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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Treachery and Conspiracy in Group Violence: Defining Liability Under Philippine Law
How the Supreme Court applied treachery and conspiracy to hold two accused liable for murder in a group stabbing incident.
Guilt Beyond Doubt: Circumstantial Evidence and Illegal Firearms in Murder Conviction
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence and illegal firearms possession under PD 1866.
Treachery Unveiled When Opportunity TO Escape Negates A Finding OF Murder
Supreme Court explains when a victim's opportunity to escape or defend himself negates treachery, reducing murder to homicide.
Treachery AND Murder Analyzing Unexpected Attacks IN Philippine LAW
Reasonable Doubt and Circumstantial Evidence: When Suspicion Cannot Sustain a Conviction
The Supreme Court acquits five police officers of double murder, explaining when circumstantial evidence fails the test of moral certainty.
Self-Defense and Treachery: The Limits of Justification in Philippine Criminal Law
When self-defense fails: the Supreme Court explains unlawful aggression, treachery, and why a sudden attack on a sleeping victim is murder.
Murder Reduced to Homicide: When Treachery and Conspiracy Are Not Proven
The Supreme Court explains when treachery and conspiracy fail in criminal cases, reducing murder to homicide.
Diminished Liability When Lack of Treachery Reduces Murder to Homicide
When does a killing become homicide instead of murder? The Supreme Court explains how the absence of treachery lowers the crime and its penalty.
Eyewitness Testimony and Conspiracy in Murder: Lessons from People v. Aquino
The Supreme Court affirms murder convictions based on credible eyewitness identification and conspiracy, explaining when alibi fails and how treachery is proven.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi in Murder Conviction of Sleeping Victim
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that credible eyewitness identification prevails over alibi and denial in Philippine criminal law.
Conspiracy and the Absence of Self-Defense: Collective Criminal Liability in Group Attacks
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy, self-defense claims, and collective liability in group attacks resulting in murder.
Mistake of Identity and the Limits of Treachery: Intent in Criminal Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when mistaken identity negates treachery and how intent shapes murder versus homicide liability in the Philippines.
Self-Defense vs. Murder: Proving Treachery and Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains self-defense, treachery, and criminal liability in homicide cases. Learn the legal requisites and evidentiary standards.
Treachery in Criminal Law: When a Frontal Attack Constitutes Murder
The Supreme Court explains when a frontal attack still qualifies as treachery, elevating a killing to murder in the Philippines.
The Perils of Mistaken Identity: Alibi and Witness Credibility in Murder Convictions
A Supreme Court ruling on how positive identification outweighs alibi, and the consequences of mistaken identity in murder cases.
The Element of Surprise: Establishing Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law
A look at how the Supreme Court defines treachery in murder cases, using a 2001 decision as a guide.
Homicide vs Murder: Proving Intent and Circumstances in Criminal Cases
How Philippine courts distinguish murder from homicide through qualifying circumstances like treachery, and why intent alone is not enough.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Murder Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that credible eyewitness identification outweighs the inherently weak defense of alibi.
From Murder to Homicide: Proving Treachery and Intent in Criminal Cases
When qualifying circumstances like treachery aren't proven beyond reasonable doubt, a murder charge may be reduced to homicide.
Self-Defense vs. Unlawful Aggression: Distinguishing Homicide from Murder in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies self-defense requirements and treachery elements, reducing murder conviction to homicide in People v. Cariño.
Judicial Efficiency: The Imperative of Timely Case Resolution in Philippine Courts
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's delay in deciding a murder case underscores the constitutional mandate for courts to resolve cases within 90 days.
Treachery Unproven: Downgrading Murder to Homicide in Philippine Law
When treachery is not proven beyond reasonable doubt, a murder conviction is reduced to homicide. This case explains the rule.
Double Jeopardy and the Immutability of Acquittal in Philippine Law
A judge who "revised" an acquittal into a murder conviction was fined for gross ignorance of the law. Learn why acquittals are final.
Supreme Court Affirms Murder Conviction Despite Defense Claims of Self-Defense
SC affirms murder conviction of three men who mauled victim to death, rejecting self-defense claims and upholding reclusion perpetua.