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.
Statutory Rape and Parental Authority: Why the Supreme Court Upheld a Father's Conviction
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction, explaining how parental moral ascendancy substitutes for force and why proof of age matters for the death penalty.
Father's Conviction for Raping Minor Daughter Upheld; Death Penalty Affirmed
The Supreme Court affirms the death sentence of a father convicted of qualified rape of his 14-year-old daughter, clarifying rules on victim credibility and damages.
Rape and Consent: Examining Force and Intimidation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a death sentence for statutory rape of a six-year-old, clarifying that force is presumed when the victim is under twelve.
The Sanity Presumption Determining Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Philippine law presumes every person sane. This case explains when insanity can exempt an accused from criminal liability.
Loan or Partnership: Supreme Court on Novation and Acknowledgment Receipts
When does a loan become a partnership contribution? The Supreme Court clarifies novation, acknowledgment receipts, and payment application rules.
Court Employees' Private Misconduct: When Personal Dealings Undermine Public Trust
A Supreme Court ruling reminds court employees that honesty and integrity are required even in their personal and private dealings.
Rape Conviction Hinges on Specificity: Charges Define the Crime
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why specific allegations in rape informations matter, and how penetration is proven in statutory rape cases.
Conspiracy and Abuse of Superior Strength in Murder: Lessons from People v. Sumibcay
The Supreme Court explains how treachery, not conspiracy or abuse of superior strength, qualified killing to murder in People v. Sumibcay.
Forcible Abduction: Consent, Lewd Designs, and the Limits of the Sweetheart Defense
The Supreme Court clarifies forcible abduction under Article 342, when consent matters, and why failed rape evidence still proves lewd designs.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Intimidation With a Weapon Constitutes Force in Sexual Assault
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that threatening a victim with a bolo constitutes the force or intimidation required by law.
Clerks of Court Limits on Ministerial Duty and the Scope of Executory Writs
A clerk of court's duty to issue writs is ministerial, not judicial. Learn the limits from a 2002 Supreme Court ruling.
Judges' Marriage Solemnization: Territorial Limits and License Requirements
A judge who solemnizes a marriage outside his court's jurisdiction or without a marriage license faces administrative liability, as this case shows.
Statutory Rape: Why Proving Familial Relationship Matters in Aggravated Cases
A Supreme Court ruling shows that in statutory rape, the qualifying circumstance of relationship must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, not merely alleged.
Attorney Negligence: When a Lawyer's Lapses Cost Clients Their Case
Philippine Supreme Court suspends lawyer for six months for failing to file briefs, costing clients their property in a recovery case.
Statutory Rape Penetration IS Required FOR Consummation Attempted Rape Defined
The Supreme Court clarifies that penetration, not mere touching, is required for consummated statutory rape, explaining attempted rape rules.
Laches and Land Ownership: Time Limits in Philippine Property Disputes
The Supreme Court explains how laches, prescription, and procedural deadlines can bar heirs from contesting property transfers in the Philippines.
Conviction Upheld on Circumstantial Evidence Despite Accused's Escape in Rape-Homicide Case
Supreme Court affirms death penalty for rape-homicide based on circumstantial evidence, ruling escape waives right to appeal.
Sole Eyewitness Testimony Can Convict: Lessons from People v. Hermo on Murder and Abuse of Superior Strength
How a lone eyewitness's credible account led to a murder conviction, and why Philippine courts trust trial judges on witness credibility.
Rape and Resistance: Why Full Penetration and Hymen Rupture Are Not Required in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that rape is consummated by mere penile entry into the labia, not full penetration or hymen rupture.
Reasonable Doubt Acquittal in Statutory Rape Case Due to Inconsistent Testimony
Supreme Court acquits father in statutory rape case, ruling that inconsistent testimony and intact hymen created reasonable doubt.
From Murder to Mayhem: Gauging Intent and Injury in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a deadly attack becomes only slight physical injuries, not frustrated murder, based on wound severity and medical treatment.
Eyewitness Testimony vs. Alibi: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How a credible eyewitness account outweighs alibi and denial in Philippine murder convictions, per People v. Ticalo.
Incestuous Rape: Credibility and Delayed Reporting in Family Abuse Cases
A father's conviction for raping his daughter shows how courts weigh credibility, delayed reporting, and threats in incest cases.
Dying Declarations Establishing Consciousness of Impending Death in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the rule on dying declarations and the requirement of consciousness of impending death in criminal cases.