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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Establishing Filiation: The Complexities of Inheritance Rights for Illegitimate Children in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies how illegitimate children prove filiation and inherit, and why unprobated wills fail in estate claims.
Seafarers Disability: Why Timely Medical Assessment by Company Doctors Matters
A seafarer's unresolved medical condition beyond 240 days can be deemed total and permanent disability. Learn the rules.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Debt Recovery Fails Against Corporate Officers
The Supreme Court clarifies when creditors can hold corporate officers personally liable for corporate debts under the alter ego doctrine.
Preliminary Injunctions, Grave Abuse of Discretion, and Protection of Substantive Rights
When can a court issue a preliminary injunction against a foreclosure purchaser? Learn the rules from a 2015 Supreme Court ruling.
Surety Bonds and Indemnity: Why Renewal Disputes Don't Erase Contractual Liability
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a deed of indemnity authorizing bond renewals binds signatories even without separate consent to each renewal.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Directors Face Personal Liability for Corporate Debts
The Supreme Court clarifies when corporate directors may be held personally liable for corporate debts, requiring clear and convincing evidence of bad faith or fraud.
Certiorari Not a Substitute for Appeal: Lessons from Nuque v. Aquino
The Supreme Court reiterates that certiorari cannot replace a lost appeal, and a motion for reconsideration is generally required before filing one.
Standing to Sue, Heirs' Rights, and Property Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land registration, heirs' rights, and the standing of the Republic to oppose property claims.
Foreclosure Purchaser's Right to Possession Prevails Over Pending Mortgage Disputes
Supreme Court rules foreclosure sale purchaser may take possession despite pending mortgage annulment case, clarifying Philippine real estate law.
Family Home Exemptions, Res Judicata, and Execution Sales Under the Family Code
Supreme Court clarifies when a family home may be sold on execution and how res judicata bars relitigating its value.
Land Registration: Proving Alienability Beyond Survey Plan Annotations
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves a land is alienable and disposable for registration, examining survey plan annotations and certifications.
Can Acquisitive Prescription Defeat a Torrens Title? The Dy v. Yu Ruling
The Supreme Court explains when long-term adverse possession can defeat a Torrens title, despite the system's guarantee of indefeasibility.
Upholding Client Trust: Lawyer Suspended for Mismanaging Settlement Funds and Unauthorized Agreements
A lawyer who settled a client's case without consent and kept the P100,000 proceeds was suspended for two years and ordered to return the money.
Strict Compliance Required for Serving Summons on Domestic Corporations
The Supreme Court clarifies that service of summons on domestic corporations must strictly follow Rule 14, Section 11, or the court lacks jurisdiction.
Breach of Trust as Ground for Dismissal: Manager's Dishonest Dealings Upheld
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of a manager who failed to account for funds and licenses, ruling that loss of trust and confidence was justified.
PAL Tax Exemption: Special Franchise Law Prevails Over General Tax Code
Supreme Court affirms PAL's tax exemption on commissary imports, ruling special franchise law P.D. 1590 prevails over general tax code R.A. 9334.
Rejection of the Sweetheart Defense in Rape Cases: Consent Beyond Affection
The Supreme Court clarifies that a "sweetheart defense" in rape cases requires proof of both a romantic relationship and genuine consent to the sexual act.
Protecting Childhood: Statutory Rape and the Rule on Parole Ineligibility
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction and clarifies that offenders face reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole.
Ancestral Domain vs Resettlement: Calauit Island Land Rights Resolved
Supreme Court rules CADT issuance renders Calauit settlers' eviction case moot, recognizing Tagbanua ancestral domain rights.
Corporate Control Belongs to the Board, Not External Agreements
Supreme Court rules the board of directors holds corporate control, voiding external agreements that bypass it.
Forged Signatures and Property Rights: How Laches and Prescription Can Defeat a Land Claim
A Supreme Court ruling shows why delay can destroy a landowner's claim, even when fraud is alleged, and how laches and prescription bar stale property suits.
Trust or Time: Prescription in Disputes Over Inherited Shares
Supreme Court clarifies when prescription and laches may bar claims over shares held in implied trust, remanding Dy Sun-Ong v. Dy Sun for trial.
Land Registration and Laches: Strict Proof Required in Vega-Era Property Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling shows that registered landowners who sleep on their rights for decades can lose their claim through laches and extinctive prescription.
Clerk of Court Authority: The Fine Line Between Administration and Judicial Overreach
A clerk of court added a phrase to a writ beyond the judge's order. The Supreme Court explains why that was judicial overreach.