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.
Forged Signatures and Good Faith: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains how forged deeds are void and why buyers must verify titles and possession before purchasing property.
Checks AS Guarantee Lagman VS People When A Bounced Check Becomes A Crime
The Supreme Court clarifies when a check issued as a guarantee, not payment, falls under the Bouncing Checks Law.
Unlawful Arrest and Admissible Evidence: Key Lessons from a Robbery Case
How the Supreme Court protected constitutional rights by excluding evidence from an unlawful warrantless arrest in a robbery case.
Murder Conviction and Sentencing in the Philippines: The Leoncio Lawa Case
How the Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction and death penalty, explaining treachery, evident premeditation, and alibi in Philippine law.
Conspiracy Unmasked When Silence Implies Guilt IN Murder AND Kidnapping Cases
The Supreme Court explains how circumstantial evidence and silence can establish conspiracy in murder and kidnapping cases.
Prescription of Penalties: Evasion of Sentence Requires Prior Imprisonment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: prescription of penalty starts only when a convicted person escapes from actual imprisonment, not from hiding.
Prescription of Penalties: Why Actual Imprisonment Matters in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when prescription of penalties begins—only after a convict actually escapes from imprisonment.
Contempt of Court for Re-Entering Property After Execution of Judgment
When a final judgment orders you to vacate property, re-entering it can lead to contempt of court. Learn from this Philippine case.
When a Sudden Attack Becomes Murder: Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden, swift attack qualifies as treachery, converting a killing into murder under Philippine law.
Maintaining Professionalism: Lawyers' Duty to Courteous Conduct
Philippine Supreme Court rules on lawyer discipline for uncivil conduct toward fellow attorneys, citing Canon 8 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Carnapping Conviction Affirmed: Penalties and Procedural Rules Under RA 6538
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified carnapping penalties and appeal rules in Mercado v. People, including key procedural takeaways.
Clerk of Court's Unauthorized Release Order: A Case of Misconduct
A clerk of court who issued a release order without judicial authority was held liable for misconduct. Learn the limits of court personnel powers.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Elements and Implications in Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts define treachery in murder cases, why proof must be clear, and when a killing becomes homicide instead.
Death Penalty Moratorium: The Supreme Court's Stance on Legislative Influence and Execution
The Supreme Court rules that pending bills in Congress cannot justify staying death sentences, reaffirming the constitutionality of the death penalty.
Due Process Prevails: Conviction Without Trial Violates Fundamental Rights
A judge who convicted an accused without trial on the merits was held liable for gross ignorance of the law, reaffirming due process.
Bouncing Checks and the Breadth of BP 22: Understanding so that its dishonor becomes a crime? The case is a us
The Facts of the Case Miraflor San Pedro and Evelyn Odra were friends and business associates. Odra entrusted San Pedro with Pyrex cooking utensils to sell. Ov
Statutory Rape and Parental Authority: Why the Supreme Court Upheld a Father's Conviction
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction, explaining how parental moral ascendancy substitutes for force and why proof of age matters for the death penalty.
Rape With a Deadly Weapon: Understanding Penalties and Aggravating Circumstances in Philippine Law
A guide to how Philippine courts treat rape with a deadly weapon, the penalties involved, and when aggravating circumstances apply.
When Sexual Assault Is Acts of Lasciviousness, Not Attempted Rape: Perez v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between attempted rape and acts of lasciviousness in a case with no eyewitnesses.
Homicide vs Murder: The Fine Line in Criminal Intent Under Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a killing is homicide, not murder, by examining treachery and evident premeditation.
Rape and Stepfather Relationship: When Death Penalty Applies in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a stepparent's rape of a minor warrants death penalty versus simple rape.
Distinguishing Recruitment From Simple Assistance Labor Code Violations Examined
Supreme Court clarifies what constitutes illegal recruitment versus mere assistance in finding work, requiring proof of specific acts.
Upholding Estafa Conviction: The Supreme Court Reinforces Finality of Factual Findings in Appeals
A look at how the Supreme Court affirmed an estafa conviction and reiterated that factual findings of lower courts are binding.
Statutory Rape Penetration IS Required FOR Consummation Attempted Rape Defined
The Supreme Court clarifies that penetration, not mere touching, is required for consummated statutory rape, explaining attempted rape rules.