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.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Testimony and Deadly Weapon in Rape Cases
Supreme Court affirms rape convictions, ruling credible victim testimony suffices and a proven knife threat justifies exemplary damages.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Credible Testimony and the Sweetheart Defense
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explaining how credible victim testimony outweighs the sweetheart defense in Philippine criminal law.
Intrafamilial Trust Betrayed Convicting A Father FOR Qualified Rape Despite Familial Proximity
The Supreme Court affirms a father's conviction for qualified rape of his minor daughter, ruling that familial proximity and the presence of sleeping relatives do not negate the crime.
Good Faith and Land Titles: Resolving Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court balances Torrens titles against good faith in ownership disputes, and why buyers must investigate suspicious circumstances.
When Deceit and Misappropriation Tarnish Legal Practice: A Case on Attorney Disbarment
Learn how the Supreme Court disciplines lawyers who deceive clients and mishandle funds, and what this means for ethical practice.
Prescription in Annulment Cases: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Philippine law on prescription periods for annulment of marriage explained, including when the prescriptive period begins and key rules.
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.
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.
Accountability for Group Actions: Establishing Conspiracy in Criminal Law
Understand how Philippine courts determine conspiracy in criminal cases, when group liability attaches, and why mere presence or evasion of arrest does not equate to guilt.
Due Process, Jurisdiction, and Provisional Remedies in Philippine Criminal Law
A look at Villamor v. People on due process, jurisdiction, and provisional remedies in Philippine criminal procedure.
Protecting Marital Property: The Necessity of Spousal Consent in Property Sales
Learn how the Supreme Court protects conjugal property from unauthorized sales by one spouse, and why buyers must verify spousal consent.
Residency Requirements for Philippine Elections: Establishing Domicile for Candidacy
Philippine election law equates residency with domicile. Learn the three rules and what it takes to change domicile for candidacy.
Vitiated Consent and Simulated Sales: Understanding Contract Nullity in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when fraud vitiates consent and simulated prices void sales, using a family land dispute as a guide.
Compromise Agreements and Illegitimate Filiation: When Settlements Violate Public Policy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: compromise agreements on filiation and civil status are void. Learn the public policy limits on settlements.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
Explain the difference between abandonment and illegal dismissal in Philippine labor law, and the employer's burden of proof.
Indigency Status Corporations Cannot Claim FEE Exemption Despite Aiding THE Poor
Philippine Supreme Court rules corporations cannot claim indigent litigant fee exemptions, even when serving the poor. Learn the legal basis.
Guardianship and Competency: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals From Exploitation
Supreme Court ruling on guardianship for persons of weak mind, protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by relatives.
Novation and Loan Enforceability: When a Verbal Change Makes a Debt Due
Explaining how a verbal agreement to start paying early can novate a loan's conditions, making it due and demandable under Philippine law.
Loss of Redemption Rights: Inheriting Property After Mortgage Foreclosure in the Philippines
When a mortgaged property is foreclosed and not redeemed, heirs lose inheritance rights. The Supreme Court explains why.
Strict Deadlines for Appeal Memoranda: Mejillano v. Lucillo and the Limits of Liberal Construction
The Supreme Court in Mejillano v. Lucillo affirms that failure to file an appeal memorandum on time is fatal, even where the appellant pleads ignorance or counsel's death.
Partition Disputes: The Mandatory Role of Commissioners in Property Division
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts must appoint commissioners to divide property in partition disputes, and the limits of the parol evidence rule.
U-Turn Negligence: When a Sudden Maneuver Establishes Fault in Vehicle Collisions
A sudden U-turn without signal lights can establish negligence and proximate cause in a vehicle collision, making the driver and employer liable for damages.
Stevedores and the Duty of Care: When Cargo Damage Is Not Negligence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that stevedores owe ordinary diligence, not the higher standard of common carriers, in loading and stowing cargo.
Sweetheart Defense Fails: Rape Conviction Upheld Without Proof of Consent
Philippine Supreme Court rejects the "sweetheart theory" in rape cases, affirming that love affairs do not justify sexual violence without consent.