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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Moral Turpitude and Attorney Disbarment: The Necessity of Final Conviction
Disbarment for moral turpitude requires a final conviction, not just pending criminal charges, as this case clarifies.
Buy-Bust Operations and Chain of Custody: What People v. Casani Means for Drug Convictions
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, explaining how an unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu supports a buy-bust case.
Circumstantial Evidence and Domestic Violence in Philippine Parricide Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a parricide conviction based on circumstantial evidence, including prior domestic violence, in People v. Tayao.
Protecting the Accused: The Limits of Unpleaded Allegations in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that convictions for statutory rape rest on age and carnal knowledge, not on unpleaded details like force or location.
Unlawful Arrest Nullifies Drug Possession Conviction Safeguarding Constitutional Rights IN Police Searches
Supreme Court acquits drug possession convict after police conducted warrantless arrest and search without immediacy, violating constitutional rights.
Eyewitness Testimony Prevails Over Denial and Alibi in Murder and Attempted Murder Conviction
The Supreme Court affirms a murder and attempted murder conviction, ruling that a police officer's positive eyewitness identification outweighs the accused's denial and alibi.
Rape Conviction Requires Clear Proof of Force and Victim's Age in Statutory Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies proof requirements for rape convictions, distinguishing simple rape from statutory rape and affirming credibility standards.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Testimony and the Anti-Rape Law in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court affirms robbery with rape conviction, underscoring the weight of credible victim testimony and the application of anti-rape laws.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi in Robbery and Rape Convictions
Supreme Court affirms robbery with rape and robbery convictions, ruling positive identification prevails over alibi and denial defenses.
Treachery and Witness Identification in Murder and Frustrated Murder Cases
The Supreme Court affirms murder and frustrated murder convictions, explaining treachery, witness credibility, and unlicensed firearm aggravating circumstances.
Upholding Drug Convictions: The Chain of Custody Rule Under RA 9165
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, clarifying that substantial compliance with the chain of custody rule preserves evidence integrity.
Confessions and Circumstantial Evidence Upholding Convictions in Robbery With Homicide Cases
Supreme Court explains when a confession to a reporter is admissible and how circumstantial evidence can prove robbery with homicide.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Delayed Reporting in Philippine Law
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that a victim's credible testimony outweighs claims of improbability and delayed reporting.
Probable Cause and Illegal Detention: Effect of a Subsequent Conviction
The Supreme Court ruled that a conviction for serious illegal detention moots any challenge to the finding of probable cause and the arrest warrant.
Protecting Minors Conviction Upheld IN Child Abuse AND Qualified Rape Case
Rape Conviction Affirmed: The Uneasy Weight of Recanted Testimony
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction despite the victim's affidavit of desistance, explaining why recanted testimony is viewed with suspicion.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Denial in Murder Conviction
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction of Judge Velasco's killer, ruling that the victim's wife's positive identification prevails over alibi and denial.
Upholding Drug Conviction Despite Procedural Lapses: Chain of Custody and Section 21 Compliance
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction despite Section 21 lapses, explaining when procedural non-compliance does not affect guilt.
When a Child Victim’s Sole Testimony Suffices to Convict in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a qualified rape conviction based on the credible, consistent testimony of a four-year-old victim, explaining when a sole account is enough.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Conviction Upheld for Rape of a Minor
Supreme Court affirms rape convictions of two men against a 13-year-old, clarifying rules on victim testimony, resistance, and damages.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails Safeguarding Individual Rights IN Drug Sale Convictions
Buy-Bust Operations: Where Entrapment Ends and Constitutional Rights Begin
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between valid entrapment in buy-bust operations and impermissible instigation, affirming a drug conviction under RA 9165.
Upholding Buy-Bust Operations and the Chain of Custody Rule in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, explaining buy-bust operations, chain of custody, and why procedural lapses did not free the accused.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Conviction in Statutory Rape Cases
Supreme Court affirms statutory rape conviction, explaining why a child victim's credible testimony suffices even without medical evidence of injury.