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.
Prescription in Anti-Graft Cases: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for Anti-Graft Act violations begins, using a behest loan case as the backdrop.
VAT Refund Claims: Strict Deadlines and Proper Documentation Required
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies VAT refund rules: strict 2-year filing deadlines and the necessity of official receipts for zero-rated services.
Defective Summons: How Improper Service Can Void an Ejectment Case in the Philippines
Learn how defective summons and improper substituted service can void an ejectment case, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Protecting Property Rights: Good Faith Purchasers vs Unregistered Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on good faith purchasers, unregistered claims, and property rights under Article 1544 of the Civil Code.
Forged Signatures and Void Contracts: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
When is a deed of sale actually a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains equitable mortgage, forged signatures, and pactum commissorium.
When Banks Can Rely on Clean Titles: Mortgagee in Good Faith Explained
The Supreme Court explains when a bank that accepts a mortgage on a clean title becomes a mortgagee in good faith, even if the title later proves defective.
Loan vs Donation: Proving Intent in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when payments for another's property are loans, not donations, and the formal requirements for valid donations.
Credit Card Suspension: When Banks Must Answer for Negligence and Damages
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on credit card suspension, bank negligence, and cardholder rights to moral and exemplary damages.
Good Faith vs Actual Knowledge: Resolving Land Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on finality of judgments, petitions for relief, and banks' duty of diligence in land mortgage disputes.
Maceda Law Rights of Installment Buyers in Real Estate Contracts
The Supreme Court explains how the Maceda Law protects installment buyers, including the required cash surrender value before contract cancellation.
Res Judicata in Corporate Rehabilitation: Final Judgments Bar Relitigation
Explore how the Supreme Court applied res judicata to bar relitigation of an approved corporate rehabilitation plan, ensuring finality.
Altered Checks and Bank Liability: Who Pays the Price of Forgery
When a bank clears an altered check, who bears the loss? The Supreme Court clarifies liability rules in Areza v. Express Savings Bank.
Breach of Public Trust: Dismissal for Misappropriation of Court Funds
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of clerk of court who used judiciary funds for personal expenses, underscoring public trust.
Usurious Interest and Foreclosure: When Unconscionable Loan Terms Void a Foreclosure Sale
A Supreme Court ruling on how excessive interest rates can invalidate a foreclosure sale, and what borrowers and lenders must know.
Treble Costs Under Rule 65: When Courts May Penalize Frivolous Petitions
The Supreme Court clarifies that treble costs under Rule 65 are discretionary, requiring clear justification, not automatic penalties.
Consignation Without Tender of Payment: A Cautionary Tale on Judicial Deposits
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that judicial deposit requires prior tender of payment unless exceptions apply, in Del Carmen v. Sabordo.
Breach of Contract Remedies for Condominium Delivery Delays in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law protects condominium buyers when developers delay delivery, including refund rights and interest rules under PD 957.
Breach of Trust Establishing Conspiracy in Qualified Theft Cases in the Philippines
How a cashier's breach of trust led to 30 counts of qualified theft, and what the Supreme Court ruled on penalties.
Malversation Through Falsification: Upholding Accountability in Philippine Public Office
A BIR agent's conviction for malversation through falsification shows how Philippine courts penalize public fund misappropriation and enforce restitution.
Pre-Trial Representation: When a Special Power of Attorney Is Required
Learn why the Supreme Court requires a Special Power of Attorney for pre-trial representation, and how lacking one can lead to default.
Balancing Housing Rights and Public Interest in Philippine Eviction Law
Supreme Court clarifies when evictions without court orders are allowed under RA 7279, and why procedural rules matter in constitutional challenges.
Forged Signatures and Void Sales: Protecting Conjugal Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court nullified a sale based on forged signatures, protecting conjugal property and heirs' rights under Philippine law.
Mutuality of Contracts: When Banks Cannot Unilaterally Raise Interest Rates
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Silos v. PNB explains why unilateral interest rate hikes violate the mutuality principle in loan contracts.
Due Process in Termination: Employer's Duty to Ensure Fair Hearing and the Scope of Nominal Damages
Supreme Court clarifies employers' duty to observe procedural due process in dismissals and the proper basis for awarding nominal damages.