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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Vote Buying Claims Need Credible Evidence, Not Just Video Clips
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence is needed to establish probable cause for vote-buying complaints under the Omnibus Election Code.
Dual Citizenship by Birth vs. Naturalization: Election Eligibility in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when dual citizens by birth may run for office without renouncing foreign citizenship under R.A. 9225.
Due Process in Elections: COMELEC's Duty to Hear Conflicting Candidacy Claims
The Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's accreditation of dominant minority parties, clarifying that the Commission's rule-making power over political party accreditation is subject to constitutional limit
Nuisance Candidates: Genuine Intention vs Political Viability in Philippine Elections
Supreme Court clarifies that lack of nationwide support or political machinery is not a ground to declare a candidate a nuisance under Section 69 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Inordinate Delay in Election Offense Cases: Protecting Your Right to Speedy Disposition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects the right to speedy disposition of cases, using the Figueroa v. Sandiganbayan ruling as a guide.
Employer as Bystander in Certification Elections: Lessons from Coca-Cola FEMSA
Supreme Court affirms the bystander rule, barring employers from opposing certification elections and clarifying reorganization's effect on bargaining units.
Term Limits and Reelection: What the Constitution Actually Allows
The Supreme Court clarifies that term limits bar only consecutive terms, not reelection after a break.
Election Protest Costs: The Supreme Court Ruling on Retention Fees for Election Equipment
The Supreme Court explains why the Senate Electoral Tribunal cannot rule on contract validity in election protest cost disputes.
Condonation Doctrine in Philippine Administrative Law: What Re-Election Means for Elected Officials
Explaining the condonation doctrine, its prospective abandonment by the Supreme Court, and how re-election can absolve prior administrative misconduct.
COMELEC Cannot Disqualify Candidates for Election Offenses: Erice v. COMELEC
The Supreme Court rules COMELEC exceeded its jurisdiction in disqualifying a candidate for an election offense not listed under Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Suffrage Safeguards: Upholding Election Integrity Through Specificity and Evidence in Electoral Protests
The PET dismissed Marcos Jr.'s 2016 VP election protest, affirming Robredo's victory and underscoring the strict rules on specificity and evidence in election contests.
Ensuring Election Integrity: The Role of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails in Philippine Elections
The Supreme Court clarifies the scope of the VVPAT requirement, digital signatures, and the prohibition on capturing devices in Philippine elections.
Understanding Judicial Impartiality: Bias and Inhibition in Philippine Election Protests
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for judicial inhibition in election protests, explaining what bias truly means and why rulings must not be mistaken for prejudice.
Judicial Accountability and the Limits of Inhibition Motions in Election Protests
The Supreme Court clarifies when judges must inhibit and why delay claims alone cannot prove bias in election cases.
The Condonation Doctrine After Carpio-Morales: Recall Elections and the Cutoff Date
The Supreme Court clarifies when the abandoned condonation doctrine still applies and confirms it covers recall elections.
When a Dismissed Employee Can Vote: Certification Election Rules Clarified
The Supreme Court clarifies when dismissed employees may vote in certification elections and how blank ballots affect majority computation.
One Vote, Unequal Weight: Party-List Seat Allocation and Equal Protection in Philippine Elections
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the party-list seat allocation formula under RA 7941, rejecting claims of vote double-counting and equal protection violations.
Understanding Illegal Dismissal When Mistakes Dont Justify Firing
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when retrenchment is illegal dismissal, requiring proof of losses and fair selection criteria.
Nuisance Candidates in Multi-Slot Elections: What the Rules Really Say
Nuisance candidates in multi-slot elections: the legal test, the Comelec's discretion, and practical guidance for aspirants.
Hereditary Succession in Agrarian Reform: Supreme Court Ruling on Tenant Beneficiary Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies how farmholdings under PD 27 pass to heirs, emphasizing DAR's authority over succession and owner-cultivator selection.
Quorum Quandaries: Questioning Corporate Meeting Legitimacy Beyond Election Contests
When does a challenge to a corporate meeting's validity become an election contest? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of the 15-day rule.
Electoral Protests and the Limits of Challenging Election Results in the Philippines
The Supreme Court's ruling in Marcos v. Robredo clarifies the rules, burdens, and limits of contesting presidential and vice presidential election results.
The Doctrine of Mootness: Resolving Association Election Disputes Beyond Expired Terms
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when election contests become moot after officers' terms expire, and the exceptions to the mootness doctrine.
Premature Election Notices and Lawyer Discipline: A Lesson in Upholding the Rule of Law
A provincial election supervisor's premature notices before COMELEC acted led to a one-year suspension—a lesson on lawyers' duty to obey the law.