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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Defining the Boundaries of Rape When Contact Does Not Constitute Penetration
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when sexual contact without penetration constitutes rape, examining the legal definition and elements of the crime.
Understanding Judicial Delay and Accountability Through a Landmark Philippine Rape Conviction
A father's rape conviction highlights Philippine rules on judicial delay, information amendment, and accountability in criminal procedure.
Statutory Rape and Circumstantial Evidence: How Philippine Courts Weigh a Child's Testimony
In a 2026 ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed statutory rape convictions based largely on the child victim's testimony. Here is what the decision teaches.
Rape and Intimidation: How Threats Establish Guilt and Determine Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining how threats of posting nude photos constitute intimidation and warrant reclusion perpetua.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Rape Conviction Despite Victim's Mental Retardation
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that a mentally retarded victim's straightforward testimony remains credible and sufficient for conviction.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Court Affirms Credibility of Minor Victim's Testimony
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible minor victim testimony, rejecting defense attacks on minor inconsistencies and delay in reporting.
Credibility of a Minor Rape Victim's Testimony: Lessons from People v. Suarez
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining why a minor victim's testimony deserves full faith and credit despite minor inconsistencies.
Attempted Rape vs Acts of Lasciviousness: How Intent Shapes Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains the key difference between attempted rape and acts of lasciviousness—the intent to lie with the victim.
Habeas Corpus and DNA Evidence: Limits of Post-Conviction Remedies in Paternity-Based Rape Cases
The Supreme Court explains when DNA evidence can—and cannot—challenge a final rape conviction through habeas corpus or new trial.
Rape by a Parent: When Sexual Abuse Severs the Bonds of Trust
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a father who raped his 11-year-old daughter, ruling on qualified rape and guilty pleas.
Doubt AND DUE Process Reassessing Convictions Based ON Inconsistent Testimony IN Rape Cases
Age and Relationship as Essential Proofs for Qualified Rape Conviction in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains why minority and relationship must be both alleged and proven before the death penalty for qualified rape can be imposed.
Rape and Consent: Examining the Boundaries of Sexual Assault in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms a rape-with-homicide conviction, clarifying how force and lack of consent are established in Philippine law.
Child Witness Testimony and Statutory Rape: Competency in Philippine Courts
How Philippine courts assess a minor rape victim's testimony, and why proper plea inquiry and qualifying circumstances matter in capital cases.
Rape and the Shadow of a Bolo: Establishing Intimidation as Qualified Rape
The Supreme Court explains when a bolo turns rape into a qualified offense, and why the death penalty was reduced to reclusion perpetua.
Confessions and the Death Penalty: Ensuring Voluntariness in Rape-Homicide Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a death sentence for rape-homicide, explaining the required "searching inquiry" into guilty pleas and the weight of voluntary confessions.
Incestuous Rape: Proving Minority and Relationship for the Proper Penalty
A stepfather's rape conviction reduced from death to reclusion perpetua because minority and relationship were not alleged and proved.
Silence Is Not Consent: Rape by Intimidation and the Limits of a Guilty Plea
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why a victim's silence and fear do not equal consent, and why a guilty plea in a capital case needs more than a warning.
Intimidation Over Resistance Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Lack of Physical Injury
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that intimidation can overcome the need to prove physical resistance or injury in a sexual assault case.
Incestuous Rape Conviction Based ON Credible Testimony Despite Defective Information
When Moral Ascendancy Substitutes for Force in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court explains how a father figure's moral ascendancy can substitute for force and intimidation in rape convictions.
Mental Capacity and Consent in Rape Cases: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals
How Philippine courts treat consent when the victim has diminished mental capacity, based on People v. Mabonga.
Incestuous Rape: Credibility of a Victim's Testimony in Cases of Parental Abuse
When a mentally disabled minor is raped, her testimony can convict. The Supreme Court explains why in People v. Mabonga.
Incestuous Rape in the Philippines: Proving Age and Relationship to Justify the Death Penalty
In People v. Ibarrientos, the Supreme Court explains what evidence is needed to convict for qualified rape and when the death penalty may be imposed.