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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Ensuring Justice: The Critical Role of Chain of Custody in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, clarifying that marking and inventory may be done at the police station, not necessarily at the arrest site.
Default Judgments and Due Process: How Actual Receipt of Summons Cures Defective Service
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how actual receipt of summons cures defective substituted service and the requirements for lifting default orders.
Consent and Coercion: Rape and Sexual Abuse Nuances in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between rape and sexual abuse, acquitting on rape but convicting on child abuse.
Motion for Reconsideration Stays Execution: Due Process in Land Disputes
A pending motion for reconsideration stays execution of judgment. The Supreme Court explains why a writ of execution cannot bind non-parties.
Independent Contractor vs Employee: Drawing the Line in Insurance Compensation
Supreme Court clarifies when insurance unit managers are independent contractors, not employees, and must repay drawing allowances.
Accountability in Kidnapping: Conspiracy and Accessory Liability in Heinous Crimes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies conspiracy and accessory liability in kidnapping and heinous crimes, emphasizing accountability for all participants.
B.P. 22 and the Corporate Veil: When Corporate Officers Face Personal Liability
The Supreme Court pierces the corporate veil in B.P. 22 cases, holding officers personally liable for bouncing checks—but only with proper notice of dishonor.
Upholding Notarial Integrity Consequences FOR False Attestation
Union Busting and Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Workers' Right to Organize
A look at how the Supreme Court protected union members from employer retaliation and enforced due process in dismissals.
Premature Election Notices and Lawyer Discipline: A Lesson in Upholding the Rule of Law
A provincial election supervisor's premature notices before COMELEC acted led to a one-year suspension—a lesson on lawyers' duty to obey the law.
Lawyer Suspended for Premature Election Notices: Upholding Legal Processes Under Canon 1
A provincial election supervisor's premature notices of a special election led to a one-year suspension for violating Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Safeguarding Rights: The Peril of Shortcuts in Drug Cases and the Importance of Due Process
In People v. Sumilip, the Supreme Court acquitted an accused after police failed to follow the strict chain of custody rules under the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Broken Chains Safeguarding Drug Evidence AND DUE Process Rights
Redundancy AND DUE Process Balancing Business Judgment AND Employee Rights IN Termination Cases
Due Process in Termination: Ensuring Fair Dismissal Under Philippine Labor Law
Learn the rules for valid dismissal in the Philippines—substantive and procedural due process, and what happens when employers fail to comply.
Diminished Liability When Forewarning Reduces Murder TO Homicide
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a victim forewarned of danger negates treachery, reducing murder to homicide.
Incestuous Rape: When Moral Ascendancy Substitutes for Force
The Supreme Court explains how a father's moral ascendancy can substitute for force in incestuous rape cases, and clarifies the distinction between rape by sexual intercourse and sexual assault.
Environmental Advocacy and the Attorney's Duty When Fisherfolk Voices Clash in the West Philippine Sea
How lawyers can ethically navigate environmental advocacy when fisherfolk voices clash in the West Philippine Sea.
Upholding Integrity Consequences FOR Notarizing Documents Without Personal Appearance 4
Supreme Court suspends lawyer for notarizing a deed without the parties' personal appearance, stressing notarization is not a routinary act.
Due Process and Employee Dismissal: Balancing Just Cause With Procedural Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies that dismissal without just cause is illegal even if procedural notice was given, entitling the employee to backwages and separation pay.
DUE Process Rights Prevail Ensuring Fair Treatment IN Administrative Cases
Due Process and Employee Dismissal: Balancing Rights and Employer Authority in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the twin-notice rule in dismissals and when a flawed procedure still yields a valid termination.
Conditional Sales and Default: When Unpaid Balances Void Property Claims
A buyer who fails to pay the balance in a contract to sell loses rights to the property, as the Supreme Court affirmed in Mandin-Trotin v. Bongo.
Verbal Agreements vs Written Contracts: When a Lease or Workplace Transfer Can Be Modified
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when verbal notices and transfer orders are invalid, protecting employee security of tenure.