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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COGSA One-Year Prescription and Amended Complaints: Lessons from Wallem v. S.R. Farms
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that COGSA's one-year prescriptive period bars claims against newly impleaded defendants in amended complaints.
Maritime Claims: Strict Interpretation of COGSA Prescriptive Period
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the one-year COGSA prescriptive period for maritime cargo claims, emphasizing strict timing rules.
Upholding Government Authority When Public Interest Overrides Private Land Claims In Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on expropriation, public interest, and limits of private land claims against government authority.
VAT Refund Apportionment When Exempt Sales Affect Tax Credit Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when VAT refunds on capital goods must be apportioned if a taxpayer also has exempt sales.
Laches and Land Ownership: Protecting Established Rights Against Delayed Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on accion publiciana, Torrens titles, and laches in land ownership disputes.
Employer Liability: Proving Payment of Wages and Benefits in Employee Claims
Learn how Philippine courts weigh employer evidence in labor claims, and why DOLE certifications alone may not prove payment of wages and benefits.
Unliquidated Claims When Repair Costs Cannot Offset Rental Payments IN Lease Agreements
When can a lessee offset repair costs against unpaid rent? The Supreme Court explains the rule on legal compensation in lease disputes.
Seafarers Disability Claims: Timely Medical Assessment and Permanent Disability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer disability claims, the role of company-designated physicians, and the importance of timely medical assessment.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conspiracy in Robbery With Homicide Cases
How circumstantial evidence and conspiracy can sustain a robbery with homicide conviction, and why claims of duress failed in this case.
PEZA Authority Over Building Permits Prevails Over Ancestral Land Claims in Economic Zones
Supreme Court clarifies that PEZA, not local building officials, issues building permits within ecozones; CALC holders cannot build without PEZA permits.
Prescription of Seafarer Claims: Labor Code Prevails Over Standard Employment Contract
Supreme Court rules 3-year Labor Code prescription governs seafarer money claims, but death benefits require death during contract effectivity.
Oral Partition of Land: Proving Agreements and Challenging Ownership Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on proving oral partition of inherited land, parol evidence rule, and where to litigate ownership claims in expropriation.
Corporate Rehabilitation vs Labor Claims: Balancing Creditor Rights and Employee Protection
When a company undergoes rehabilitation, labor claims are suspended. The Supreme Court explains why in Castillo v. Uniwide.
Presumption of Regularity vs. Misconduct Claims: Integrity in Court Execution
Learn how the presumption of regularity in official duty interacts with misconduct allegations in administrative cases, from a 2010 Supreme Court ruling.
When Death and Procedural Choices End Criminal Complaints: The ABS-CBN v. Ombudsman Case
Explaining how the Supreme Court applied the Bayotas rule on death of respondents and why procedural choices in filing claims can affect criminal complaints.
Executive Power vs Legislative Authority: Redefining Agency Functions and Security of Tenure
The Supreme Court upholds the President's power to reorganize executive agencies, clarifying limits on security of tenure claims.
Probationary Employment vs Fixed-Term Contracts: What Schools Must Prove to Avoid Illegal Dismissal Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how probationary employment rules apply to teachers on fixed-term contracts, and what employers must prove.
Retrenchment and Release: Balancing Employer Rights and Employee Protection in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies valid retrenchment requirements, the role of quitclaims, and when nominal damages apply in labor cases.
Retrenchment Validity: Balancing Employer Rights and Employee Protection in Downturns
The Supreme Court clarifies when retrenchment is valid, the role of quitclaims, and the limits of procedural due process in labor dismissals.
Good Faith Prevails: Protecting Innocent Purchasers in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on innocent purchasers for value, good faith, and extinguishment of claims in property disputes.
Foreclosure Rights Upholding Mortgage Validity Despite Claims OF Duress
Establishing Filiation: The Evidentiary Standard for Illegitimate Children's Support Claims
A support promise without an admission of paternity does not establish filiation. Nepomuceno v. Lopez clarifies the rule.
Union Registration Fraud Claims: What Eagle Ridge Teaches About Labor Organizing
Supreme Court clarifies when misrepresentation claims can cancel a union's registration, protecting workers' right to self-organization.
Tax Refund Requisites: Proving Income Inclusion in Tax Returns
The Supreme Court clarifies the strict requisites for tax refund claims, emphasizing the taxpayer's burden to prove income was declared in the return.