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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Conspiracy AND Eyewitness Testimony Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt IN Murder Cases
Dying Declarations and Conspiracy in Murder Cases: People v. Baldago
How Philippine courts weigh dying declarations and infer conspiracy in murder trials, explained through People v. Baldago.
Reasonable Doubt Acquittal Based on Insufficient Evidence of Conspiracy in Murder Case
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: mere presence at a crime scene does not prove conspiracy; accused acquitted on reasonable doubt.
Hired Guns and Silent Inducements: Criminal Liability in Contract Killings Under Philippine Law
A look at how Philippine courts treat hired killers and those who induce them, based on a landmark 2001 murder case.
Conspiracy and Murder by Hired Killers: When One Co-Accused's Acquittal Does Not Free Another
A look at how the Supreme Court upheld murder convictions based on conspiracy, positive identification, and circumstantial evidence in a hired killing.
Accomplice Liability: Distinguishing Principals From Accessories in Criminal Conspiracy
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy, accomplice liability, and how co-conspirators are treated as principals in murder cases.
Treachery in Philippine Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sudden Attacks
How Philippine courts define treachery in murder cases, and why conspiracy requires more than mere presence at the crime scene.
Witness Credibility and the Perils of Delayed Justice: Analyzing Testimonial Inconsistencies in Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, police blotter discrepancies, and why aggravating circumstances must be alleged in the information to justify the death penalty.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent in Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court explains how sudden, unexpected attacks establish treachery in murder cases, even when attacker and victim exchange words first.
Treachery Defined Establishing Murder Through Unexpected Attack
Self-Defense, Unlawful Aggression, and Conspiracy: Lessons from People v. Tumayao
The Supreme Court clarifies self-defense, conspiracy, and treachery in a murder case, and explains the effect of an accused's death on appeal.
Credibility in Rape and Murder Cases: The Weight of a Witness's Testimony
In People v. Carpo, the Supreme Court upheld a conviction based on one eyewitness, showing how Philippine courts weigh testimony, alibi, and flight.
Treachery and Intent: Differentiating Murder and Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder and when it remains homicide, in People v. Lucena.
Reasonable Doubt and Criminal Liability: Homicide, Conspiracy, and the Limits of Witness Testimony in the Phil
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies reasonable doubt, conspiracy, and qualifying circumstances in a murder appeal that became homicide.
Faith Healing or Reckless Endangerment: Distinguishing Intent in Unlicensed Medical Practices Under Philippine
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when unlicensed faith healing causing death is reckless imprudence, not murder.
Treachery and Witness Credibility: When Conspiracy Fails in Philippine Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when presence at a crime scene does not prove conspiracy in murder, and the importance of witness credibility.
Positive Identification Over Alibi: The Weight of Eyewitness Testimony in Murder Convictions
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on eyewitness identification, rejecting the defenses of alibi and alleged due process violations.
Burden OF Proof Establishing Conspiracy IN Murder Cases
Witness Credibility and Positive Identification in Murder Cases: The Cachola Case
Learn how Philippine courts weigh witness credibility, positive identification, and alibi defenses in murder cases through the Cachola ruling.
When the Supreme Court Corrects Aggravating Circumstances in Murder Convictions
A look at People v. Cachola, where the High Court affirmed murder convictions but corrected the trial court's appreciation of aggravating circumstances.
Reasonable Doubt and Inconsistent Testimony: Acquittal in People v. Lavapie
The Supreme Court acquitted two murder accused after finding material inconsistencies between witness testimony and physical evidence, reaffirming the reasonable doubt standard.
Positive Identification and Treachery: The Murder Conviction of Arnel Mataro and Nick Perucho
How eyewitness identification and treachery secured murder convictions, and how damages were computed on appeal.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails When Inconsistent Witness Testimony Leads to Acquittal
Inconsistent eyewitness testimony on familiarity and poor lighting created reasonable doubt, leading the Supreme Court to acquit a murder accused.
Passion Proof and Penalties: When Jealousy Doesnt Equal Murder
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when a killing is homicide, not murder, and how accomplices are penalized.