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.
Contractual Obligations and Third Party Rights in Property Lease Disputes
Supreme Court ruling on when lease penalties bind only contracting parties, not property owners who are third parties to the contract.
When Contract Claims Must Yield to the Sandiganbayan: Jurisdiction Over Sequestered Assets
A contract dispute over sequestered shares belongs to the Sandiganbayan, not the regular courts, when the assets are subject of ill-gotten wealth cases.
Binding Amicable Settlements: Understanding Repudiation in Barangay Justice
When is a barangay amicable settlement binding? The Supreme Court explains repudiation rules under the Local Government Code.
Laches vs Torrens Title: When Delay Overrides Ownership Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when laches, not just prescription, can bar a registered owner from recovering possession of titled land.
Partitioning Property Understanding Co-Ownership and Heirs' Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law resolves double sales of inherited property, the role of registration, and heirs' rights in co-ownership disputes.
Double Sale Doctrine, Good Faith Registration, and Forged Deeds in Philippine Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when the double sale rule applies and why good faith registration cannot cure a forged deed in land disputes.
Possession vs Ownership: Resolving Land Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land disputes, possession, accretion, and Torrens title conclusiveness explained in plain language.
Clerk of Court Liability for Lost Evidence: Custody Duties Explained
When a clerk of court loses evidence in his custody, the Supreme Court clarifies administrative liability for unauthorized transfers.
Establishing Landlord-Tenant Relationship: The Core of Ejectment Suits in the Philippines
A landlord-tenant relationship is essential in ejectment cases. The Supreme Court explains who may file an unlawful detainer suit.
Security of Tenure: Defining Agricultural Tenancy in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies what makes a person an agricultural lessee entitled to security of tenure under Philippine agrarian laws.
Reversion of Land Titles: Public Domain vs Private Claims in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling on when certificates of title over public domain land, including timberlands, are void and subject to reversion.
Unauthorized Real Estate Mortgage: Strict Interpretation of Special Power of Attorney
When a special power of attorney fails to identify the exact property, a mortgage over it is unenforceable. The Supreme Court explains why banks must verify authority.
Future Inheritance Contracts Are Void: Arrogante v. Deliarte Explained
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void contracts over future inheritance, and the exceptions that can save family property arrangements.
Direct vs Indirect Contempt: When Courts Must Hold a Hearing Before Punishing
The Supreme Court clarifies the difference between direct and indirect contempt, requiring due process and proper hearing before punishment.
Theft Is Consummated Upon Taking: Debunking the Myth of Frustrated Theft
The Supreme Court clarifies that theft is consummated the moment the offender takes property with intent to gain, even if later apprehended.
Employer's Liability for Diligence in Employee Supervision After a Vehicular Accident
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer liability and the standard of diligence required in supervising employees after a vehicular accident.
Military Pension and Citizenship: The Parreño Ruling on PD 1638
Retired AFP officers who lose Filipino citizenship can have their pensions terminated under PD 1638, as upheld in Parreño v. COA.
Easement Reduction on Urban Land: Balancing Public Land Rules and Development
When a free-patent lot becomes urban private land, the river easement may shrink from 40 meters to 3 meters.
Good Faith in Property Transactions: Protecting Innocent Purchasers Under the Torrens System
When a notarized special power of attorney turns out forged, who keeps the land? The Supreme Court explains good faith under the Torrens system.
Employee Dishonesty and Breach of Trust: When Is Dismissal Justified
Explore when Philippine courts uphold dismissal for employee dishonesty and breach of trust, and the due process requirements employers must satisfy.
Paraphernal Property vs Conjugal: When Improvements Don't Change Ownership
When does a wife's inherited land become conjugal property? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on improvements in Heirs of Vicente Reyes.
Prescription in Mortgage Foreclosure: When the Clock Starts Ticking in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that the 10-year prescriptive period for mortgage foreclosure runs from default, not from the mortgage date.
Upholding Corporate Governance: Limits of Stockholder Suits and Board Discretion
The Supreme Court clarifies when derivative suits may proceed and when courts must respect board discretion in corporate management.
Quieting of Title and Summary Judgments: What Philippine Property Owners Should Know
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified when summary judgment is proper in quieting of title cases, and what this means for property owners facing ownership disputes.