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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Jurisdictional Boundaries Determining Competence in Injunction Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that Special Commercial Courts retain general jurisdiction over ordinary civil cases like injunction actions.
Maintaining Decorum: Ethical Standards for Court Employees in the Philippines
The Supreme Court reprimands a process server for discourtesy toward a superior, reaffirming strict ethical standards for all court personnel in the Philippines.
Upholding Ethical Boundaries: Attorneys' Duty and Good Faith in Legal Practice
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies attorneys' ethical duties, good faith, and confidentiality rules in administrative cases.
Moral Turpitude and Electoral Disqualification: Defining the Boundaries of Public Office Eligibility
The Supreme Court rules that libel is a crime involving moral turpitude, disqualifying a convicted candidate from public office under the Omnibus Election Code.
Golf Courses and Amusement Tax: When Local Tax Power Exceeds Its Boundaries
The Supreme Court nullifies Cebu City's amusement tax on golf courses, ruling it exceeds the Local Government Code's grant of taxing authority.
Land Conversion Disputes and the Finality of Agrarian Reform Decisions
The Supreme Court affirms that final and executory DAR conversion orders may no longer be questioned, especially on issues first raised on appeal.
Accountability in Public Service: Internal Auditors' Duty to Prevent Misuse of Funds
Supreme Court ruling on internal auditors' liability for government fund losses, explaining due diligence standards under COA rules.
Probationary Employment: Standards for Regularization and Dismissal Explained
Learn the rules on probationary employment in the Philippines—what standards employers must set and when dismissal is valid.
DARAB Jurisdiction Over Annulment of Land Sales Under CARP Coverage
Supreme Court clarifies DARAB jurisdiction over annulment of deeds of sale for agricultural lands covered by CARP, even without notice of coverage.
DARAB Jurisdiction Over Annulment of Land Sales Without DAR Clearance
The Supreme Court clarifies when the DARAB, not regular courts, has jurisdiction over annulment of land sales and title cancellation in agrarian reform cases.
Labor-Only Contracting and Illegal Dismissal: Solidary Liability of Principal and Contractor
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on labor-only contracting, control test, and solidary liability for illegal dismissal under the Labor Code.
Filing the Right Case: Why Agrarian Dispute Jurisdiction Matters
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies why cancellation of CLOAs involving non-tenants belongs to the DAR Secretary, not the DARAB.
Who Hears CLOA Cancellation Cases? The DAR Secretary, Not DARAB, Rules
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that DARAB lacks jurisdiction over CLOA cancellation cases without tenurial disputes; the DAR Secretary decides.
Upholding Ethical Standards: An Attorney's Duty to Avoid Delaying Tactics in Legal Proceedings
The Supreme Court suspends a lawyer for three months for employing dilatory tactics, reaffirming the duty to avoid delaying legal proceedings.
Disbarment for Gross Immorality: When a Lawyer’s Private Conduct Ends the Legal Career
The Supreme Court disbars a Court of Appeals clerk for an adulterous affair, reaffirming that lawyers must uphold high moral standards in private life.
Solidary Liability and Compromise: When Settling With One Debtor Benefits All
When solidary debtors are sued under a common cause of action, a compromise with one may extinguish liability for all. This explains the rule.
Upholding Ethical Standards: University's Right to Transfer Faculty for Breaches of Professional Ethics
When can a university transfer a professor for ethical lapses? The Supreme Court clarifies management prerogative versus constructive dismissal.
Solidary Liability in Suretyship: Partners' Obligations in Loan Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on solidary liability of partners and sureties in loan agreements, explained in plain language.
Circumstantial Evidence and Murder Conviction: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
The Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence suffices to convict for murder, applying the Rules of Court standard.
Tenancy vs Ownership: Who Hears Agrarian Disputes?
The Supreme Court clarifies when a case is an agrarian dispute for DARAB and when it belongs in regular courts, using a Bulacan land case.
Navigating Jurisdictional Boundaries Resolving Employment Disputes Within Corporate Structures
The Supreme Court clarifies which courts and tribunals have jurisdiction when employment claims and intra-corporate disputes overlap in one case.
Disbarment FOR Immorality Upholding Moral Standards IN THE Legal Profession
Rape Conviction Affirmed Conspiracy AND THE Standard OF Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Explore how the Supreme Court acquitted a drug suspect, emphasizing that a valid warrantless arrest must precede any search incident to arrest.
Boundary Disputes and Ejectment: Clarifying the Proper Legal Action in Philippine Property Law
When a property conflict involves boundary lines, ejectment is not the right remedy. Learn what action to file.