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.
Laches in Philippine Law: How Delay Can Bar Your Legal Claims
Learn how the doctrine of laches can bar legal claims in the Philippines, even before the prescriptive period expires, through the Supreme Court's ruling in Ang v. Abaldonado.
Finality of Monetary Awards in Labor Cases: The Tan v. Dagpin Rule
Learn how the Supreme Court's Tan v. Dagpin ruling protects final labor judgments from recomputation after full payment.
Understanding the Principle of Totality of Infractions in Philippine Labor Law
Learn how the totality of infractions principle works in Philippine labor law, explained through a Supreme Court ruling on employee dismissal.
Accountants Liability Scope Of Responsibility In Disallowed Government Transactions
Supreme Court clarifies when government accountants may be excused from solidary liability for disallowed payments under COA rules.
Baptismal Certificates and Inheritance Rights: Proving Filiation in Property Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified when baptismal certificates can prove filiation and inheritance rights in Philippine property disputes.
Surety Agreements and Solidary Liability: Lessons from a Philippine Loan Dispute
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when sureties become liable for corporate loans and why economic crises do not excuse payment.
PDIC Deposit Insurance Denials: Court of Appeals Holds Exclusive Certiorari Jurisdiction
Supreme Court clarifies that PDIC deposit insurance claim denials must be challenged via certiorari before the Court of Appeals, not the RTC.
PDIC Deposit Insurance Disputes: Court of Appeals Has Exclusive Jurisdiction
The Supreme Court clarifies that petitions questioning PDIC denials of deposit insurance claims must be filed with the Court of Appeals, not the RTC.
Relaxation of Procedural Rules Ensures Substantial Justice Prevails Over Technicalities in Certiorari Petition
Supreme Court relaxes procedural rules to resolve merits of case involving memorial lot purchase, affirming RTC decision annulling contract.
Acquittal in Drug Case Highlights Strict Chain of Custody and Witness Rules
Supreme Court acquits drug suspect, stressing strict compliance with chain of custody and required witnesses under RA 9165.
Malicious Mischief in Property Disputes: What the Supreme Court Said
The Supreme Court clarifies when destroying property in a dispute becomes malicious mischief, and why claims of ownership do not justify taking the law into one's own hands.
Diabetes and Seafarer Rights: Establishing Work Relatedness for Disability Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's diabetes is work-related and compensable, and the rules on post-employment medical exams.
Unjust Enrichment vs. Immutability of Judgment: Balancing Equity and Finality in Power Supply Contracts
The Supreme Court reconciles the immutability of final judgments with unjust enrichment claims in a dispute over fuel supply between NAPOCOR and Delta P.
Probable Cause and Conspiracy: When Presence Alone Does Not Mean Guilt in Insurance Fraud
Supreme Court clarifies that mere presence and family ties do not establish conspiracy or probable cause in insurance fraud cases.
Falsifying MCLE Compliance Numbers: A Supreme Court Lesson in Professional Integrity
Learn how a lawyer's use of a fictitious MCLE number led to disbarment, and what it means for every Philippine practitioner.
When Death Ends a Rape Conviction: The Rule on Death Pending Appeal
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains what happens to rape and lasciviousness convictions when the accused dies before final judgment.
Upholding State Ownership When Public Land Claims Collide With the Regalian Doctrine
The Supreme Court clarifies that public lands belong to the State unless proven alienable, applying the Regalian doctrine in a school site dispute.
State Immunity and Construction Disputes: PTRI v. E.A. Ramirez Construction
The Supreme Court clarifies when state agencies can be sued and why construction disputes must go to the CIAC.
Sale vs Agency: When Unpaid Vendors Are Not Guilty of Estafa
The Supreme Court clarifies when a failed real estate deal is a breach of contract, not estafa, and why unpaid vendors cannot be criminally liable.
Attorney Suspended for Neglect and Misappropriation of Client Funds in Annulment Case
Lawyer suspended two years for taking P57,000 in legal fees but failing to file annulment petition and refusing to return client's money.
Forged Signatures and Land Titles: Proving Fraud in Philippine Property Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence is needed to prove forged signatures in land transactions and reconveyance claims.
Ante-Nuptial Agreements and Property Waivers: The Delgado v. GQ Realty Case
The Supreme Court's ruling in Delgado v. GQ Realty clarifies how ante-nuptial agreements can waive property rights, even for assets registered under a spouse's family corporation.
Encroachment and Good Faith: Resolving Land Disputes Under Article 448 of the Civil Code
Understand how the Supreme Court handles land disputes involving good faith builders, encroachment, and Article 448 of the Civil Code.
Corporate Ratification: When a Corporation Becomes Bound by Unauthorized Acts
A corporation's repeated payments can ratify an officer's unauthorized acts, binding the company to obligations it never expressly approved.