.