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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Willful ACT VS Mental State Determining Compensability IN Seafarer Death Claims
Seafarers Willful ACT Determining Liability IN Maritime Death Benefit Claims
When a seafarer dies from a willful act like jumping overboard, employers may be exempt from death benefits under POEA rules.
Upholding Integrity: Public Officials' Accountability for Debts and Conduct
Supreme Court suspends clerk of court for willful failure to pay just debts and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Attorney Disbarment for Willful Disobedience Upholding Court Authority in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court disciplines lawyers for willful disobedience, protecting court authority and the integrity of the legal profession.
Preterition of Compulsory Heirs: When a Will Can Be Set Aside Despite Probate
The Supreme Court clarifies when preterition of compulsory heirs voids a will's institution of heirs and when legacies remain valid.
Rule 45 Petitions: When the Supreme Court Will Not Review Factual Findings
The Supreme Court explains why factual findings of lower courts bind it, limiting Rule 45 review to questions of law.
Loss of Trust and Confidence as Ground for Dismissal: What Employers Must Prove
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence justifies employee dismissal, requiring willful breach proven by substantial evidence.
Valid Jurat and Proper Verification: Lessons from William Go Que Construction v. CA
A defective jurat in a verification and certification against forum shopping can doom a petition. Learn the rules on competent evidence of identity.
Willful Disobedience as Just Cause for Dismissal: A Cooperative Cashier's Case
Explore when an employee's repeated defiance of board resolutions justifies dismissal under Article 282 of the Labor Code.
Willful Disobedience in the Workplace: When Can an Employee Be Dismissed
Learn when willful disobedience justifies dismissal under Philippine labor law, based on a Supreme Court ruling on a cooperative cashier.
Willful Disobedience: When a Cooperative Employee Defies Direct Orders
Explore when an employee's defiance of a board's lawful orders constitutes willful disobedience justifying dismissal under Philippine labor law.
The People's Choice Prevails: Upholding Electoral Will Over Procedural Technicalities in Candidate Substitutio
Supreme Court rules that a deceased candidate's substitute cannot be disqualified on technical grounds after the electorate has spoken.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Proving Suicide as a Defense Against Employer Liability
The Supreme Court explains when an employer may escape liability for seafarer death benefits by proving suicide as a willful act.
Chain of Custody and Its Impact on Illegal Drug Convictions in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the chain of custody rule under RA 9165 and when minor lapses will not defeat a drug conviction.
Establishing Filiation: The Complexities of Inheritance Rights for Illegitimate Children in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies how illegitimate children prove filiation and inherit, and why unprobated wills fail in estate claims.
Judicial Impropriety: A Judge's Debt and the Appearance of Justice
The Supreme Court fined a judge for failing to pay a debt, explaining the line between impropriety and willful failure to pay.
Upholding Ethical Conduct: Failure to Pay Just Debts as a Breach of Public Trust
Court stenographer reprimanded for willful failure to pay just debts; the Supreme Court clarifies the definition under civil service rules.
When Apology and Self-Incrimination Collide: Defining Willful Disobedience in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's refusal to apologize is not willful disobedience justifying dismissal under the Labor Code.
Sheriff's Overreach in Writ Enforcement: A Lesson from Quicho v. Reyes
When a sheriff oversteps in enforcing a writ, courts will hold him accountable. Learn the limits of execution authority.
Seafarer Suicide and Death Benefits: Proving Willfulness Under Philippine Law
When a seafarer dies at sea, who bears the burden of proving suicide? The Supreme Court's ruling in Agile Maritime clarifies willfulness in death benefit claims.
No Certificate, No Appeal: Strict Rule on Non-Forum Shopping in Labor Cases
The Supreme Court affirms that a certificate of non-forum shopping is mandatory for NLRC appeals, and procedural rules will not be relaxed for unmeritorious claims.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: What People v. Cerdon Teaches About Evidence Integrity
The Supreme Court explains when lapses in the chain of custody of seized drugs will and will not invalidate a conviction under RA 9165.
Double Taxation: Manila's Local Tax Ordinance and the Limits of Revenue Power
When a city taxes the same business twice under the same ordinance, courts will step in. Learn the double taxation rule from this Supreme Court case.
When a Buy-Bust Conviction Stands: The Weight of Police Testimony in Drug Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a buy-bust team's testimony can convict a drug seller, and when courts will respect that credibility finding.