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.
Stroke Compensation Claims: When Work Stress Meets Employee Welfare
Supreme Court clarifies when stroke and hypertension are compensable under PD 626, emphasizing probability over certainty in employee claims.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Government Delay Forfeits Expropriation Rights
The Supreme Court rules that the government's failure to pay just compensation for over 30 years bars its claim to expropriated property.
Breach of Contract: Temperate Damages Awarded for Failure to Deliver Property Titles
Supreme Court awards temperate damages to buyer when developer failed to deliver deeds and titles, explaining when such damages apply.
NTC Primary Jurisdiction Over Access Charges in Interconnection Agreements
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that the NTC has primary jurisdiction over access charges in interconnection agreements, and why courts must defer.
Project vs Regular Employment: Defining Worker Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are regular employees, not project-based, and the employer's burden of proof.
Work-Related Illness and Causation in Seafarer Disability Claims: Key Lessons
Learn how Philippine courts decide seafarer disability claims, focusing on work-related illness, causation, and the POEA standard of proof.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Upholding Employee Rights Against Unsubstantiated Claims
Employers cannot dismiss on loss of trust without proof. Learn the legal requisites from a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Illegal Slowdowns and Union Officer Dismissal: The Polyson Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when a work slowdown becomes an illegal strike and justifies dismissal of union officers under Philippine labor law.
Enforcement of Government Contracts: Recovery Allowed Despite Lack of Funds Certification
Supreme Court allows contractor recovery for government equipment leases despite missing funds certification, citing quantum meruit and equity.
Death of Accused Pending Appeal Extinguishes Criminal Liability: People v. Layag
The Supreme Court explains how an accused's death before final conviction extinguishes criminal liability and what happens to civil claims.
Cooperative Debt Collection: Jurisdiction, Authority, and Interest Rates Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on cooperative debt collection, officer authority, and interest rate reductions in Fausto v. Multi Agri-Forest.
Securities Deposit Immunity Protecting Policyholders Interests IN Insurance Contracts
Learn how the Supreme Court protects policyholders' interests through the securities deposit immunity rule in insurance contracts.
Specific Performance vs Rescission: Contractual Remedies Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when specific performance or rescission applies in reciprocal obligations, using a Tagaytay property dispute as guide.
When a Spouse's Consent Is Missing: Void Mortgages and Conjugal Liability
A mortgage on conjugal property without the other spouse's consent is void, but the loan itself may still bind the family.
Burden of Proof in Seafarer Disability Claims: Establishing Work-Relatedness
The Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers must prove work-relatedness of illness or injury by substantial evidence to receive disability benefits.
Challenging Real Property Tax Ordinances: The Iloilo Case and the Rule on Exhaustion of Remedies
The Supreme Court dismissed a direct challenge to Iloilo City's real property tax ordinance, reaffirming that taxpayers must first exhaust administrative remedies before going to court.
Res Judicata in Estate Proceedings: Teng v. Ting on Re-Litigating Ownership
The Supreme Court in Teng v. Ting bars re-litigating ownership in estate cases once a prior final judgment has settled the issue.
Supervening Events and Boracay Land Claims: Heirs of Maravilla v. Tupas
A Supreme Court ruling on how the Boracay ownership decision stopped execution of a final judgment, explained for property owners.
Mining Rights vs. Indigenous Peoples: Exhaustion of Remedies and Grave Abuse of Discretion
The Supreme Court in Alecha v. Atienza underscores the exhaustion doctrine and limits of grave abuse of discretion in mining disputes.
Premature Environmental Challenges Clarifying EIS Requirements in Public-Private Partnerships
Supreme Court clarifies when EIS and ECC duties arise in PPP projects, ruling that pre-bidding environmental challenges are premature.
Third-Party Claims in Labor Execution: Due Process and the Burden of Proof
The Supreme Court clarifies when a hearing is required for third-party claims in NLRC execution proceedings, and what claimants must prove.
Res Judicata in Annulment of Judgments: Prior Relief Bars Subsequent Action
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a petition for annulment of judgment under Rule 47 is barred by a prior petition for relief.
Conditional Employment Offers and When No Employer-Employee Relationship Exists
The Supreme Court clarifies when a conditional job offer, subject to background checks, does not create an employer-employee relationship.
Lease Default and Lessor Rights: Reading Contract Clauses Literally
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lessor rights upon lessee default, contract interpretation, and enforcement of claims against a deceased lessee's estate.