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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Overlapping Land Titles: Resolving Ownership Disputes Through Title Verification
Learn how the Supreme Court resolves property disputes involving overlapping titles, and why verifying technical descriptions matters in Philippine land ownership cases.
Heir Exclusion and Property Sale: Validity and Rights in Estate Settlements
Learn how excluding heirs voids an extrajudicial settlement, the sale's partial validity, and heirs' rights in estate distribution.
Voiding Contracts: The Perils of Selling Future Inheritance and Post-Mortem Deeds in Philippine Property Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a non-party can annul a judgment and the risks of selling inherited property before the estate is settled.
Bad Faith in Unregistered Land Sales and Trust Disputes: Belle Corp. v. De Leon-Banks
When can a buyer of unregistered land be sued for bad faith? The Supreme Court clarifies pleading rules in trust and property disputes.
Protecting Judicial Independence SC Upholds Fiscal Autonomy IN Property Disposal
Fiscal Autonomy and the Judiciary: The Supreme Court's Power to Dispose of Its Properties
The Supreme Court affirms its fiscal autonomy in property disposal, resolving a COA dispute over appraisal formulas for retired justices' purchases.
Acquisitive Prescription vs Torrens Title: Proving Land Registration Claims in Court
The Supreme Court clarifies when possession of public land can ripen into private ownership and registration under the Property Registration Decree.
Government Instrumentalities and Tax Exemption: Defining the Scope of Real Property Tax Obligations
The Supreme Court clarifies when a government entity with corporate powers is exempt from real property tax, distinguishing instrumentalities from GOCCs.
Tax Exemption for Government Instrumentalities: Defining the Scope of Real Property Tax Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when a government entity is exempt from real property tax, distinguishing instrumentalities from GOCCs.
Mortgage Rights vs Property Transfer: Foreclosure Options for Second Mortgagees
When a mortgaged property is sold to the first mortgagee, can the second mortgagee still foreclose? The Supreme Court explains the limits.
Failure to Account for Trust Property as Evidence of Estafa
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how failure to return property held in trust can prove estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.
Expropriation for Socialized Housing: Balancing Public Needs and Private Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies the strict requirements local governments must meet before expropriating private land for socialized housing under R.A. 7279.
Employee Theft and Termination: Defining Analogous Serious Misconduct in Philippine Labor Law
When does stealing a co-worker's property justify dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies under Article 282 of the Labor Code.
When an Employee's Unauthorized Acts Justify Dismissal: Meralco v. Dejan
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's unauthorized release of company property constitutes serious misconduct and loss of trust, justifying termination.
Foreshore Land and Private Ownership: Clarifying Property Rights in the Philippines
A 2012 Supreme Court ruling clarifies that foreshore land belongs to the State, not private owners, and explains why the petition failed.
Equitable Mortgage Claims: Proving Intent Beyond Bare Allegations
Supreme Court clarifies when a sale is presumed an equitable mortgage under Article 1602, stressing evidence over allegations in property disputes.
Attorney Disbarment in the Philippines: When Client Trust Is Betrayed
The Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer who mortgaged and sold a client's property using a forged power of attorney, underscoring the high ethical standards required of Philippine attorneys.
Cockfighting Operations License As A Privilege And The Absence Of A Cause Of Action
License to operate a cockpit is a mere privilege, not a property right. No cause of action exists without a legal right.
Double Sales and Fraudulent Misrepresentation in Property Sales: The Roman Catholic Church v. Pante Case
A Supreme Court ruling on when misrepresentation voids a sale and how double sales are resolved under Philippine law.
Court Commitment Not to Encumber Property Can Void a Later Mortgage
A court-embodied promise not to dispose of property, annotated on the title, creates enforceable rights. Learn what this ruling means for buyers and lenders.
Coconut Levy Funds Are Public Funds: SC Limits on Spending and Public Purpose
The Supreme Court ruled coco-levy funds are public funds, voiding laws that treated them as private property and allowed spending beyond their special purpose.
Land Registration: Proving Possession for Imperfect Titles Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves open, continuous possession for land registration under the Public Land Act and Property Registration Decree.
Litis Pendentia and Forum Shopping in Philippine Law: The Cabreza Case
Learn how the Supreme Court applied litis pendentia and forum shopping rules to bar a second suit over the same conjugal property dispute.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: Upholding Fair Market Value for Property Owners
Philippine Supreme Court affirms that just compensation in expropriation is based on fair market value, not tax or zonal valuations alone.