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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Intervention in Land Registration: Timeliness and Legal Interest Requirements
Learn when courts allow intervention in land registration cases and why timing and legal interest matter, based on Ongco v. Dalisay.
Intervention Denied: Protecting Court Efficiency in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when intervention in property cases is improper, emphasizing court efficiency and the need for direct legal interests.
Breach of Contract vs Forbearance: Clarifying Interest Rate Applications in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when forbearance interest applies versus breach of contract damages, and how courts compute legal interest on monetary awards.
Who Can Contest Property Taxes: Defining Legal Interest in Real Estate Assessments
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who may protest real property tax assessments and what "legal interest" means under the Local Government Code.
Air Carrier Breach of Contract: Damages and Interest in Air Travel Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when legal interest runs on damages awarded in air carrier breach of contract cases.
The State's Obligation to Pay Interest on Delayed Just Compensation in Expropriation Cases
Philippine law requires the State to pay just compensation with legal interest when payment is delayed in expropriation cases. Learn the rules.
Subic Bay Freeport: When Legal Interest Justifies Intervention in Import Duty Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies the scope of legal interest for intervention in challenges to import duties on used motor vehicles in the Subic Bay Freeport.
Lost Goods in Customs Custody: Government Liability and Revival of Judgments
A guide to government liability for lost goods in customs custody, revival of judgments, and legal interest rules under Philippine law.
Interest on Maritime Liens in the Philippines: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when legal interest on a maritime lien begins to accrue—from extrajudicial demand, not from foreclosure sale.
Intervention in Philippine Courts: Why Legal Interest Is Non-Negotiable
The Supreme Court explains why a woman who married a man whose foreign divorce was void in the Philippines cannot intervene in his annulment case.
Execution of Final Judgments: Balancing Legal Interests and Preventing Delay
A lawyer's defiance of a writ of execution led to suspension, underscoring that court orders must be obeyed without delay.
Delay and Damages Interest on Obligations in Compromise Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when legal interest accrues on unpaid compromise agreement obligations and the effect of delay.
Loan Agreements and Legal Interest: Written Requirements and Civil Liability After Acquittal
Explaining Eusebio-Calderon v. People: why oral interest agreements are void, when acquittal still leaves civil liability, and the legal interest rules.
Surety Bonds and Legal Interest: When Default Makes a Surety Pay More Than the Bond
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a defaulting surety must pay 12% legal interest on top of the bond amount.
Interest Rate Clarity Ensuring Written Agreements Govern Loan Terms
The Supreme Court held that absent a written stipulation, a loan’s agreed interest rate stops at maturity, and 12% legal interest applies thereafter.
Surety Bond Liability Limits Under Philippine Insurance Law: The R & B Surety Case
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies surety bond liability caps under Insurance Code Section 176, limiting exposure to face value plus legal interest.
Navigating Legal Interest From Breach of Contract to Final Judgment Satisfaction
Understand how Philippine courts compute legal interest on money judgments, from breach of contract until full payment, based on Eastern Assurance v. Court of Appeals.
Legal Interest in Philippine Judgments: Simple vs. Compound Interest Explained
Philippine courts apply simple legal interest on monetary judgments unless compound interest is explicitly stipulated. Learn the rules from David vs. Court of Appeals.
Legal Interest Rates in the Philippines: When Does 6% vs 12% Apply
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when 6% or 12% legal interest applies—loans and forbearance versus other obligations. Learn the rules.
Philippine Legal Interest on Loans: When Does 12% Apply? Villanueva v. CA Explained
Learn when 12% legal interest applies to unpaid loans in the Philippines, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Villanueva v. Court of Appeals.