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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Forged Deeds and Imprescriptible Rights: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on forged deeds, land ownership protection, and the limits of prescription in property disputes.
Demotion Disguised: Constructive Dismissal and Employee Rights in the Philippines
When a transfer is a demotion in disguise, it amounts to constructive dismissal. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Death Benefits for Seafarers: Proving Work Relatedness Under the POEA-SEC
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer death benefits, work-relatedness, and the POEA-SEC compensability requirements.
Probable Cause and Bribery When Doubts Justify A Trial
Supreme Court ruling on who may appeal criminal case dismissals and venue rules for online libel.
Breach of Professional Ethics: Lawyers Cannot Exploit Legal Loopholes for Personal or Client Gain
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when judges face administrative liability for delay, bias, and abuse of judicial discretion.
Mutuality of Contracts: Banks Cannot Unilaterally Raise Interest Rates Without Borrower Consent
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why banks cannot unilaterally increase loan interest rates without borrower consent, citing mutuality of contracts principle.
Pre-Trial Stipulations and Signature Authentication: Heirs of Salud v. Rural Bank of Salinas
A 2016 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when pre-trial stipulations bind parties and how courts weigh handwriting expert findings against direct testimony.
Grave Misconduct and the Duty of Registers of Deeds: Balancing Efficiency and Legal Compliance
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a Register of Deeds may be held liable for grave misconduct in issuing titles without tax clearance.
Protecting Innocent Purchasers for Value in Land Title Disputes: Republic v. Heirs of Diego Lim
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Torrens titles, innocent purchasers for value, and reversion of public land in Republic v. Heirs of Diego Lim.
Proving Voluntary Resignation: Employer's Burden and the Perils of Forged Documents in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Employers must prove voluntary resignation in illegal dismissal cases. Forged documents won't hold up, as this Supreme Court ruling shows.
Duty to Notify Insurance Beneficiary Rights and Agent Responsibilities in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on insurance beneficiary notification duties, agent responsibilities, and claim deadlines after the insured's death.
Willful Disobedience in the Workplace: When Can an Employee Be Dismissed
Learn when willful disobedience justifies dismissal under Philippine labor law, based on a Supreme Court ruling on a cooperative cashier.
Corporate Control and Stock Ownership: Resolving Disputes in Philippine Corporations
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how stock ownership disputes affect corporate elections and why prior rulings cannot be overstretched.
Attorney Disqualification: The Limits of Contingency Fees and Conflicts of Interest
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lawyers acquiring client property during litigation, void contracts, and contingency fee limits.
Heirs Obligations Settling Debts Before Inheritance Distribution
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on heirs' duty to settle decedent's debts before inheritance distribution, including interest rules.
Surety Agreements: Solidary Liability and Waiver of Rights in Loan Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on surety liability, accommodation mortgagors, and waiver clauses in loan deficiency claims.
When Does the State Pay in Government Contracts? The Agency Question
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a contractor can hold the government liable for a subcontractor's unpaid services under an agency theory.
Work-Related Aggravation and Seafarers' Right to Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarers' disability benefits when a pre-existing illness is aggravated by work conditions.
Beyond the Letter: Protecting Employee Rights and Personal Choices in Workplace Morality
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agrarian reform land transfers, void contracts, and the limits of workplace morality enforcement.
Grave Misconduct and Dishonesty: Court Sheriff Dismissed for Soliciting Money in Fake Annulment Case
Supreme Court ruling on a sheriff who solicited P100,000 to fix an annulment case, emphasizing accountability of court personnel.
The Limits of Alibi: Proving Physical Impossibility in Criminal Defense
A Supreme Court ruling explains why alibi fails unless the accused proves physical impossibility of being at the crime scene.
Waiver of Demand in Promissory Notes: Upholding Contractual Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on waiver of demand clauses in promissory notes and their binding effect on borrowers.
Self-Defense and Treachery in Homicide Cases: What the Supreme Court Requires
Understand when self-defense fails in Philippine criminal law and how treachery qualifies a killing as murder, based on a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Financial Assistance After Termination: Balancing Employee Rights and Employer Interests
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when separation pay may be granted to employees validly dismissed for just cause.