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.
When Heated Words Lead to Illegal Strikes: Balancing Free Speech and Order in Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on gross negligence, serious misconduct, and due process in employee dismissal cases under the Labor Code.
Tax Amnesty vs Documentary Stamp Tax: When Can a Bank Claim Immunity
Supreme Court rules on DST liability for special savings accounts and whether tax amnesty covers deficiency assessments.
Finality of Judgments: Why Prior Dismissals Can Prevent New Lawsuits
A dismissed case can bar a refiled lawsuit. The Supreme Court explains the doctrine of res judicata and finality of judgments.
From Rice Fields to Fair Value: Determining Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform
When PD 27 lands remain unpaid at RA 6657's passage, just compensation follows RA 6657, not the old decree.
Easement Rights in Property Use Disputes: The Legaspi Towers 300 Case
Supreme Court clarifies when easements arise in property disputes, explaining voluntary easements, apparent signs, and unjust enrichment under Philippine law.
Default Orders and the Law of the Case: When Prior Rulings Bind Subsequent Appeals
The Supreme Court explains how the doctrine of law of the case bars relitigating a default order previously upheld with finality.
Forum Shopping in Ejectment Cases: Lessons from Dy v. Mandy Commodities
Filing two ejectment suits over the same property amounts to forum shopping, a practice the Supreme Court penalizes with twin dismissal.
The Perils of Duplication: Forum Shopping and the Dismissal of Redundant Lawsuits in Property Disputes
When a party files multiple suits over the same property and issue, Philippine courts may dismiss all of them as forum shopping. Learn the rules.
Possession Is Nine Tenths of the Law: Enforceability of a Writ of Possession During Appeal
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a writ of possession in extrajudicial foreclosures can be enforced even while an appeal is pending.
Prosecutors Discretion in the Philippines: When Courts Can Intervene
When can courts review a prosecutor's or the Ombudsman's decision? The Supreme Court explains the limits of judicial intervention.
When a Dishonored Check Cannot Be Theft: The Impossible Crime Doctrine in the Philippines
Can a worthless check be the object of theft? The Supreme Court explains the impossible crime doctrine and why intent alone is not enough.
Probationary Employment Security of Tenure and Due Process Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies that probationary employees in the civil service enjoy security of tenure and due process rights, and cannot be dismissed at will.
Loss of Redemption Rights: Inheriting Property After Mortgage Foreclosure in the Philippines
When a mortgaged property is foreclosed and not redeemed, heirs lose inheritance rights. The Supreme Court explains why.
Leasehold Improvements: Understanding Reimbursement Rights and Obligations in Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts handle leasehold improvement reimbursement rights, obligations, and settlement through compromise agreements.
Mortgagor's Stipulated Right to Notice Prevails in Foreclosure Proceedings
Supreme Court rules banks must honor contractual stipulations requiring personal notice to mortgagors before extrajudicial foreclosure, or risk nullifying the sale.
BSP’s Exclusive Authority Over Bank Receivership: What It Means for Depositors and Creditors
The Supreme Court affirms the BSP’s exclusive authority over bank receivership, clarifying the limits of court intervention and the rights of depositors and creditors.
Perfected Contract to Sell vs Cancellation for Default: Lessons from Traders Royal Bank v. Cuison
When is a contract to sell perfected, and when can a seller cancel it for default? The Supreme Court clarifies in Traders Royal Bank v. Cuison.
Possession vs Ownership: Writ of Possession and Third-Party Claims in Philippine Foreclosures
A writ of possession is ministerial only against the mortgagor. Third parties with adverse claims must be heard first.
Writ of Possession Limits: When Third-Party Adverse Claims Block Foreclosure Ejectment
A bank cannot use an ex parte writ of possession to eject third parties claiming adverse ownership of foreclosed property; due process requires a full hearing.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Applying Current Land Valuation Standards
Explains how Philippine courts determine just compensation for agrarian reform lands, using current DAR valuation formulas rather than outdated standards.
Novation Must Be Clear: Restructuring Agreements Do Not Automatically Extinguish Prior Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when debt restructuring novates an obligation and when it merely modifies the original agreement.
Stay Orders in Corporate Rehabilitation: Why All Claims Against Distressed Firms Are Suspended
The Supreme Court explains why all claims against corporations under rehabilitation are suspended, regardless of when the claim arose.
Accretion Rights and Innocent Purchasers: Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on accretion rights, reconveyance actions, and the protection of innocent purchasers for value in land disputes.
Probable Cause vs Prosecutorial Discretion: The Metrobank v. Gonzales Ruling on Trust Receipt Estafa
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of the Secretary of Justice's power to reverse probable cause findings in trust receipt estafa cases.