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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Demurrer to Evidence and the Prosecution's Burden in Bigamy Cases: Lapira v. Fariscal
The Supreme Court acquits a bigamy accused, clarifying that a void first marriage and rebutted marriage certificates defeat the prosecution's case.
Counsel Negligence and Client Responsibility: When Procedural Dismissals Stand in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a client is bound by counsel's negligence and why dismissal for failure to prosecute is a final, appealable order.
Fixed-Term Contracts: Balancing Employer Flexibility and Employee Security of Tenure
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and do not circumvent security of tenure.
Mining Rights: Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and the DENR Secretary's Authority
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts can review mining disputes, the DENR Secretary's administrative powers, and the need to exhaust remedies.
Mining Rights: Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and DENR Secretary Authority
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that DENR Secretary's approval of mining agreements is administrative, not quasi-judicial, requiring exhaustion of administrative remedies.
Security of Tenure: Landowner Must Prove Grounds for Tenant Eviction Under Agrarian Reform Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that landowners bear the burden of proving lawful grounds for tenant eviction, and unlawful lease rentals cannot justify dispossession.
Accountability in Public Service: The Duty to Ensure Proper Delivery of Government Resources
Supreme Court affirms conviction of a city official for ghost delivery of equipment under Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft Law.
Chain of Custody and Illegal Drug Possession: Ensuring Evidence Integrity
How the Supreme Court applies the chain of custody rule in drug cases, and why strict compliance with Section 21 may not always be required.
Fixed-Term Employment: When Repeated Contract Renewals Create Regular Employee Status
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when repeated fixed-term contract renewals convert employees to regular status with security of tenure.
Premature Filing Bars Seafarers Disability Claim: POEA-SEC 240-Day Rule Explained
Filing a disability claim before the company doctor issues an assessment within 240 days can be fatal. Learn from this Supreme Court ruling.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Integrity of Evidence Matters
Supreme Court acquits drug suspect over broken chain of custody, stressing strict compliance with Section 21 of RA 9165.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Police Lapses Lead to Acquittal
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to follow Section 21's chain of custody rules, stressing evidence integrity.
Second Chances IN Public Service When CAN Dismissal BE Replaced With Suspension
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: When Broken Links Mean Acquittal
Philippine Supreme Court acquits drug suspect where prosecution failed to prove unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu under RA 9165.
Regular vs Seasonal Employment: Security of Tenure in the Plywood Industry
Supreme Court clarifies when workers, claiming they were hired only when there was high demand for plywood or when regular employees were absent.
Constructive Dismissal vs Abandonment: Security of Tenure in Philippine Labor Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the line between constructive dismissal and abandonment, protecting security of tenure for security guards in the Philippines.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Security Guards' Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies abandonment vs illegal dismissal in labor-only contracting cases involving security guards and agency-hired workers.
Probable Cause and the Ombudsman's Discretion: Limits of Judicial Review
The Supreme Court affirms the Ombudsman's dismissal of criminal charges for lack of probable cause, underscoring the limits of judicial review over prosecutorial discretion.
Permanent Total Disability for Seafarers: The 120-Day Rule and POEA-SEC Entitlement
When does a seafarer's disability become permanent and total? The Supreme Court clarifies the 120-day rule and POEA-SEC compensation in Island Overseas Transport v. Beja.
Who Hears CLOA Cancellation Cases? The DAR Secretary, Not DARAB, Rules
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that DARAB lacks jurisdiction over CLOA cancellation cases without tenurial disputes; the DAR Secretary decides.
No Illegal Dismissal, No Separation Pay: Reassessing Employee Entitlements in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a security guard's floating status becomes constructive dismissal and how quitclaims affect employee claims.
Filing the Right Case: Why Agrarian Dispute Jurisdiction Matters
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies why cancellation of CLOAs involving non-tenants belongs to the DAR Secretary, not the DARAB.
Buy-Bust Operations: Convictions Upheld Despite Procedural Lapses in Drug Seizures
The Supreme Court affirms drug convictions despite procedural lapses, ruling that substantial compliance with Section 21 preserves evidence integrity.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: What People v. Dalawis Teaches
The Supreme Court explains when lapses in Section 21 drug evidence rules do not void a conviction.