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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Homestead Patent vs Implied Trust: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a homestead patent bars claims of implied trust over agricultural land in the Philippines.
Homestead Patent vs Implied Trust: When Land Ownership Claims Collide
A Supreme Court ruling shows why a homestead patent can defeat claims of implied trust over registered land in the Philippines.
Derivative Works and Copyright Ownership in the Philippines: The Tupaz Case
The Tupaz case clarifies Philippine law on derivative works, copyright ownership, and the idea/expression dichotomy in collaborative designs.
Accretion and Forcible Entry: Why Prior Physical Possession Beats Title
In forcible entry cases over accreted land, the Supreme Court rules that prior physical possession, not mere ownership of adjacent titled property, is decisive.
Unmarried Cohabitation Establishing Property Rights In Long Term Illicit Relationships
The Supreme Court ruled that long-term illicit cohabitation can establish co-ownership rights under Article 148 of the Family Code.
Tax Declarations and Property Ownership: When a Summary Judgment Oversteps
The Supreme Court clarifies when a partial summary judgment ordering a tax declaration constitutes grave abuse of discretion, and the proper remedy to challenge it.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: Prior Use vs. Registration
The Supreme Court clarifies that trademark ownership in the Philippines is rooted in actual use, not mere registration. Learn the rules.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: Prior Use vs. Registration
The Supreme Court clarifies that trademark ownership in the Philippines is anchored on actual use, not mere registration, in a landmark ruling.
Co-Ownership Rights and Provisional Ownership in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that co-owners cannot eject each other from inherited property before partition, even with a Torrens title.
When Delay Defeats Title: Laches and Registered Land in Lorenzo v. Eustaquio
The Supreme Court ruled that laches can defeat registered land ownership, even when the original transfer was flawed. Learn the key rules.
Co-Ownership and Ejectment: When a Co-Owner Can Be Evicted for Forcible Entry
A co-owner who forcibly takes exclusive possession of common property can be ejected. Learn the rules on co-ownership and forcible entry from a 2022 Supreme Court ruling.
Estate vs Trustee: Intestate Courts Cannot Decide Ownership Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that intestate courts lack jurisdiction to adjudicate ownership of properties claimed by third parties under adverse title.
Jurisdiction Limits Intestate Courts AND Ownership Disputes IN Estate Proceedings
Mining Rights vs Land Patents: When a Mining Claim Does Not Beat a Free Patent
The Supreme Court explains why a mining claim holder cannot annul free patents without proving ownership and fraud. Key lessons for property disputes.
Reclaimed Lands and Constitutional Limits: The Central Bay Case on Corporate Land Ownership
The Supreme Court voids a compromise agreement transferring reclaimed land to a private corporation's assignee, upholding constitutional bans on corporate land ownership.
Co-Ownership vs. Partition: Clarifying Property Rights in the Philippines
A co-owner may sell only his undivided share; buyers become co-owners, and the proper remedy is partition, not annulment.
Extinctive Prescription and Land Ownership When Delay Bars Recovery
When does delay bar recovery of land? The Supreme Court clarifies extinctive prescription and the rules on land ownership and registration.
Attorney Suspended for Selling Client-Owned Property and Misrepresenting Ownership
Lawyer suspended three years for selling land he didn't own to a foreign buyer, violating fiduciary duties and legal ethics rules.
Equitable Interest: How Liquidating Dividends Impact Foreign Land Ownership in the Philippines
SC ruling on whether a foreign stockholder's liquidating dividends in Philippine land may be levied to satisfy judgment debts.
The Indispensable Heir: Resolving Intra-Corporate Disputes Over Stock Ownership
The Supreme Court clarifies that failure to implead indispensable parties in intra-corporate disputes warrants remand, not dismissal.
Property Claims in Probate: When Philippine Courts Can Decide Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when probate courts can rule on property claims against a decedent's estate, distinguishing money claims from ownership disputes.
Estafa by Deceit in Property Sales: Lessons from Dulay v. People
The Supreme Court's ruling in Dulay v. People clarifies estafa by deceit in property transactions and the buyer's duty to verify ownership.
Property Ownership and Possession: Lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies ownership, possession, and the role of tax declarations in property disputes.
Unlawful Detainer and Property Rights: Possession vs Ownership in Philippine Law
Understand the key difference between possession and ownership in unlawful detainer cases, explained through a recent Supreme Court ruling.