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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Invalid Execution Sales: The Imperative of Proper Levy on Properties in the Philippines
A lawful levy is a prerequisite to a valid execution sale. Learn the rules from a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Union Dues and Agency Fees: When Can Labor Unions Validly Increase Them?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the documentary requirements for valid union dues and agency fee increases under the Labor Code.
Lawyers' Facebook Posts and Online Defamation: Ethical Limits Under Philippine Law
When can a lawyer's Facebook posts lead to suspension? The Supreme Court clarifies privacy, free speech, and professional conduct online.
Union Dues Increase: Supreme Court Requires Strict Compliance for Agency Fees
The Supreme Court ruled that increased union agency fees require strict compliance with Labor Code approval and documentation requirements.
Taxation and Freeport Zones: The Limits of Executive Power in Revenue Regulation
The Supreme Court strikes down a revenue regulation imposing VAT and excise tax on freeport zone importations, affirming that tax exemptions cannot be revoked by executive issuance.
Peace Agreements and Premature Constitutional Challenges: Why Courts Wait for Implementing Laws
The Supreme Court dismissed challenges to the Bangsamoro peace agreements as premature, explaining why courts wait for implementing laws before ruling on constitutionality.
Fiscal Autonomy vs COA Oversight: Striking the Balance in PHIC
The Supreme Court clarifies that PHIC's fiscal autonomy does not exempt it from COA oversight and compensation standards.
Integrity Under Scrutiny: Examining Corruption Allegations Against Judges and Justices
The Supreme Court clarifies the President's power to appoint Sandiganbayan justices and the limits of judicial review in quo warranto cases.
Fiscal Autonomy vs COA Authority: PHIC Allowances and the Limits of GOCC Discretion
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on PHIC's disallowed allowances, fiscal autonomy limits, and COA's audit power over GOCC benefits.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Negligence Justifies Dismissal
The Supreme Court ruled that negligence in handling company property can justify dismissal for breach of trust, even without proof of theft or misconduct.
Civil Indemnity for Death: How Philippine Courts Determine Damages
The Supreme Court explains how civil indemnity, moral damages, and other awards are computed when a crime causes death, using Lim v. Tan as a guide.
Duty of Disclosure in Insurance Contracts: Insurers Must Prove Concealment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that insurers bear the burden of proving concealment or misrepresentation by convincing evidence before rescinding policies.
SEC Cease and Desist Orders and Investment Contracts: A Supreme Court Primer
The Supreme Court clarifies that SEC cease and desist orders are interlocutory, not appealable, and that the SEC has primary jurisdiction over investment contract questions.
When a "Lawyer" Is Not a Lawyer: Due Process and the Right to Counsel in Criminal Cases
The Supreme Court voids a conviction where the accused was represented by a fake lawyer, stressing the absolute right to counsel.
Cease and Desist Orders Secs Authority and the Limits of Judicial Intervention
The Supreme Court clarifies when an appeal from a trial court's dismissal order involves questions of fact, not just law.
Determining Damages in Wrongful Death: Balancing Compensation and Proof
How the Supreme Court balances compensation and proof in wrongful death cases, and what heirs must prove to recover damages.
Acquiring Public Land: Open Possession Since 1945 and the Right to Compensation
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when long possession of public land can ripen into ownership and entitle a claimant to just compensation.
When a Fake Lawyer Represented the Accused: Due Process and the Right to Counsel
The Supreme Court voids a conviction where the accused was represented by a non-lawyer, reaffirming the absolute right to counsel.
Parent Company Liability for Employee Benefits in Labor Disputes
When can a parent company be held solidarily liable for its subsidiary's unpaid employee benefits? The Supreme Court explains.
Upholding Client Trust: Attorney's Duty to Account for Funds and Return Documents
A lawyer cannot withhold client funds or documents for unpaid fees; the Supreme Court suspends Atty. Jimenez for six months.
Unraveling Fraud Protecting Heirs Rights IN Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when heirs can pursue quieting of title and reconveyance despite allegations of fraud and laches.
Right to Counsel in Criminal Cases: When a Fake Lawyer Means Denial of Due Process
The Supreme Court ruled that conviction is void when an accused is represented by a non-lawyer, as it violates the constitutional right to counsel.
Illegal Recruitment and Estafa: Liability for Promising Overseas Work
The Supreme Court affirmed convictions for illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa where accused spouses promised overseas jobs without a POEA license.
Insubordination in the Workplace: Defining the Scope of Employee Duties and Employer Authority
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's refusal to follow orders is insubordination and when it is a justified defense against dismissal.