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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Navigating Seafarers' Rights to Disability Benefits in the Philippines: Key Lessons from Blue Manila v. Jamias
Learn how the Supreme Court protects seafarers' disability claims when company doctors fail to give complete medical assessments.
Determining Employee Status: The Fine Line Between Employment and Partnership in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when workers are employees, not partners, and the legal consequences for dismissal in the Philippines.
Judicial Clemency in the Philippines: Lessons from the Ong Case
The Supreme Court partly grants former Sandiganbayan Justice Ong's plea for judicial clemency, restoring benefits and lifting reemployment ban.
Understanding the Right of Redemption for Agricultural Tenants in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified the 180-day period and consignation requirement for agricultural tenants' right of redemption under RA 3844.
Co-Ownership and Property Rights in the Philippines: The Racho Case on Consent
The Supreme Court clarifies when co-owners may sell inherited property and why consent of all heirs is required before partition.
Teacher Misconduct and Child Abuse: When Dismissal Is Justified in the Philippines
When does teacher misconduct justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of compassionate justice in child abuse cases.
Understanding Property Rights: Land Ownership Extent and Ejectment in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law defines land ownership extent—surface, subsurface, and airspace—and when ejectment cases apply to structures like firewalls.
Certiorari Timelines in the Philippines: Lessons from Republic v. Heirs of Borja
The Supreme Court clarifies the 60-day rule for filing certiorari petitions and when extensions may be allowed.
Understanding Apparent Authority: How Corporate Actions Bind Agreements in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when a corporation is bound by an officer's acts under the doctrine of apparent authority.
DNA Testing in Paternity Disputes: Supervening Events and Final Judgments in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a supervening event can stop a final DNA testing order in paternity cases.
When Lawyers Borrow From Clients: Disbarment for Gross Misconduct in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a lawyer who borrows money from a client and uses a forged title as collateral faces disbarment for gross misconduct.
Illegal Dismissal for Dishonesty in the Philippines: When Termination Is Not Justified
When can an employee be fired for dishonesty? The Supreme Court explains the limits of termination for loss of trust and confidence.
Notarial Seal Misuse: Supreme Court Ruling on Lawyer Accountability in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that lawyers cannot escape liability when their notarial seal is misused, even if signatures are forged.
Local Tax Refund Requisites and Procedures for Contesting Assessments
Learn the requisites for local tax refunds and the proper procedure for contesting local tax assessments in the Philippines.
Understanding the Legal Boundaries of Sexual Assault and Rape in the Philippines
A landmark ruling clarifies the distinction between rape by sexual intercourse and sexual assault, and the penalties for each.
Overlapping Land Titles in the Philippines: Priority of Registration and Legal Remedies
When two titles cover the same land, the earlier registered title prevails. Learn the rules and remedies in Philippine property disputes.
Navigating Employee Dismissal: Just Cause and Procedural Due Process in the Philippines
Learn the two-part test for lawful dismissal in the Philippines—substantive just cause and procedural due process—from a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Work Related Conditions Easing Requirements FOR Compensation Claims IN THE Philippines
Learn how recent Supreme Court rulings ease requirements for work-related compensation claims in the Philippines, protecting employee rights.
Unlocking Tax Refunds: How the Supreme Court's Ruling on VAT Compliance Impacts Businesses in the Philippines
A guide to the Supreme Court's ruling on VAT refund claims, tax compliance, and what it means for Philippine businesses.
Probate of an Alien's Will in the Philippines: Nationality Principle Explained
Philippine courts can probate a foreigner's will executed in the Philippines. The nationality principle does not strip local courts of jurisdiction.
Understanding Forum Shopping: Protecting Legal Integrity and Client Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies forum shopping rules, penalizing a lawyer with two-year suspension for refiling a dismissed labor case.
Understanding Theft in the Philippines: Key Insights From a Landmark Supreme Court Case
A look at how the Supreme Court clarifies plea bargaining rules in drug cases and what this means for criminal procedure in the Philippines.
Understanding Judicial Misconduct and Its Consequences: Insights From a Landmark Philippine Case
Learn how the Supreme Court defines judicial misconduct and its serious consequences for judges and the justice system in the Philippines.
Understanding Judicial Misconduct: Gross Ignorance of the Law in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's gross ignorance of the law, gross misconduct, and corruption—what it means for judicial accountability in the Philippines.