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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Conditional vs. Absolute Sale: How Philippine Courts Determine True Property Ownership
Philippine courts look beyond contract labels to determine if a sale is absolute or conditional. Learn the key rules from a landmark Supreme Court case.
Perfecting Land Titles: Vested Rights and Corporate Land Ownership in the Philippines
Understand how the Supreme Court ruled on vested rights, corporate acquisition of public lands, and the limits of land ownership claims.
Unmasking True Ownership: Implied Trusts and the Limits of Good Faith in Property Transfers
When a brother buys land but titles it in another's name, an implied trust arises. The Supreme Court explains when good faith buyers cannot defeat the true owner.
Bottle Ownership and Trademark Rights: Navigating Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on who owns liquor bottles after sale and the limits of trademark protection under R.A. 623.
Compromise Agreements in Estate Settlements: Validity and Enforceability
Learn when compromise agreements partitioning inherited property are valid without court approval, and why probate courts cannot finally rule on ownership.
Double Sale of Property in the Philippines: Protecting Your Rights
Learn how Philippine law resolves double sales of property, who gets ownership, and how to protect your rights as a buyer.
Land Ownership Disputes: How Procedural Errors Can Cost the Government a Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how the government's failure to formally present evidence in land disputes can lead to adverse rulings and costly remands.
Acquisitive Prescription: How Long Does It Take to Claim Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how long you must possess land to claim ownership through acquisitive prescription in the Philippines, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Property Rights in Cohabitation: Ownership Rules for Unmarried Couples in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law divides property for unmarried couples, the limits on donations, and key lessons from the Agapay case.
Redemption After Execution Sale: Ownership Disputes Do Not Stop the Clock
Philippine law gives judgment debtors one year to redeem property sold at execution. Ownership disputes do not suspend that deadline.
When Sequestration Does Not Oust Trial Courts: PAGCOR v. Court of Appeals
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that sequestration alone does not strip regular courts of jurisdiction over ownership disputes involving sequestered assets.
Equitable Mortgage vs Sale: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Ejectment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a deed of sale is actually an equitable mortgage, and how courts may rule on ownership in ejectment suits.
Overlapping Land Titles in the Philippines: Resolving Ownership Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts resolve ownership disputes involving overlapping land titles, foreclosure, and tenant rights under agrarian reform laws.
Ejectment Actions and Ownership Disputes: When Can You Evict a Tenant
The Supreme Court clarifies that ownership disputes do not stop ejectment cases. Learn the rules on unlawful detainer and possession.
Pledge vs. Corporate By-Laws: Who Wins in Stock Ownership Disputes?
A bank's pledged shares were sold by a club for unpaid dues. The Supreme Court ruled on who prevails.
Squatting Rights: When Tolerance Does Not Mean Consent in Philippine Property Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that sharing harvests or tolerating possession does not create ownership rights or consent to squatting.
Compromise Agreements and Corporate Authority: Balancing Co-Ownership Rights with Contractual Obligations
When a judicially-approved compromise agreement authorizes a corporation to sell co-owned property, prior consultation with the co-owner is not required.
Conjugal Property vs Separate Property: Protecting Your Assets in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish conjugal from separate property, and why registration alone does not prove ownership during marriage.
Land Ownership Disputes: How Government Reservations Affect Property Rights in the Philippines
Learn how government reservations like national parks affect land ownership rights in the Philippines, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Spanish Land Titles in the Philippines: P.D. 892 and Why They No Longer Prove Ownership
Spanish-era land titles lost their force under P.D. 892. Learn the registration deadline, the San Pedro ruling, and what evidence now counts.
Right of First Refusal and Ownership Proof in Philippine Real Estate Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve property ownership disputes and partition actions, emphasizing evidence rules and prescription periods.
Partitioning Property Proving Ownership AND Avoiding Legal Pitfalls IN THE Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle partition actions, ownership disputes, and prescription from the Catapusan case.
Ejectment Suits: Possession vs Ownership in Philippine Courts
Philippine ejectment suits decide possession, not ownership. Learn the rules from Dizon v. Court of Appeals.
Final Executory Judgments and Ejectment: Why Ownership Disputes Do Not Bar Execution
A final ejectment judgment cannot be blocked by a later ownership ruling. The Soco v. Court of Appeals case explains the limits.