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.
Practicing Law While Suspended: Consequences and Ethical Considerations
A suspended lawyer who appears as counsel for her husband still practices law. The Supreme Court explains the consequences and ethical duties.
Upholding Ministerial Duty Dismissal OF Disbarment Complaint FOR Good Faith Registration Actions
Supreme Court dismisses disbarment complaints against lawyers and registrars over good faith registration actions, clarifying ministerial duties.
Assignment of Credit vs. Assumption of Liability: Clarifying a Bank's Role in Property Development
When a bank buys a developer's receivables, does it inherit the developer's obligations to buyers? The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction.
Satisfaction of Judgment and the Right to Appeal: Navigating Mootness in Philippine Labor Law
When paying a labor award does not end the case: the Supreme Court clarifies the mootness doctrine in seafarer disability disputes.
Slippage in Construction Contracts: Government Immunity and Contractor Accountability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on government immunity in construction contracts and contractor liability for project delays and slippage.
Theft vs. Estafa: When Employee Misappropriation Is Not Estafa (Benabaye Doctrine)
The Supreme Court in Benabaye v. People clarifies when an employee's misappropriation of funds is theft, not estafa, based on possession.
Entrapment vs. Instigation: Legal Boundaries in Philippine Drug Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between valid entrapment and unlawful instigation in drug buy-bust operations under RA 9165.
Self-Defense vs. Criminal Intent: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when self-defense fails and how treachery qualifies killing as murder, not homicide.
Regular vs. Fixed-Term Employment: Security of Tenure Under Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term employment is valid and when it violates a worker's security of tenure under Philippine labor law.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Unmarked Evidence Means Acquittal
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to mark seized sachets, breaking the chain of custody and casting doubt on the evidence.
Breach of Trust When Court Employees Fail to Safeguard Public Funds
Court personnel who mishandle public funds face administrative liability, including dismissal, for breach of trust and conduct prejudicial to service.
Rape Through Sexual Assault: Protecting Children Beyond Gender
The Supreme Court affirms that men can be rape victims, ruling on sexual assault against a 10-year-old boy and the applicable penalty.
Death of Accused Pending Appeal: How It Extinguishes Criminal Liability in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court explains how an accused's death pending appeal extinguishes criminal liability, and why drug offenses carry no civil liability.
Defamation and Privileged Communication: Protecting Reputation in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies libel, privileged communication, and damages in Almendras v. Almendras, balancing free speech with reputation protection.
Sheriffs Must Follow Court Rules: Impartiality and Decorum in Serving Writs
A sheriff's failure to file timely returns and reliance on a party's computation led to suspension, underscoring judicial integrity.
Upholding Honesty Dismissal FOR Undisclosed Assets IN Philippine Public Service
The Supreme Court reinstates the dismissal of a DPWH official for failing to disclose assets in SALNs, reaffirming the duty of public servants to be transparent.
Substitution in Elections: Comelec's Discretion and Due Process Rights
A look at the Supreme Court's ruling on candidate substitution, the Comelec's ministerial duty, and the due process requirements in election cases.
Sheriffs' Duty to Enforce Writs Promptly: A Lesson in Administrative Liability
When a sheriff repeatedly fails to implement a writ of execution, the Court steps in. Learn the rules on sheriffs' duties and penalties for neglect.
Retaliatory Dismissal: Protecting Employees Who Assert Their Rights
The Supreme Court affirms that firing workers for filing labor complaints violates security of tenure and constitutes illegal dismissal.
PEZA Tax Exemption: Instrumentality of National Government and Real Property Tax
Supreme Court rules PEZA is exempt from real property tax as an instrumentality of the national government, clarifying local taxing limits.
Upholding Public Safety: Supreme Court Invalidates Ordinance Permitting Oil Depots in Densely Populated Area
The Supreme Court strikes down Manila Ordinance No. 8187 for allowing oil depots to remain in densely populated Pandacan, reaffirming the primacy of public safety and health.
Donor's Tax on Share Sales: Fair Market Value and Donative Intent
Supreme Court rules on donor's tax for share sales below book value, fair market value determination, and CTA jurisdiction.
Upholding Conviction in Drug Cases: The Importance of Timely Objections to Chain of Custody
Learn why raising chain of custody objections late in drug cases fails, and how timely objections protect accused persons under RA 9165.
Physician's Duty in Childbirth: Grave Misconduct for Negligent Delivery
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of government doctor for grave misconduct in childbirth, holding physicians must personally attend high-risk deliveries.