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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Positive Identification Prevails Affirming Guilt Despite Conflicting Initial Reports
Supreme Court affirms homicide conviction, ruling positive eyewitness identification outweighs conflicting names in victim's dying declaration.
Airport Security Searches and Drug Possession: When Warrantless Arrests Fail
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on warrantless arrests, in flagrante delicto, and the exclusionary rule in drug possession cases.
Finality of Judgments, Jurisdiction, and Forum Shopping in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains when judgments become final, how appeals affect jurisdiction, and what constitutes forum shopping.
Incestuous Rape and Relationship as an Aggravating Circumstance: People v. Mendi
In People v. Mendi, the Supreme Court affirmed three rape convictions and clarified how a father's relationship to his daughter aggravates the crime.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Credibility of the Accuser and the Role of Physical Evidence
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that a credible victim's testimony suffices even without physical evidence and despite delayed reporting.
Delayed Reporting and Sleep as Defense: When Rape Becomes Acts of Lasciviousness
A father's conviction for rape was reduced to acts of lasciviousness because the victim slept through the alleged assault. Explore the ruling.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Credibility of Witness Testimony and Circumstantial Evidence
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible witness testimony and circumstantial evidence, explaining rules on unconscious victims and alibi.
Justice Sees Through The Night: Eyewitness Testimony And Treachery In Murder Convictions
The Supreme Court affirms a murder conviction based on a single eyewitness's credible night-time identification, explaining treachery and unlicensed firearm rules.
Unwavering Testimony: How Philippine Courts Uphold Victim Credibility in Rape Cases
Learn how Philippine courts assess witness credibility in criminal cases, using the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Navarro as a guide.
The Weight of Circumstantial Evidence in Securing Justice for Victims in the Philippines
How the Supreme Court upheld a rape-homicide conviction based on circumstantial evidence, explaining the rules for proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Circumstantial Evidence Sufficient for Conviction in Robbery With Homicide Case
Supreme Court affirms robbery with homicide convictions based on circumstantial evidence, explaining when such evidence suffices for guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Circumstantial Evidence and Treachery in Murder Convictions Without Direct Witnesses
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conviction for murder based on eyewitness identification, treachery, and the weakness of alibi defense.
Incestuous Rape: Why Alleging Minority in the Information Matters
A father's rape conviction was reduced from death to reclusion perpetua because the Information failed to properly allege the victim's minority.
Conspiracy and Liability in Philippine Murder Cases: The Uriarte Doctrine
A look at how Philippine courts handle conspiracy, witness credibility, and conflicting medical evidence in homicide cases.
When Flight Equals Guilt Examining Evidence AND Treachery IN Philippine Murder Cases
The Supreme Court affirms murder convictions, clarifying flight, treachery, and evidence rules in criminal cases.
Self Defense and Credibility: Redefining Homicide Conviction in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains Philippine rules on self-defense, defense of a relative, and witness credibility in affirming a homicide conviction.
Jurisdictional Boundaries: Appealing Customs Decisions and Exhausting Administrative Remedies in Importation D
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why importers must appeal customs abandonment decisions to the Commissioner and CTA, not RTC.
Attorney Suspended for Representing Conflicting Interests in Corporate Dispute
The Supreme Court suspended a lawyer for six months after finding she acted for conflicting interests in a corporation she helped organize and later led as president.
Guilt by Association: The Limits of Conspiracy in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that mere presence at a crime scene does not prove conspiracy, acquitting an accused while affirming a co-accused's murder conviction.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding the Death Penalty in Child Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for the rape of a six-year-old, detailing the rules on victim credibility and evidence.
When Brutality Escalates: Establishing Cruelty as an Aggravating Circumstance in Murder Convictions
The Supreme Court explains how cruelty as an aggravating circumstance elevates homicide to murder, using the Valdez decapitation case as a guide.
Upholding Attorney Accountability A Lawyers Duty TO Clients Despite FEE Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lawyer's duty to clients despite fee disputes, jurisdictional rules, and carrier liability for passenger safety.
Defining Counterclaims: Compulsory vs. Permissive in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish compulsory from permissive counterclaims, and why docket fees and jurisdiction depend on that distinction.
Affidavit Recantations and Parricide Convictions: Evaluating Witness Credibility
The Supreme Court affirms a parricide conviction, explaining why recanted affidavits carry little weight against open-court testimony.