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.
Homicide vs Murder: Key Differences Under Philippine Law
Understand the legal distinction between homicide and murder in the Philippines, explained through a Supreme Court ruling on treachery and evident premeditation.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Unexpected Attacks
The Supreme Court explains treachery (alevosia) in murder cases, using People v. Reboltiado to show how sudden, planned attacks qualify.
Subrogation in Philippine Law: Recovering Debt After Paying Another's Mortgage
Explaining subrogation under Philippine law through a Supreme Court ruling on a partner who paid a co-debtor's mortgage.
Patent Novelty, Prior Art, and the Presumption of Validity in Philippine Patent Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on patent novelty, prior art, and the heavy burden to overcome the presumption of patent validity.
Premature Objections When Third-Party Claims Challenge Evidence in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a spouse cannot file a third-party claim after a fraudulent conveyance is annulled.
Judicial Accountability: Independent Assessment of Justice Secretary's Resolutions in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on trial courts' duty to independently assess Justice Secretary's resolutions in withdrawal of criminal informations.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: What Philippine Law Requires
Philippine law requires both just cause and due process for valid dismissal. Learn the rules from Aquinas School v. Magnaye.
Revival of Judgment: How Long Can You Wait to Enforce a Court Order in the Philippines
Learn the rules on reviving a dormant judgment in the Philippines, including prescriptive periods and key Supreme Court rulings.
Jurisdiction Over Foreign Corporations: When Philippine Courts Can Hear Your Case
Philippine courts cannot assert jurisdiction over foreign corporations not doing business in the country, even in collection suits involving local parties.
Assigning Lease Rights When IS Consent Required IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a lessee can assign lease rights, including a right of first option, without the lessor's consent.
Positive Identification vs. Alibi: How Philippine Courts Determine Guilt in Criminal Cases
Philippine courts weigh eyewitness identification against alibi. Learn the rules from People v. Palomar and how guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Docket Fees and Venue: When Payment Must Be Made Anew on Refiling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that refiling a case in the proper venue requires new docket fees; prior payments do not transfer.
Insubordination in Maritime Employment: Understanding Just Cause for Termination
A seafarer's refusal to obey lawful orders can be just cause for dismissal, but procedural due process still applies.
Liability for Dishonored Checks: When Civil Damages Can Be Recovered
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a party can recover civil damages from a check issuer even if criminal liability under B.P. 22 is not established.
Docket Fees and Jurisdiction: Re-Filing a Case After Dismissal for Improper Venue
When a case is dismissed for improper venue, must new docket fees be paid upon re-filing? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule.
Illegal Dismissal of Ship Captain: When Refusing an Unsafe Order Is Not Incompetence
The Supreme Court ruled that a ship captain's refusal to tow a barge with worn-out ropes was not incompetence but sound professional judgment, making his dismissal illegal.
Illegal Dismissal Jurisdiction: Government Corporations Without Original Charters
Supreme Court clarifies which government-owned corporations fall under Labor Code jurisdiction versus Civil Service rules in illegal dismissal cases.
Rape of a Person Deprived of Reason: Consent and Mental Capacity in Philippine Law
Philippine law treats carnal knowledge of a woman deprived of reason as rape, regardless of apparent consent. This case explains why.
Clerk of Court Accountability: Ensuring Document Integrity in Philippine Courts
When a clerk of court certifies a tampered copy, public trust in the judiciary suffers. This case explains the duty.
Treachery and the Aswang Defense: Understanding Murder Convictions in the Philippines
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling explains how treachery qualifies killings as murder, even when superstition—the (folkloric evil creatures).
Robbery With Homicide: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Law
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling explains how Philippine courts establish guilt for robbery with homicide and why alibi fails against positive identification.
Motion for Reconsideration Deadlines in Labor Cases: The CEU Lesson
Learn how a missed Motion for Reconsideration deadline made a labor decision final and executory in Centro Escolar University v. NLRC.
Fishpond Lease Agreements: Preferential Rights and Government Authority in the Philippines
Understand how Philippine courts interpret fishpond lease agreements, preferential rights, and government authority over public lands.
Acquisitive Prescription: How Long Does It Take to Claim Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how long you must possess land to claim ownership through acquisitive prescription in the Philippines, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.