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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Child Abuse Conviction Upheld: Physical Violence Against Minors Under RA 7610
The Supreme Court affirms a stepmother's conviction for child abuse under RA 7610, clarifying what constitutes physical abuse and the weight given to children's testimonies.
Acts of Lasciviousness vs Sexual Assault: Protecting Child Victims Under RA 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies when sexual acts against children are punished as acts of lasciviousness under RA 7610, not rape by sexual assault.
Custody Rights of Illegitimate Children: Balancing Maternal Preference and the Child's Best Interests
The Supreme Court clarifies when an illegitimate father may seek custody, and the limits of the tender-age presumption under Article 213.
Parental Betrayal Conviction FOR Trafficking Children IN Cybersex Operations
Supreme Court affirms life sentences for parents who forced their minor children into cybersex and prostitution under RA 9208.
Protecting Children Moral Ascendancy AND Criminal Liability FOR Sexual Abuse IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms robbery with rape conviction, clarifying out-of-court identification rules and damages for sexual abuse victims.
Safeguarding Children: Distinguishing Sexual Abuse and Rape in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that rape under the Revised Penal Code and sexual abuse under RA 7610 are separate crimes, and a single act can give rise to both offenses without violating double jeopardy
Protecting Children Statutory Rape AND Acts OF Lasciviousness Under Philippine LAW
Establishing Paternity in Support Cases: Protecting Children's Rights to Filiation and Support
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that mothers may file support cases directly, with paternity issues resolved within the same proceedings.
Illegitimate Children’s Rights: Mother’s Surname and Parental Authority in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies that illegitimate children use their mother’s surname and are under her sole parental authority, voiding a father’s unilateral birth registration.
Protecting Children: Identifying and Punishing Sexual Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies when child sexual abuse falls under Section 5(b) rather than Section 10(a) of R.A. 7610, and the proper penalties.
Protecting Children: Credibility of Testimony in Lasciviousness Cases
The Supreme Court affirms that a child victim's credible testimony alone can convict in lasciviousness cases, and clarifies penalties under RA 7610.
Protecting Children Parental Authority AND THE Crime OF Qualified Rape IN THE Philippines
SALN Dishonesty and Concealed Assets: De Castro v. Field Investigation Office
Supreme Court ruling on SALN dishonesty, concealed assets in children's names, and why omission amounts to grave administrative offense.
Statutory Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness: Protecting Children Under Philippine Law
Explaining statutory rape vs. acts of lasciviousness, and why an accused's death extinguishes criminal liability under Article 89 of the RPC.
Unexplained Wealth and SALN Dishonesty: When Assets in Children's Names Count
Explains when hidden assets in children's names count as SALN dishonesty and why grave misconduct requires a direct link to official duties.
Protecting Children: Defining Cruelty Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies what constitutes child cruelty under R.A. 7610, affirming a guardian's conviction for burning a 9-year-old.
Protecting Children: Defining Child Abuse and Criminal Intent Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a physical assault on a child is child abuse under R.A. 7610, and how criminal intent is established.
Protecting Children Upholding Stiffer Penalties for Child Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court affirms a conviction for child abuse under R.A. 7610, clarifying that physical abuse of a child is penalized more heavily than ordinary physical injuries.
Surname Use for Illegitimate Children: What the Supreme Court Said in Gan v. Republic
The Supreme Court explains when an illegitimate child may use the father's surname, and why changing one's name is a privilege, not a right.
Establishing Filiation: The Complexities of Inheritance Rights for Illegitimate Children in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies how illegitimate children prove filiation and inherit, and why unprobated wills fail in estate claims.
Adoption Decree Annulled Protecting Spousal AND Childrens Rights IN Adoption Proceedings
Philippine Supreme Court annuls adoption decree, affirming that spousal consent and children's rights are mandatory in adoption proceedings.
Rape Through Sexual Assault: Protecting Children Beyond Gender
The Supreme Court affirms that men can be rape victims, ruling on sexual assault against a 10-year-old boy and the applicable penalty.
Protecting Children: Corroborated Testimony and the Crime of Statutory Rape
In People v. Sato, the Supreme Court affirmed a statutory rape conviction based on a child's candid testimony, showing how Philippine courts weigh evidence in child abuse cases.