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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Eyewitness Testimony vs Alibi: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
When no eyewitness exists, circumstantial evidence can convict. Learn how the Supreme Court weighed it against alibi in a Philippine homicide case.
Reasonable Doubt and Eyewitness Credibility in Philippine Murder Appeals
The Supreme Court affirms a murder conviction based on positive eyewitness identification, explaining when alibi and alleged discrepancies fail.
Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Lack of Physical Injuries, Consent, and Intimidation Analyzed
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that lack of physical injuries and absence of resistance do not negate rape when intimidation is present.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Sudden Attacks and Murder Convictions
Learn how treachery qualifies killing as murder in the Philippines, explained through the 2000 Supreme Court ruling in People v. Obosa.
When Circumstantial Evidence Convicts: Homicide, Not Murder, in People v. Santos
The Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence suffices for conviction and why treachery must be proven, not presumed.
Reasonable Doubt and Unreliable Eyewitness Testimony: Acquittal in Highway Robbery Case
The Supreme Court acquitted a highway robbery convict because the prosecution's sole eyewitness gave contradictory and unreliable testimony.
Credibility in Rape Cases: How Mental Capacity Affects Testimony Admissibility
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction despite the victim's moderate intellectual disability, clarifying credibility standards for witnesses with mental limitations.
Kidnapping With Murder as a Complex Crime: Witness Credibility in Heinous Crimes
Supreme Court affirms conviction for two counts of kidnapping with murder, explaining witness credibility rules and the complex crime doctrine.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Why Victim Defenselessness Matters
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies killing to murder, focusing on the victim's defenselessness and sudden attack.
Finality Prevails: Enforcing Judgments and Preventing Alterations in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why final judgments are immutable and why execution must strictly follow the dispositive portion.
Reviving Closed Cases: The Limits of Court Jurisdiction After Final Judgment
A court loses jurisdiction once its judgment becomes final. Learn why a 1996 order reviving a 1983 case was void.
Jurisdictional Boundaries Resolving Employer Employee Damage Claims IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that labor arbiters, not regular courts, have exclusive jurisdiction over employer damage claims arising from employment.
Labor vs Civil Law: Who Hears Employer Damage Claims Against Employees?
Supreme Court clarifies that employer claims for damages against dismissed employees fall under Labor Arbiter jurisdiction, not regular courts.
Rape and Credibility: How Courts Evaluate Testimony in Sexual Assault Cases
Philippine Supreme Court explains how trial courts assess rape victim testimony, identity, delay in reporting, and affidavit of desistance.
Sheriff’s Duty of Custody: Liability for Negligent Loss of Seized Property
Philippine Supreme Court holds sheriff liable for dereliction of duty when a vehicle under custodia legis was lost due to unsafe storage.
Treachery Defined: How Precise Application of Law Ensures Justice in Criminal Convictions
The Supreme Court clarifies treachery's elements in People v. Repollo, reducing a death sentence to reclusion perpetua while affirming murder convictions.
Rape Conviction Affirmed Establishing Filiation FOR Aggravated Penalties IN Sexual Assault Cases
Eyewitness Testimony and Treachery Can Convict Even Without Physical Evidence
A single credible eyewitness can sustain a murder conviction despite negative paraffin test results. The Supreme Court explains when treachery qualifies the killing.
Insanity as a Defense in Philippine Criminal Law: Lessons from People v. Villa
The Supreme Court rejected an insanity defense in a 2000 multiple murder case, clarifying the strict evidentiary standard required to overcome the presumption of sanity.
Father Rape Conviction and the Limits of Credibility in Intrafamilial Sexual Abuse Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction, explaining why a daughter's delayed report and alleged "complex" do not destroy credibility.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi in Murder Conviction, SC Rules
SC affirms murder conviction based on eyewitness identification over alibi, and increases damages awarded to the victim's heirs.
Online Psychological Abuse Under RA 9262: Proving Social Media Authorship
The Supreme Court clarifies how to prove social media authorship in VAWC cases and raises penalties when ICT is used.
Conspiracy and Homicide: How Group Violence Establishes Criminal Liability
The Supreme Court explains how conspiracy in group violence makes every participant liable for murder, even without inflicting the fatal wound.
Defining Jurisdiction: Courts vs Energy Regulatory Board in Overcharging Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies that regular courts, not the ERB, hear disputes over electric overcharging and recovery of sums.