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.
Missed Deadlines Dismissed Appeals Understanding Docket Fees AND Counsels Duty IN Philippine Courts
Learn how unpaid docket fees and counsel's negligence can get an appeal dismissed, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Trust Receipts and Estafa in the Philippines: Understanding Liability and Compliance
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified trust receipt violations, estafa liability, and probable cause in Metrobank v. Tonda.
Are Tips Guaranteed Income? Understanding Employee Compensation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when tips are part of an employee's compensation and when they are not, using a seafarer's case.
Unwittingly Buying Stolen Goods Understanding Fencing LAW IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine law treats the crime of fencing, what makes a buyer liable for receiving stolen property, and the legal consequences involved.
Judicial Efficiency in the Philippines: Understanding Timely Decision Mandates for Judges
Philippine judges must decide cases within 90 days. Learn the rules, penalties, and what Esguerra v. Loja teaches about judicial accountability.
Justice Delayed IS Justice Denied Understanding Judicial Efficiency IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on a judge fined for failing to decide a case within the 90-day constitutional period.
Self-Defense in the Philippines: Understanding the Requisites for Justifiable Homicide
Learn the three requisites for self-defense in Philippine law, who bears the burden of proof, and how courts test claims of unlawful aggression.
Murder or Homicide: Understanding Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies killing as murder, using the Antonio v. People case as a guide.
Attorney Discipline: Understanding Disbarment and Suspension in the Philippines
Explaining the difference between disbarment and suspension for Philippine lawyers, using the Supreme Court's ruling in Dumadag v. Lumaya.
Understanding Novation in Philippine Contract Law: When Does a New Agreement Cancel the Old
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a new contract cancels an old one, and why novation is never presumed in law.
Res Judicata and Land Disputes: What Prior Judgments Mean for Philippine Property Cases
Understanding how prior judgments affect future land disputes in the Philippines, and the critical rules on evidence that determine case outcomes.
Understanding Double Jeopardy and Void Judgments in Philippine Criminal Cases
Learn how Philippine courts treat double jeopardy, void judgments, and conditional guilty pleas through this Supreme Court ruling.
Justice Delayed IS Justice Denied Understanding Judicial Delay AND Inefficiency IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on optional retirement, separation pay, and backwages in illegal dismissal cases involving managerial employees.
Oral Partition and Estoppel: When Long-Standing Property Agreements Prevail
Supreme Court ruling on oral partition, estoppel, and long-standing property agreements in Philippine civil law.
Rescission Rights Understanding Contractual Obligations in Property Sales
Learn how Philippine courts treat right of first refusal clauses, rescission remedies, and contractual obligations in property sales from a 2000 Supreme Court ruling.
Appeals From Ombudsman Decisions: Understanding Jurisdictional Boundaries
Learn how the Supreme Court clarifies jurisdictional boundaries in appeals from Ombudsman decisions and related ill-gotten wealth cases.
Res Judicata and Property Rights: Understanding Final Judgments in Inheritance Disputes
A look at how Philippine courts treat final judgments in inheritance disputes, using the Viado case to explain property rights.
When Medical Care Turns to Negligence: Understanding Res Ipsa Loquitur in Philippine Medical Malpractice
The Supreme Court explains res ipsa loquitur in medical malpractice through a patient who suffered brain damage during anesthesia before surgery.
Deadline Missed: Understanding Election Protest Filing Periods in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when the 10-day period to file an election protest is suspended, and when it is not.
Judicial Rank vs Salary Grade: Understanding Position Classification in the Philippine Judiciary
The Supreme Court explains why equal salary grades do not mean equal judicial rank, clarifying position classification in the Court of Appeals.
Robbery with Homicide: Understanding Liability and Damages in Philippine Law
A look at the Supreme Court ruling on robbery with homicide, witness credibility, aggravating circumstances, and damages in People v. Paraiso.
Ejectment and Your Business: Understanding Privity to Avoid Surprises
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a business can be bound by an ejectment case even if not named as a party-defendant.
Motion to Dismiss in Philippine Courts: Understanding Failure to State a Cause of Action
Learn how Philippine courts handle motions to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action, and why proper service of summons matters.
Philippine Retirement Law: Understanding Discretionary Service Extensions for Government Employees
Learn how the Supreme Court clarifies discretionary service extensions for government employees and the legal limits of such authority.