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.
FAX Transmissions Are Not Electronic Evidence: MCC Industrial Sales v. Ssangyong
The Supreme Court clarifies that ordinary fax transmissions are not electronic evidence under R.A. 8792, but photocopies may still be admitted under the Rules of Court.
Voluntary Agreement IS KEY Understanding Valid Arbitration IN Philippine Barangay Dispute Resolution
Learn how the Supreme Court treats compromise agreements as binding law, and how filing a second case can constitute forum shopping.
Timber License vs Contract: DENR Authority Over Forest Resources
Supreme Court ruling on whether a timber license agreement and presidential warranty create vested rights against DENR's regulatory authority over forest resources.
Can an Employee Be Denied Retirement Benefits for Breach of Trust?
The Supreme Court rules on whether a bank manager validly dismissed for breach of trust can still claim retirement benefits after his compulsory retirement date had passed.
Who Is in Delay in Reciprocal Obligations? Philippine Contract of Sale Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when delay begins in reciprocal obligations under a contract of sale, and why mutual default cancels out.
Tax Refund vs Tax Credit: Understanding the Irrevocability of Choices in Philippine Tax Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a tax refund or tax credit choice becomes irrevocable under the National Internal Revenue Code.
Surety Bonds Enforcing Liability Despite Procedural Technicalities
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts may suspend civil cases for prejudicial questions, and how surety obligations remain enforceable.
Irrevocable Agency When A Treasure Hunt Creates Binding Obligations
When is an agency coupled with interest irrevocable? A treasure hunt dispute explains the rule and its practical limits.
Finality of Compromise Agreements: Binding Share Valuation in Corporate Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on compromise agreements, finality of appraisals, and binding share valuation in corporate disputes.
Residential vs Agricultural Land: Resolving Land Use Classification and Tenant Rights
Supreme Court clarifies when land is residential and exempt from agrarian reform, plus the rules on irrevocable agency coupled with interest.
Voluntariness and Comprehension in Guilty Pleas: Protecting the Accused in Capital Offenses
The Supreme Court clarifies what a "searching inquiry" requires when an accused pleads guilty to a capital offense, using a rape case as the backdrop.
Donation Inter Vivos vs Mortis Causa: Philippine Law on Property Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how to distinguish donation inter vivos from mortis causa, and when donations become irrevocable.
Land Reform Rights: Voluntary Surrender vs. Abandonment Under Philippine Law
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on when a farmer-beneficiary's surrender of land reform rights is valid and how DAR may reallocate the land.
Drunkenness and Misconduct: Upholding Ethical Standards in Public Service
A sheriff's habitual drunkenness, AWOL, and illegal firearm possession led to dismissal, reaffirming that public office is a public trust.
Pacto de Retro Sales in the Philippines: When a Land Sale Is Not an Equitable Mortgage
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a pacto de retro sale stands as a true sale, not an equitable mortgage.
Can Foreigners Own Land in the Philippines? Donation vs. Inheritance Rules
Philippine law bars foreigners from owning land except by inheritance. Learn why a quitclaim deed to an American son failed as a donation.
Equitable Mortgage vs. Pacto de Retro Sale: When a "Sale" Is Really a Loan
Philippine courts look beyond contract labels. Learn how Articles 1602 and 1603 protect borrowers from disguised loans and unfair foreclosure.
Jurisdiction Over Foreign Corporations Doing Business in the Philippines
Philippine courts can assert jurisdiction over foreign corporations doing business locally, even for a single transaction, under Rule 14, Section 14.