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.
Understanding Apparent Authority: How Corporate Actions Bind Agreements in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when a corporation is bound by an officer's acts under the doctrine of apparent authority.
COLA Integration Into Government Salaries: What the Lumauan Ruling Means
The Supreme Court explains when cost of living allowance is deemed integrated into government salaries and who must refund disallowed payments.
Understanding Treachery and Premeditation in Murder Cases: Insights from a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court D
The Supreme Court explains treachery, evident premeditation, and use of motor vehicle as aggravating circumstances in murder convictions.
Disgraceful and Immoral Conduct: Supreme Court Ruling on Judicial Ethics
The Supreme Court holds court employees accountable for disgraceful and immoral conduct, even after resignation. Learn the rules and penalties.
Apparent Authority: When Employers Are Liable for Employees' Acts
The Supreme Court explains when a company cannot deny liability for its employees' unauthorized acts under the doctrine of apparent authority.
Apparent Authority and Employer Liability: When Companies Are Bound by Employees' Acts
When are companies liable for unauthorized employee acts? The Supreme Court explains apparent authority, estoppel, and employer responsibility in Eternal Gardens v. Perlas.
Proper Search Procedures in Drug Possession Cases: Insights from Quilet v. People
The Supreme Court acquits a drug possession convict due to irregular strip search, flawed marking, and missing witnesses under RA 9165.
Right to Repurchase Homestead Land: Key Supreme Court Ruling Explained
The Supreme Court reaffirms a homesteader's right to repurchase sold land within five years under Section 119 of the Public Land Act.
Warrantless Searches and Anonymous Tips: The Sapla Ruling on Police Powers and Privacy Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when police may conduct warrantless vehicle searches and why anonymous tips alone cannot justify intrusive searches.
Understanding Bad Faith in Property Encroachment: Rights and Responsibilities
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a builder is in bad faith in property encroachment cases, and what remedies a landowner has under Philippine law.
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.
Vicarious Liability and Common Carrier Duties: The Mendoza Case Explained
Learn how the Mendoza ruling clarifies employer liability for employee negligence and the obligations of common carriers in the Philippines.
Timely Filing of Motions: Why Service on Counsel Matters in Philippine Courts
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified that notice to counsel, not the party, determines the timeliness of motions in Philippine litigation.
Laches in Philippine Law: How Delay Can Bar Your Legal Claims
Learn how the doctrine of laches can bar legal claims in the Philippines, even before the prescriptive period expires, through the Supreme Court's ruling in Ang v. Abaldonado.
Disbarment for Falsifying Documents and Violating Notarial Duties
A lawyer who falsified deeds and notarized documents for a deceased person was disbarred, highlighting the sanctity of notarial duties.
Unjust Enrichment vs. Immutability of Judgment: Balancing Equity and Finality in Power Supply Contracts
The Supreme Court reconciles the immutability of final judgments with unjust enrichment claims in a dispute over fuel supply between NAPOCOR and Delta P.
Corporate Ratification: When a Corporation Becomes Bound by Unauthorized Acts
A corporation's repeated payments can ratify an officer's unauthorized acts, binding the company to obligations it never expressly approved.
Strict Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Procedural Lapses Lead to Acquittal
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect due to broken chain of custody, reinforcing strict compliance with Section 21 of RA 9165.
When Can Prosecution Amend an Information? Formal vs Substantial Amendment Explained
Supreme Court clarifies when the prosecution may amend a criminal information after arraignment, distinguishing formal from substantial amendments under Rule 110.
Pre-Existing Conditions and Seafarer Disability Claims: Employer Obligations
A seafarer's pre-existing hypertension claim for disability benefits fails when he fails to follow the POEA-SEC process.
Incestuous Rape: Moral Ascendancy as Substitute for Force in Father-Daughter Abuse
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how a father's moral ascendancy replaces force in incestuous rape, and why conviction stands.
Safeguarding Rights: Chain of Custody and the Integrity of Drug Evidence in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect, ruling that a warrantless arrest and seizure of a plastic sachet violated constitutional rights.
Pre-Approved Credit Cards: Consent to Terms Must Be Proven
Banks must prove cardholders consented to credit card terms. Without proof, only legal interest applies.
Chain of Custody in Firearm Cases: When Delayed Marking Leads to Acquittal
The Supreme Court acquits a firearm possession accused over unjustified delayed marking, clarifying chain of custody rules under RA 10591.