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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Eminent Domain and the Valid Offer Rule: Lessons from the Pasig Expropriation Case
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a local government must make a valid, definite offer before expropriating private property.
Creek Ownership and Land Disputes: Public vs. Private Property Rights
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that creeks are public property, not private land, and how this affects boundary disputes.
LGU Right to Immediate Possession in Expropriation: City of Iloilo v. Legaspi
When can an LGU take immediate possession of private property in expropriation? The Supreme Court explains the 15% deposit rule.
When Eminent Domain Leads to Total Loss: Just Compensation for Uninhabitable Property
When government projects render private property uninhabitable, the taking is deemed complete and full just compensation is due.
Reclamation Rights Private Property VS Public Domain IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court ruling on SRA's liability as trustee clarifies how government agencies assume obligations of abolished entities.
Homestead Rights vs Land Reform: Balancing Social Justice and Private Property
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether homestead patents exempt landowners from agrarian reform and retention rights under PD 27 and RA 6657.
When Judges Notarize: Limits on Ex Officio Notarial Powers in Property Cases
A judge's unauthorized notarization of a private property document leads to a fine, clarifying ex officio notarial limits.
Misappropriation vs Private Property: Understanding Malversation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that malversation requires public property. A mayor's custody of a private gun is not malversation.
Public Land vs Private Ownership in the Philippines: Land Classification and Acquisition
Understand how Philippine law distinguishes public land from private property, and the rules on classification and acquisition.
Ordinance vs Resolution: Why LGUs Need an Ordinance for Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: local governments cannot expropriate private property through a mere resolution—an ordinance is legally required under RA 7160.
Eminent Domain in the Philippines: Balancing Public Use and Private Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when local governments may expropriate private land for socialized housing, and the due process limits on eminent domain.