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.
Execution of Final Agrarian Orders: A Landmark Ruling on Unreasonable Delay
The Supreme Court clarifies when execution of final agrarian orders may proceed despite lapse of periods, and when exhaustion of remedies may be excused.
Fiduciary Rank-and-File Employees: When Job Titles Do Not Bar Labor Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies that fiduciary rank-and-file employees, despite supervisory-sounding titles, remain entitled to labor standards benefits under the Labor Code.
Probable Cause in Estafa Cases: Insights from Favis-Velasco v. Gonzales
Learn how the Supreme Court defined probable cause in estafa cases and why solid evidence matters in fraud complaints.
Reinstatement in Illegal Dismissal: The Strained Relations Doctrine Explained
Illegal dismissal entitles workers to reinstatement and backwages. The strained relations doctrine is a narrow exception—learn how courts apply it.
Preventive Suspension and Compassionate Justice: The Buan Case in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court balances judicial accountability with humanitarian considerations in preventive suspension cases, as shown in the Buan case.
Navigating Disability Benefits for Seafarers: Work-Related Illnesses and Legal Presumptions
Understand how the Supreme Court protects seafarers' disability claims when company physicians fail to issue timely, definite assessments.
Understanding the Finality of Court Decisions: When Is It Too Late to Appeal?
Learn the doctrine of immutability of final judgments in Philippine law and when courts may clarify a final decision to carry it into effect.
Fixed-Term Employment in the Philippines: What the Supreme Court Says About Validity and Dismissal
Learn when fixed-term employment contracts are valid in the Philippines, and what the Supreme Court ruled in Tuppil v. LBP Service Corporation.
Serious Dishonesty in Civil Service Exams: The Dampilag Ruling on Impersonation
The Supreme Court affirms that impersonation in civil service exams constitutes serious dishonesty and falsification, warranting dismissal from service.
Perjury and Bouncing Checks in the Philippines: What Saulo v. People Teaches
Understand perjury and BP 22 bouncing check liability through the Supreme Court's ruling in Saulo v. People.
Malicious Prosecution in the Philippines: When Filing Criminal Charges Backfires
The Supreme Court clarifies when filing baseless criminal complaints constitutes malicious prosecution, and what damages may be awarded.
Navigating Civil Service Misconduct: Penalties and Mitigating Factors in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on fake civil service eligibility explains when mitigating circumstances can reduce dismissal to suspension.
Valid Land Titles and Res Judicata: Key Lessons from a Philippine Property Dispute
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why tax declarations don't prove ownership and how res judicata bars relitigating property claims.
Psychological Incapacity Under Article 36: Lessons from Calingo v. Republic
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves psychological incapacity in marriage nullity cases under Article 36 of the Family Code.
Navigating Loss of Land Titles: Res Judicata and Your Rights Under Philippine Law
Learn how the Supreme Court applied res judicata to bar a quieting of title claim, and what this means for property owners and heirs in the Philippines.
When Is Filing Two Cases Forum Shopping? Supreme Court Clarifies in De Guzman v. Republic
The Supreme Court explains when filing separate cases amounts to forum shopping, using the De Guzman expropriation and recovery case as an example.
Forum Shopping in Land Expropriation: When Separate Claims for Just Compensation Are Allowed
The Supreme Court clarifies when filing separate cases for just compensation over different lots taken by the government does not constitute forum shopping.
Investment vs. Loan: Supreme Court Rules on Return of Capital in Lending Business
When is an investment really a loan? The Supreme Court clarifies when investors can demand return of principal.
Investment vs Loan: When a "Pay on Demand" Promise Binds the Investor
The Supreme Court clarifies when an investment becomes a recoverable obligation, and how the parties' own acts define their contract.
Voluntary Resignation vs. Constructive Dismissal: Insights from Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between voluntary resignation and constructive dismissal in Pascual v. Sitel Philippines Corporation.
Probable Cause and Government Procurement: Insights from the DOH v. Pascua Case
The Supreme Court dismissed DOH petitions against a trial court's TRO and injunction in a bidding dispute, ruling the case moot after the project proceeded.
Navigating Conflict of Interest: The Importance of Ethical Notarization in Legal Practice
A lawyer who notarizes an adverse party's affidavit risks conflict of interest and suspension. Learn the ethical rules.
Judicial Decorum in Philippine Courts: Lessons from Judge Dajao's Vulgar Conduct Case
The Supreme Court fined a judge for vulgar language and self-promotion, reaffirming strict standards of judicial decorum under Philippine law.
Notarizing a Document: When a Notary Public Is Not Liable for False Contents
Learn when a notary public is not liable for false statements in a notarized document, based on a 2020 Philippine Supreme Court ruling.