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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Seafarer Disability Claims: Defining Total and Permanent Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer with a partial disability grade is deemed totally and permanently disabled under the POEA-SEC.
SEC v. Price Richardson: Probable Cause in Securities Fraud Cases
Supreme Court clarifies when courts may review prosecutors' probable cause findings in securities regulation violations.
Upholding Agrarian Reform Security of Tenure Prevails Despite Land Reclassification
Supreme Court rules tenants' rights survive land reclassification, affirming DARAB jurisdiction over agrarian disputes despite zoning changes.
SEC Approval Needed to Trade Securities: SC Clarifies Probable Cause in Securities Fraud
Supreme Court clarifies when SEC approval is needed to trade securities and the limits of probable cause review in securities fraud cases.
Just Compensation Under CARP: Valuing Land at the Time of Taking
The Supreme Court clarifies that just compensation for CARP-acquired land is valued at the time of taking, guided by Section 17 factors and DAR formulas.
Upholding Title Security: Collateral Attacks on Land Titles Face Strict Scrutiny
The Supreme Court reaffirms that Torrens titles, including those from emancipation patents, cannot be collaterally attacked, protecting landowners from indirect challenges.
Chain of Custody in Drug Sale Cases: Lessons from Belmonte v. People
The Supreme Court upholds a drug sale conviction, clarifying that minor deviations from Section 21's chain of custody rules are not fatal when integrity is preserved.
Protecting Children: Identifying and Punishing Sexual Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies when child sexual abuse falls under Section 5(b) rather than Section 10(a) of R.A. 7610, and the proper penalties.
When Business Closure Is Valid: Employer Prerogative vs. Employee Security
The Supreme Court explains when a company may validly close operations and terminate employees, and how workers can challenge the closure.
Security of Tenure, Constructive Dismissal, and the Floating Status of Security Guards in the Philippines
When does a security guard's floating status become constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the six-month rule.
Upholding Just Cause for Dismissal: The Importance of Challenging Adverse Rulings in Labor Disputes
Security guards on floating status beyond six months may be constructively dismissed, but employees must first prove dismissal.
The Limits of Self-Defense: Establishing Unlawful Aggression in Murder Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a vague, uncorroborated claim of self-defense cannot overcome the prosecution's evidence of murder by treachery.
Stockholder Rights to Corporate Records Survive SEC Revocation, SC Rules
Supreme Court affirms that a stockholder's right to inspect corporate records continues even after SEC registration is revoked, upholding criminal liability of officers who refuse access.
Security of Tenure vs Management Prerogative: Constructive Dismissal of Security Guards
When is a security guard on floating status constructively dismissed? The Supreme Court clarifies the six-month rule and the burden of proof.
When a Prosecutor Files an Information Without the City Prosecutor’s Approval
Learn when a criminal information filed without the city prosecutor’s prior written authority is defective and subject to quashal.
Negotiable Instruments and the Presumption of Delivery: Protecting Payees’ Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies that dismissal for lack of cause of action requires trial, and that delivery of negotiable instruments is presumed under Section 16 of the NIL.
Public Duty vs Private Interest: When a Prosecutor’s Delay Betrays Legal Ethics
The Supreme Court clarifies that a prosecutor's duty to expedite cases is not excused by a respondent's failure to assert the right to speedy disposition.
Speedy Disposition of Cases: Balancing Delay and Due Process in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the balancing test for inordinate delay in preliminary investigations, affirming that prosecutors must justify delays.
Defective Motion for Reconsideration Cannot Revive Waived Prosecution Evidence
Supreme Court nullifies trial court order allowing prosecution to present evidence after fatally defective motion for reconsideration.
Seafarers Disability Claims Upholding Company Doctors Assessment Absent Third Opinion
Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's disability grading prevails over a seafarer's private doctor in POEA-SEC claims.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why the 120-Day Rule Is Not Automatic
The Supreme Court clarifies that the 120-day rule does not automatically grant total disability benefits to seafarers under the POEA-SEC.
Timely Disability Claims: Seafarers' Rights and Employer Obligations Under POEA-SEC
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified seafarers' disability claims, the 120/240-day rule, and why timely filing matters under POEA-SEC.
Why Police Must Follow Section 21 of RA 9165 in Drug Cases
Learn why the Supreme Court acquitted a drug suspect when police failed to conduct inventory and photograph seized items under Section 21 of RA 9165.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Supreme Court Acquits Three in Frustrated Murder Case
The Supreme Court acquits three accused of frustrated murder, ruling that inconsistent prosecution evidence failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.