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.
Perfecting Appeals: Strict Compliance With Bond Requirements in Labor Disputes
Learn why the Supreme Court requires strict compliance with appeal bond requirements in labor cases, and how failing to post a proper surety bond can make a judgment final and executory.
Accountability in Recruitment: Penalizing Illegal Recruiters for Economic Sabotage and Estafa
Learn how Philippine courts penalize illegal recruitment as economic sabotage and estafa, and what this means for overseas job seekers.
Judicial Accountability: Supreme Court Sanctions Judge for Grave Misconduct and Abuse of Authority
Supreme Court holds judge liable for grave abuse of authority, misconduct, and insubordination despite his resignation, affirming judicial accountability.
Estate Inventory Disputes: Probate Courts' Provisional Powers on Inclusion of Properties
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on probate courts' authority to provisionally determine ownership for estate inventory inclusion.
Electoral Tribunal Jurisdiction: Proclamation Is the Decisive Factor in Election Contests
The Supreme Court clarifies that once a congressional candidate is proclaimed, the HRET, not the COMELEC, has sole jurisdiction over election contests.
When Teaching Doesn't Cover All: Narrowing the Scope of Occupational Disease Compensation
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that being listed as an occupational disease does not automatically make an illness compensable under Philippine law.
Indispensable Parties: Why Government Agencies Must Be Included in Correction of Public Record Cases
The Supreme Court nullified a correction of birth date ruling because government agencies were not impleaded as indispensable parties. Learn the rules.
Overseas Dreams, Local Schemes: Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale and Economic Sabotage
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on large-scale illegal recruitment, syndicate liability, and penalties for overseas employment fraud.
Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale: Key Lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
A look at what makes illegal recruitment a crime of economic sabotage, who can be held liable, and the penalties involved.
Coalition Registration Deadlines Are Mandatory in Philippine Election Law
Supreme Court rules COMELEC deadlines for coalition registration are mandatory, not merely directory, in Liberal Party v. COMELEC.
Deceptive Promises in Overseas Job Scams: Illegal Recruitment and Estafa
Supreme Court ruling explains when fake overseas job promises constitute both illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Market Value vs. Statutory Factors
The Supreme Court rules that courts must follow Section 17 of RA 6657 and DAR formulas, not just market data, in fixing just compensation.
Illegal Recruitment Conviction Stands Even Without Direct Misrepresentation of Authority to Deploy Workers Abr
The Supreme Court affirms that giving the impression of ability to send workers abroad, without express claims of authority, constitutes illegal recruitment.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Proving Loss of Owner's Duplicate and ROD Records
Supreme Court clarifies what evidence suffices to reconstitute a lost or destroyed certificate of title under Republic Act No. 26.
Illegal Recruitment by Non-Licensees and the Promise of Overseas Jobs
The Supreme Court clarifies when a non-licensee can be liable for illegal recruitment in large scale under RA 8042.
The Perils of Oversight: Delineating Negligence and Liability in Medical Practice
A missed surgery due to a time-zone error tests the line between ordinary and gross negligence in medical practice, shaping damage awards.
Negligence vs Gross Negligence in Medical Malpractice: The Ilao-Oreta Standard
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between ordinary negligence and gross negligence in medical malpractice, and when damages may be awarded.
Inheritance Disputes: Redemption, Co-Ownership, and Prescription in Family Estates
When one heir redeems family property, does she own it? The Supreme Court clarifies co-ownership, prescription, and reimbursement rules.
Hospital Liability for Doctor Negligence in the Philippines: Corporate Responsibility Explained
When can a Philippine hospital be held liable for a doctor's negligence? The Supreme Court's ruling in Professional Services, Inc. v. Agana clarifies corporate responsibility.
Breach of Trust Ownership of Club Shares and Fiduciary Duties in Philippine Law
When a club share is transferred temporarily, a trust is created. The Supreme Court explains ownership, fiduciary duties, and the rules on implied trusts in Philippine law.
B.P. 22 Conviction Requires Proper Presentation of Notice of Dishonor: The Tan Case
A B.P. 22 conviction requires the prosecution to properly present the notice of dishonor in court; failure to do so negates the presumption of knowledge of insufficient funds.
Notice of Lis Pendens: When a Contract to Sell Justifies Annotation on Title
Learn when a notice of lis pendens may be annotated on a property title, even in a contract to sell dispute, based on Romero v. Court of Appeals.
Liability for Damages: Balancing Official Duty and Personal Bad Faith
A public officer's official acts can still trigger personal liability for damages when done in bad faith, as this Philippine Supreme Court case shows.
Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale: When a Recruiter's Agent Still Faces Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a recruiter's agent can be liable for illegal recruitment in large scale despite a licensed agency's SPA.