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.
Perfecting Mortgage Registration: Entry Book Notice Prevails Despite Fee Delay
Supreme Court clarifies that entry in the Register of Deeds' primary entry book constitutes registration, even if fees are paid the next day.
Waiving Complaint Defects: How Trial Participation Impacts Jurisdiction
Learn how participating in trial can waive defects in an ejectment complaint, affecting jurisdiction over unlawful detainer cases.
Retirement Benefits vs Separation Pay: Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine law distinguishes retirement benefits from separation pay. Learn the rules, when each applies, and what employees should know.
Paying Appellate Docket Fees on Time Is Mandatory for a Valid Appeal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why paying appellate docket fees on time is mandatory, and what happens when an appeal is filed without them.
Upholding Procedural Rules: The Importance of Timely Appeals in Labor Disputes
Court holds clerk of court liable for five-year delay in transmitting appeal records, underscoring strict compliance with Rule 41.
Perfecting Appeals: Why Timely Docket Fees Matter in Philippine Courts
Philippine courts require timely payment of appellate docket fees to perfect an appeal. Learn the rules and practical lessons from Navarro v. Metrobank.
Possession After Foreclosure: Why the Buyer Wins the Writ of Possession
Buyers in extrajudicial foreclosure sales are entitled to possession of the property. The Supreme Court explains why in Samson v. Rivera.
Bank Liability and Misplaced Trust: Who Pays When Loan Payments Go Astray
When a bank forecloses on property later found to be fraudulently mortgaged, who bears the loss? This case explains the legal protection for innocent mortgagees.
Court Can Grant Unprayed Relief When Facts Warrant It: Arroyo v. Taduran
Supreme Court affirms P500,000 award despite no prayer for indemnity, citing judicial admissions and the rule on relief based on factual allegations.
Business Closure and Employee Rights: Employer Obligations in Termination
Understand employer obligations when closing a business in the Philippines, including notice requirements, separation pay, and when dismissal is valid.
Preliminary Injunctions Preserving THE STATUS QUO IN Contract Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts handle preliminary injunctions and the status quo in contract disputes, with key rules on forum shopping.
Foreclosure Publication Requirements: Protecting Property Rights in Rural Bank Loans
Learn how strict publication rules in rural bank foreclosures protect property owners, and why buyers must verify possession before purchasing.
Bank Negligence in Foreclosure: Damages and Attorney's Fees Reassessed
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts compute actual, moral damages and attorney's fees when banks act negligently in foreclosure disputes.
Closure of Business: Employer's Right vs Union Busting Allegations in Labor Disputes
When can an employer close shop without being guilty of union busting? The Supreme Court explains the rules on legitimate business closure.
Reasonable Doubt Safeguarding Liberty in Kidnapping Cases
A look at People v. Obeso, where the Supreme Court acquitted a man of kidnapping, stressing that conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt.
When a Deed of Sale Is Really an Equitable Mortgage: Cruz v. Cruz
The Supreme Court explains when a purported deed of sale is actually an equitable mortgage, protecting borrowers from losing property for a fraction of its value.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Borrowers in Five-Six Lending
When is a deed of sale actually a mortgage? The Supreme Court protects borrowers in five-six lending schemes.
Forum Shopping and Foreclosure: Navigating Jurisdictional Boundaries in Mortgage Disputes
When properties in different provinces are foreclosed, filing separate suits to stop each sale is not forum shopping. The Supreme Court explains why.
Unregistered Mortgage vs Notice of Lis Pendens: Priority Rights in Foreclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on priority between unregistered mortgages and notices of lis pendens in property foreclosure disputes.
Substantial Compliance When Overly Strict Rules Give Way to Justice in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court reminds litigants that procedural rules yield to substantial justice, as shown in a case on equitable mortgage and res judicata.
Equitable Mortgages Have No Redemption Right in Judicial Foreclosure for Private Mortgagees
In a judicial foreclosure of an equitable mortgage by a private lender, the mortgagor has no right of redemption after confirmation of sale.
Amicable Settlement vs Original Obligation: When Does a Compromise Change the Deal
A compromise that is not perfected does not automatically novate the original debt. Learn when an amicable settlement modifies or extinguishes an obligation.
Deposit Insurance Coverage and the Usual Course of Business Rule in Bank Transactions
Supreme Court ruling on PDIC coverage for deposits made before a bank's closure, defining "usual course of business."
Carnapping With Homicide: Conspiracy and Admissibility of Extrajudicial Confessions
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on carnapping with homicide, conspiracy among co-accused, and when extrajudicial confessions to private persons are admissible.