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.
Void Judgments Create No Rights: The Borres Heirs Case
A judge who decides after retirement acts without authority. His decision is void ab initio and can never become final or create rights.
Deposition Deadlines in Intra-Corporate Cases: Philippine Computer Solutions v. Hernandez
The Supreme Court clarifies the 15-day discovery period under the Interim Rules on Intra-Corporate Controversies and the rule on interlocutory orders.
Sovereign Solvency: Why the Republic Is Exempt From Attachment Bond Requirements
The Supreme Court affirms that the Republic of the Philippines, as a sovereign, is exempt from posting attachment bonds in civil cases.
Finality of Judgments: When Persistence Becomes Contempt of Court
A lawyer's relentless attacks on a final Supreme Court ruling led to indirect contempt. Learn the limits of fair criticism.
Treachery Defined: The Element of Surprise in Criminal Law
The Supreme Court explains treachery as a sudden, unexpected attack, using a husband stabbing his sleeping wife as the defining example.
Contempt of Court and Lawyer Accountability: The Roxas Case
A lawyer's intemperate letter to a Supreme Court Justice led to a P30,000 fine for indirect contempt and a reminder of professional ethics.
Credibility of Witnesses and Inconsistencies Between Affidavits and Court Testimony in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, affidavit-testimony inconsistencies, and penalties for rape by sexual intercourse and sexual assault.
Credibility of Eyewitness Testimony Overcoming Inconsistencies in Rape Cases
How Philippine courts weigh a minor victim's credible testimony over minor inconsistencies, and the distinction between rape by sexual intercourse and sexual assault.
Ombudsman's Discretion to Prosecute Public Officials: Galario v. Ombudsman
When can the Ombudsman charge a different offense than what was complained of? The Supreme Court explains in Galario v. Ombudsman.
Finality vs Appeal: When an Unreadable Decision Tolls the Appeal Period
The Supreme Court clarifies when an unreadable court decision interrupts the appeal period, balancing procedural rules against substantial justice.
Prejudicial Question in Philippine Courts: When Civil Cases Suspend Criminal Proceedings
Learn when Philippine courts suspend criminal cases due to prejudicial questions, and why appeal, not certiorari, is the proper remedy.
Upholding Contractual Obligations: The Validity of a Special Power of Attorney in Property Transfers
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies jurisdiction in property disputes, the statute of frauds, and rights of first refusal in Philippine real estate law.
Fixed-Term Employment: Employers Cannot Terminate Before Contract Expiry Without Just Cause
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on fixed-term employment: employers cannot terminate workers before contract expiry without just cause, even with waiver clauses.
Rape by Sexual Assault: When Digital Penetration Constitutes Rape Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when inserting fingers into a victim's vagina constitutes rape by sexual assault, distinct from rape by sexual intercourse.
From Public Land to Private Right: Establishing Land Ownership Through Acquisitive Prescription
How long possession of alienable public land can ripen into private ownership, explained through a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.
Possession of Stolen Cattle and Proof of Guilt in Anti-Cattle Rustling Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how possession of stolen cattle establishes guilt beyond reasonable doubt under the Anti-Cattle Rustling Law.
Upholding Diligence: Court Stenographer Accountability in Transcription Accuracy
SC ruling on appeal timeliness when litigants receive unreadable court decisions, and the duty to ensure accurate transcripts.
Publication Requirement for Tax Ordinances: A Prerequisite to Enforceability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that publication of local tax ordinances is a condition precedent to their enforceability and collection.
Perfecting Your Appeal Understanding Jurisdictional Requirements IN Philippine Courts
A look at how the Supreme Court treats compromise agreements after a petition is denied, and what this means for litigants in the Philippines.
Father's Betrayal: Upholding Justice in Statutory Rape Cases Despite Hymen Integrity
Supreme Court affirms father's statutory rape conviction despite intact hymen, clarifying that virginity is not an element of rape.
Equitable Mortgage vs Sale: Protecting Borrowers in Philippine Property Deals
When is a deed of sale actually an equitable mortgage? The Supreme Court explains how borrowers are protected under Philippine law.
Navigating Forum Shopping: The Consequences of Concealing Related Cases in Habeas Corpus Petitions
The Supreme Court explains why filing a habeas corpus petition while concealing a related certiorari case amounts to forum shopping, with serious consequences.
Due Process in Dismissal: Written Notice and Hearing Requirements Explained
A look at the Supreme Court's ruling on procedural due process in employee dismissal and the limits of personal liability for corporate officers.
Compromise Agreements Upholding Judicial Decisions AND Preventing Reneging ON Obligations
When a compromise agreement is approved by the court, can a party later back out? This case explains the binding effect of such agreements.