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.
Employer-Employee Relationship and Illegal Dismissal: The Control Test in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer-employee relationship and rules on illegal dismissal due to disease in Sy v. Court of Appeals.
Impartiality on the Bench: Overcoming Bias Allegations in Philippine Courts
A notary public's duty to verify signatories personally is sacrosanct. This case explains the consequences of failing that duty.
Expiration of Redemption Rights: Failure to Consign Full Payment Voids Repurchase of Unregistered Land
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why a defective consignation fails to redeem property sold with right to repurchase, and the risks of buying unregistered land.
Due Process in Land Disputes: Why Fair Resurveys Matter for Property Owners
The Supreme Court reminds courts that relocation surveys in land disputes must respect due process—both parties need notice and representation.
Murder Conviction and Sentencing in the Philippines: The Leoncio Lawa Case
How the Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction and death penalty, explaining treachery, evident premeditation, and alibi in Philippine law.
Conspiracy Unmasked When Silence Implies Guilt IN Murder AND Kidnapping Cases
The Supreme Court explains how circumstantial evidence and silence can establish conspiracy in murder and kidnapping cases.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Why Victim Credibility and Corroborating Evidence Matter
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, highlighting victim credibility, corroborating medical evidence, and mandatory civil indemnity in sexual assault cases.
Affidavits of Desistance: When Do They Overturn a Guilty Verdict?
When can an affidavit of desistance overturn a guilty verdict? The Supreme Court explains in Santos v. People.
Incestuous Rape: Supreme Court Upholds Convictions, Reduces Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms incestuous rape convictions but reduces death sentences to reclusion perpetua, clarifying penalty rules and victim rights.
Negligence in Notarization: Consequences for Failure to Comply With Notarial Duties
Learn how the Supreme Court disciplines lawyers who neglect notarial duties and mishandle client funds, with practical compliance tips.
Attorney Misappropriation of Client Funds: Fiduciary Duty and Ethical Obligations of Lawyers
When a lawyer mishandles client money, the Supreme Court does not take it lightly. Learn the ethical rules and consequences.
Supreme Court Upholds Murder Conviction Despite Fugitive Status
The High Court affirms a murder conviction even as the accused remains at large, ruling on treachery, alibi, and the retroactive application of procedural rules.
Good Faith Prevails: Exoneration From Dishonesty Charges in Veteran Preference Claims
Philippine Supreme Court rules good faith and truthfulness defeat dishonesty charges in veteran preference claims, allowing reinstatement with back salaries.
The Weight of a Minor's Testimony in Rape Cases: Credibility vs Presumption of Innocence
How Philippine courts weigh a minor rape victim's testimony against the presumption of innocence, and when delay in reporting does not destroy credibility.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Delay in Reporting Explained
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explains why a child victim's testimony is credible despite delay in reporting and why alibi failed.
Protecting the Vulnerable: The Importance of Age Verification in Rape Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a rape conviction, emphasizing that a minor victim's delayed reporting does not weaken her credible testimony.
Positive Identification Over Alibi: Credibility in Murder Conviction
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on eyewitness positive identification, rejecting alibi and affirming treachery in People v. Estrada.
Upholding Ejectment: The Finality of Judgments and Timeliness in Appeals
The Supreme Court affirms ejectment, stressing that a late motion for reconsideration fails to stop a judgment from becoming final and executory.
Self-Defense in Parricide: When Unlawful Aggression Fails
A son who killed his father in a drunken argument could not invoke self-defense because unlawful aggression was not proven. The Supreme Court explains why.
Eyewitness Testimony, Confessions, and Conspiracy: Lessons from the Payumo Massacre Case
The Supreme Court's ruling in the Payumo Massacre case clarifies the rules on eyewitness credibility, inadmissible confessions, and conspiracy in Philippine criminal law.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Force, Intimidation, and the Credibility of the Victim
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining how force and intimidation satisfy the elements of the crime under the Revised Penal Code.
When Silence Speaks: Delayed Reporting, Statutory Rape, and the Pursuit of Justice
Exploring how delayed reporting affects statutory rape cases, the credibility of victims, and the pursuit of justice under Philippine law.
Rape Intimidation As A Substitute FOR Physical Resistance IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that intimidation and moral ascendancy can substitute for physical resistance in statutory rape cases.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Convictions in Child Rape Cases Based on Credible Testimony
The Supreme Court affirms a child rape conviction, explaining why a young victim's credible testimony and medical evidence outweigh alibi and denial.