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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Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Marking Evidence Matters
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to mark seized shabu in his presence, explaining the chain of custody rule.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Ensuring Integrity of Evidence for a Fair Trial
Philippine Supreme Court acquits drug suspect where prosecution failed to prove unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu under RA 9165.
Chain of Custody Imperative Safeguarding Drug Evidence for Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court acquits drug suspect when prosecution fails to prove unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu.
Drug Sale Conviction Affirmed: Entrapment Evidence and Legal Presumptions in Shabu Cases
Supreme Court affirms drug sale and possession conviction, explaining buy-bust operations, entrapment evidence, and presumptions in Philippine drug cases.
Proving Illegal Sale of Shabu: The Role of Informants and Buy-Bust Operations
A Supreme Court ruling explains what prosecutors must prove in illegal drug sales cases and when an informant's testimony is dispensable.
Buy-Bust Conviction Affirmed: Court Upholds Life Sentence for Shabu Sale
Supreme Court affirms life imprisonment for two women caught selling shabu in a buy-bust operation, ruling prosecution proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Buy-Bust Operations: Chain of Custody and Legal Authority in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies rules on buy-bust operations, drug testing, and proving lack of authority to sell shabu.
Separate Crimes for Separate Drugs: Possessing Shabu and Marijuana Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: possessing shabu and marijuana at the same time and place constitutes two separate crimes, requiring two separate Informations.
Police Officer Convicted in Drug Sale: When Law Enforcers Face Aggravated Liability
A police officer's conviction for selling shabu shows how conspiracy works and why his uniform did not shield him from liability.
Entrapment vs Illegal Search: Safeguarding Rights in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court explains the difference between valid entrapment and illegal warrantless searches in drug cases, and clarifies penalties for selling small amounts of shabu.
Shabu Sale: The Decisive Role of Consummated Transactions in Drug Cases
Why a completed drug sale, not an arrest, seals a conviction—lessons from a 2004 buy-bust case.
Drug Sales and Entrapment: Court Upholds Buy-Bust Conviction in Shabu Case
Supreme Court affirms conviction in buy-bust drug operation, clarifying rules on entrapment, buy-bust money, and frame-up defenses in Philippine drug cases.
Exclusionary Rule Bars Illegal Drug Evidence From Unreasonable Search
Supreme Court acquits drug suspect after police violated search rules, applying the exclusionary rule to suppress seized shabu evidence.
Entrapment vs Instigation: When Does a Drug Buy-Bust Operation Cross the Line?
The Supreme Court explains the difference between valid entrapment and unlawful instigation in drug buy-bust operations, using a 2002 shabu case.
Entrapment vs Instigation: Due Process in Drug Sale Arrests
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies entrapment vs instigation in drug busts, affirming a buy-bust conviction for shabu sale.
Gross Negligence in Handling Public Property: A Public Official's Liability for Malversation in the Philippine
Explaining when a public officer's careless handling of entrusted property becomes malversation, based on a Supreme Court ruling on lost shabu evidence.
Navigating Buy-Bust Operations in the Philippines: What You Need to Know About Drug Law Enforcement
The Supreme Court explains how buy-bust operations work in drug cases, what counts as valid entrapment, and why courts trust police testimony in shabu sales.
Supreme Court Clarifies Penalty for Shabu Sale: Death Sentence Reduced to Reclusion Perpetua
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on drug sale penalties, conspiracy, buy-bust operations, and when death penalty is not automatic.
Firearm License Validity for Foreign Nationals and Illegal Drug Possession in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on firearm licenses for foreign nationals and illegal possession of shabu under RA 6425.
Ignorance Is No Defense: Death Penalty and Drug Importation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a woman caught importing shabu, ruling that ignorance of the drugs' presence is not a valid defense.
Drug Possession Penalties: How Quantity Matters Under the Dangerous Drugs Act
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how drug quantity determines penalties, reducing life imprisonment for small amounts of shabu.