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.
Bail After Conviction: Can You Be Released Pending Appeal in the Philippines?
Learn when bail is allowed after conviction in the Philippines, especially when the charge is capital but the conviction is for a lesser offense.
Quantum Meruit: When a Contractor Can Recover Payment Without a Formal Contract
Philippine Supreme Court explains when contractors can recover payment on a quantum meruit basis even without a written contract.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: When Can You Skip the Line to Court?
Learn when the exhaustion rule applies, its exceptions, and why a replevin suit failed against DENR forfeiture.
Contract Validity and Enforceability: Lessons from Roblett v. Court of Appeals
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling on contract validity, authority to sign, and estoppel in Philippine obligations law.
Understanding Contract Interpretation: When a Windmill Deal Includes a Deep Well
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when contract terms include extra work, and when a typhoon is not a fortuitous event.
Perfecting an Appeal: Understanding Timeliness and Receipt of Court Decisions in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts treat appeal timeliness, notice of judgment, and receipt of decisions—key rules every litigant must know.
When Can the Ombudsman Investigate Judges? The Dolalas Rule on Judicial Independence
The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary between Ombudsman authority and judicial independence in investigating judges for delay.
Amending Criminal Informations: When a Homicide Charge Can Be Upgraded to Murder
The Supreme Court explains when prosecutors may amend an information to upgrade homicide to murder after the accused has already pleaded not guilty.
Homicide vs. Murder: How Philippine Courts Read Criminal Intent in an Information
A Supreme Court ruling explains when amending an information from homicide to murder is only a formal change, not a violation of the accused's rights.
When Can an Agent Sell Your Property? The Limits of a Special Power of Attorney
A special power of attorney to eject squatters does not authorize selling land. Learn the limits of an agent's authority to dispose of real property.
Navigating Telecommunications Franchises: Competition vs. Public Interest
A 1996 Supreme Court ruling on government telephone operations clarifies that franchises are not exclusive and competition serves the public interest.
Eminent Domain in the Philippines: Just Compensation and Due Process
Learn how Philippine law protects property owners in eminent domain cases, focusing on just compensation and due process requirements.
Partitioning Property Proving Ownership AND Avoiding Legal Pitfalls IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle partition actions, ownership disputes, and prescription from the Catapusan case.
Ejectment Suits: Possession vs Ownership in Philippine Courts
Philippine ejectment suits decide possession, not ownership. Learn the rules from Dizon v. Court of Appeals.
Custodial Rights and Deliberate Failure: Defining Kidnapping in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that kidnapping under Article 270 RPC requires deliberate, persistent refusal to return a minor to parents.
Negligence Trumps Fortuitous Events: Service Shops Must Insure Customer Vehicles
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a service shop's failure to insure customer property makes it liable for loss by fire, even if the fire is a fortuitous event.
Earnest Money and Conditional Obligations: Navigating Real Estate Sales in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on earnest money, conditional obligations, and what happens when a seller fails to deliver in Philippine real estate sales.
Usury Law Interest Rates: When Courts Can Intervene in Stipulated Loan Interest
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts can reduce stipulated interest rates on loans under the Usury Law and CB Circular 905.
Final Executory Judgments and Ejectment: Why Ownership Disputes Do Not Bar Execution
A final ejectment judgment cannot be blocked by a later ownership ruling. The Soco v. Court of Appeals case explains the limits.
Habeas Corpus After Criminal Charges: When Illegal Arrest No Longer Justifies Release
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when habeas corpus becomes moot after criminal charges are filed and bail is posted.
Sheriffs Authority: Understanding the Limits of Property Attachment in the Philippines
Learn the limits of a sheriff's authority in property attachment in the Philippines, based on a landmark Supreme Court administrative case.
Verbal Agreements to Sell Property: When Are They Enforceable in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when oral contracts to sell real property are enforceable and why buyers must prove readiness to pay.
The Clerk's Duty and Timely Record Submission in Philippine Courts
A 1996 Supreme Court ruling clarifies the distinct duties of clerks of court and stenographers in transmitting case records on appeal.
Civil Liability After Acquittal: When an Acquitted Person Can Still Be Sued
An acquittal does not always erase civil liability. Learn when a separate civil case can still proceed under Philippine law.