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.
Power Rate Differentials: ERB Authority to Protect Utility Companies Upheld
Supreme Court affirms ERB power to set rate differentials favoring utilities over direct industrial customers of NAPOCOR.
Motion for Reconsideration Under Summary Procedure: The Lucas Doctrine
When can a litigant file a motion for reconsideration under summary procedure? The Supreme Court clarifies the exception for dismissal orders.
When a "Sale" Is Really an Equitable Mortgage: Lessons from Aguirre v. Tupas
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a deed of absolute sale is presumed an equitable mortgage under the Civil Code.
Eminent Domain: Necessity, Procedure, and the Writ of Possession in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when the government may expropriate private land, the necessity requirement, and the rule on writs of possession.
Upholding Tenant Rights Establishing Tenancy Despite Conflicting Evidence
Supreme Court ruling clarifies how substantial evidence and rental receipts establish bona fide tenancy under agrarian law.
Tenant Rights Prevail: Security of Tenure in Agrarian Reform Disputes
The Supreme Court affirms that agricultural lessees retain security of tenure under CARL, even when landowners claim conversion or termination of lease.
Land Registration: How Clear Title Strengthens Ownership and Possession Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how registered land rights and lease agreements strengthen claims to ownership and possession in property disputes.
Finality of Judgments: Ducat v. Court of Appeals and the Bar Against Relitigating Settled Issues
Why the Supreme Court barred a losing litigant from re-opening a settled execution sale and warned against forum-shopping.
When "May" Means Optional: Advance Payments in Property Sales
Supreme Court ruling on whether a buyer's advance payment obligation in a property sale is mandatory or discretionary, and its effect on contract rescission.
Habeas Corpus and Drug Offenses: Ensuring Fair Application of Penalties
A look at how the Supreme Court used habeas corpus to correct an excessive penalty for a minor drug offense.
Deadline for Landowners Appealing Land Valuation Decisions Under Agrarian Reform
Philippine Veterans Bank case clarifies the 15-day deadline for landowners to challenge DAR land valuation decisions before Special Agrarian Courts.
Land Valuation Disputes and Mandamus: Lessons from Land Bank v. Court of Appeals
When can a writ of mandamus compel the Land Bank to pay agrarian reform compensation? A 1999 Supreme Court ruling explains.
When Medical Care Turns to Negligence: Understanding Res Ipsa Loquitur in Philippine Medical Malpractice
The Supreme Court explains res ipsa loquitur in medical malpractice through a patient who suffered brain damage during anesthesia before surgery.
Dismissal Without Malicious Prosecution: Why Probable Cause Matters in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains why a dismissed criminal case does not automatically mean malicious prosecution. Learn the legal distinction.
Electrocution and Liability: Negligence and Damages in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on electric cooperative liability for electrocution, negligence, and damages under Philippine law.
Store Owner Liability for Customer Safety: Lessons from the Jarco Marketing Case
When a defective store fixture injures a customer, who pays? The Jarco case clarifies premises liability and negligence rules in the Philippines.
Fake Lawyer Defense: When an Impostor Can Void a Criminal Conviction in the Philippines
Convictions can be overturned when the accused was represented by a non-lawyer. Learn the rules and how to verify counsel credentials.
Securing Shareholder Rights: Preliminary Injunctions in Philippine Corporate Disputes
Understand when Philippine courts grant preliminary injunctions in corporate disputes, using the Ortañez-Enderes case as a guide to shareholder rights.
Wrong Court Wrong Verdict: Why Jurisdiction Matters in Philippine Criminal Cases
A conviction by a court without jurisdiction is void. Learn from Pangilinan v. Court of Appeals why the right court matters.
Invalid Government Appointments: How Unpublished Decrees Affect Public Servants' Rights
Supreme Court ruling on how unpublished presidential decrees create no valid offices, and why automatic absorption of employees is unconstitutional.
Reformation of Contracts in the Philippines: Navigating Unforeseen Events and Economic Shifts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on contract reformation, fortuitous events, and extraordinary inflation in lease agreements. Learn key legal principles.
Partnership vs Sale: Key Differences in Philippine Joint Venture Agreements and Property Contributions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a property transfer is a partnership contribution, not a sale, and the legal consequences.
Judicial Rank vs Salary Grade: Understanding Position Classification in the Philippine Judiciary
The Supreme Court explains why equal salary grades do not mean equal judicial rank, clarifying position classification in the Court of Appeals.
Proving Psychological Incapacity for Marriage Annulment in the Philippines: The Hernandez Case
Learn how the Supreme Court in Hernandez v. Hernandez clarified what evidence is needed to prove psychological incapacity for marriage annulment.