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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Witness Credibility and Treachery Affirming Murder Conviction Despite Eyewitness Limitations
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that a lone eyewitness's testimony, despite limitations, suffices to prove guilt and treachery.
Declaring a Spouse Presumptively Dead: The High Bar of a "Well-Founded Belief"
The Supreme Court clarifies the stringent standard for declaring a spouse presumptively dead under Article 41 of the Family Code.
Public Health Workers' Benefits: Balancing Magna Carta Rights and Budget Rules
Supreme Court rules on DBM-DOH and DBM-CSC circulars affecting hazard pay, subsistence allowance, and longevity pay for public health workers.
Grave Threats and Double Jeopardy: The Limits of Preliminary Investigations
A police officer convicted of grave threats argues double jeopardy after the Ombudsman dismissed his case. The Supreme Court explains why.
Loss of Trust and Due Process: Philippine Standards for Employee Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the standards for loss of trust and due process in employee dismissal cases under the Labor Code.
Acquittal in Drug Cases: The High Cost of Broken Chain of Custody
Understand why the Supreme Court acquitted a drug suspect when police failed to prove the chain of custody of seized shabu.
Religious Freedom vs Legal Obligations: When Personal Beliefs Meet Professional Conduct
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that lawyers cannot use personal beliefs to evade professional duties and client obligations.
Perfected Contract of Sale When a Preliminary Agreement Becomes Binding
When does a preliminary agreement become a perfected contract of sale? The Supreme Court explains in this Philippine banking liquidation case.
Litis Pendentia: When Foreclosure Bars a Later Collection Suit
A mortgage creditor cannot file foreclosure and collection suits for the same debt. The Supreme Court explains litis pendentia and its limits.
Stringent Compliance is Key: Reconstitution of Torrens Title Requires Strict Adherence to Law
The Supreme Court reiterates that judicial reconstitution of lost Torrens titles demands strict compliance with RA 26, or the petition fails.
Perfecting Appeals and the Strict Rules on Judicial Reconstitution of Torrens Titles
The Supreme Court reminds courts that petitions for judicial reconstitution of lost Torrens titles demand strict compliance with RA 26.
Double Jeopardy: The Perils of Forum Shopping in Philippine Courts
Filing multiple cases seeking the same relief in different courts is forum shopping. The Supreme Court explains the consequences in Villamor v. Manalastas.
Judicial Overreach: When Contempt Powers Become Grave Abuse of Authority
A Supreme Court ruling on when a judge's contempt order crosses the line into grave abuse of authority, and the limits of judicial discretion.
Plaintiff’s Duty to Prosecute: Pre-Trial Setting Not Solely the Court’s Burden
The Supreme Court clarifies that the guidelines on pre-trial do not remove a plaintiff’s duty to move for pre-trial; failure without justifiable cause warrants dismissal.
Real Party in Interest: When Can an Agent Sue on Behalf of a Principal?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an agent may sue in its own name and the limits of an agent's authority to file suit.
Venue in Deficiency Claims: A Personal Action After Foreclosure
The Supreme Court clarifies that an action to recover a mortgage deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure is a personal action, not a real action.
SEC Regulatory Powers: Revocation of Securities Registration and Due Process
Supreme Court clarifies SEC's regulatory power to revoke securities registration and what due process requires in administrative proceedings.
SEC Revocation of Securities Registration: When Due Process Is Satisfied
Supreme Court clarifies when SEC revocation of securities registration complies with due process, and what issuers must do.
SEC Revocation of Securities Registration: Due Process in Administrative Regulation
Supreme Court clarifies when SEC may revoke securities registration without a separate hearing, distinguishing regulatory from quasi-judicial powers.
SEC Revocation of Securities Registration: Due Process in Corporate Filings
Supreme Court clarifies when SEC may revoke a corporation's securities registration for reportorial lapses without a separate hearing.
Bigamy Conviction Upheld Despite Void Second Marriage Understanding Fraud AND Legal Consequences
Supreme Court affirms bigamy conviction of second spouse who knowingly married a man with a subsisting marriage, ruling she cannot escape liability by claiming her own fraudulent marriage was void.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and CTA Jurisdiction in Tax Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that the CTA cannot review the CIR's quasi-legislative interpretation of tax laws, and taxpayers must exhaust administrative remedies first.
Clerk of Court Penalized for Gross Neglect in Handling Court Funds
Supreme Court rules a clerk of court's failure to remit collections and document cash bonds constitutes gross neglect of duty, not simple neglect.
Bigamy and the Second Spouse: Liability as an Accomplice Under Philippine Law
When can a second spouse be held liable for bigamy in the Philippines? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on accomplice liability and marriage validity.