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.
Safeguarding Employee Rights: The Imperative of Due Process in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Genesis Transport clarifies preventive suspension limits, valid dismissal, and illegal wage deductions under the Labor Code.
Good Faith Prevails: Protecting Innocent Purchasers in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on innocent purchasers for value, good faith, and extinguishment of claims in property disputes.
Party Expulsions and Due Process: When Can a Political Party Remove Members
The Supreme Court clarifies that political party expulsions are internal matters, not subject to constitutional due process requirements.
Insubordination and Due Process: Understanding Employee Rights in Disciplinary Actions
The Supreme Court clarifies when a suspension order is valid, what due process requires, and when defiance justifies dismissal under Philippine law.
Receivership as a Remedy: When Courts Can Appoint One Pending Litigation
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may appoint a receiver pending appeal, emphasizing that receivership is a harsh remedy reserved for extreme cases.
Recanted Confession Inadmissible Against Co-Conspirators: Tamargo v. Awingan
The Supreme Court explains why a recanted extrajudicial confession cannot be used against alleged co-conspirators in criminal cases.
Rape Conviction Affirming Victim Testimony AND Ensuring Justice
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible victim testimony, explains qualifying circumstances and penalties under Philippine law.
The Devil in the Details: Upholding Conviction Despite Flaw in Rape Information
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction but reduces penalty to reclusion perpetua because the information failed to allege relationship within the third civil degree.
Execution Pending Appeal: Clarifying the Timeline for Election Contests in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may issue execution pending appeal in election contests, resolving a common procedural misunderstanding.
Prejudicial Question and Three-Term Limit in Barangay Elections: Monreal v. COMELEC
The Supreme Court explains when a constitutional challenge can suspend disqualification cases and how the three-term limit applies.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: PEZA Cancellation of Ecozone Registration Upheld
Supreme Court rules on due process and substantial evidence in administrative proceedings involving PEZA cancellation of ecozone enterprise registration.
Preventive Suspension of Public Officials: Due Process and Unexplained Wealth in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when the Ombudsman may preventively suspend public officials and what due process requires in unexplained wealth cases.
Protecting Public Funds Supreme Court Invalidates Compromise Agreement Involving Government Assets
Supreme Court voids PNCC-Radstock compromise that would have transferred P6.185 billion in public assets to a private foreign firm.
Contempt of the COMELEC: The Scope of Its Quasi-Judicial Power Explained
The Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's power to cite for contempt even when acting through fact-finding task forces, clarifying the scope of its quasi-judicial authority.
Habeas Corpus for Child Custody: What the Supreme Court Requires
The Supreme Court clarifies when habeas corpus applies to child custody disputes and why courts must hold a trial, not just produce the child.
Just Compensation Land Valuation Under Agrarian Reform Requires Independent Judicial Assessment
Philippine Supreme Court rules trial courts must independently determine just compensation in agrarian reform cases, not merely adopt DARAB valuations.
Custody Rights and the Child's Welfare: Reassessing Habeas Corpus in Family Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that habeas corpus in child custody cases aims to determine rightful custody, not just produce the child.
Insubordination vs Humane Consideration: Employee Dismissal Under Scrutiny
SC rules on when a manager's failure to follow a directive is not insubordination, and why loss of confidence needs substantial evidence.
GSIS Held in Contempt for Delaying Payment of Permanent Total Disability Benefits Under RA 8291
Supreme Court cites GSIS for indirect contempt for delaying payment of a member's permanent total disability benefits under RA 8291.
Contempt of Court: Upholding Judicial Authority and Enforcing Final Judgments
The Supreme Court held GSIS in indirect contempt for delaying payment of a final disability award, reaffirming that final judgments must be obeyed.
Liberty vs Military Authority: Balancing Rights in the Philippine Armed Forces
Supreme Court ruling on a general's preventive suspension and arrest, clarifying due process and injunctive relief in military discipline cases.
Public Hearing Imperative Invalidating Ordinances Without Community Input
A municipal ordinance imposing goodwill fees without a valid prior public hearing is void, the Supreme Court rules.
Prescription in Reconveyance: Clarifying the Four-Year Rule for Actions Based on Threat and Intimidation
The Supreme Court clarifies when the four-year prescriptive period runs in reconveyance actions based on threat and intimidation, not fraud.
Safeguarding Election Integrity and Due Process in COMELEC's Ballot Appreciation
The Supreme Court clarifies when COMELEC's internal ballot appreciation requires notice and how due process applies in election contests.