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.
Corporate Authority and Double Taxation: Lessons from Swedish Match Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies rules on corporate authority in tax refund cases and double taxation under local business tax ordinances.
Mistake vs Misconduct in Employee Dismissal: Due Process in Philippine Labor Law
When is an employee's honest mistake a valid ground for dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the line between error and misconduct.
Probationary Employment: Employers Must Disclose Regularization Standards
Employers must inform probationary employees of regularization standards at engagement or risk them being deemed regular employees from day one.
Public Space vs Private Gain: When Loan Agreements Undermine Public Land Rights
Supreme Court rules loans secured by public plaza are void; public dominion property cannot be collateralized for commercial ventures.
Co-Owner's Right to File Ejectment: Clarifying Philippine Rules on Co-Ownership and Unlawful Detainer
Can one co-owner file ejectment without joining others? The Supreme Court clarifies co-owners' rights under Article 487 in Catedrilla v. Lauron.
Can One Co-Owner File an Ejectment Case Alone? Yes, Says the Supreme Court
A co-owner can file an ejectment suit without joining other co-owners, as ruled in Catedrilla v. Lauron. Learn the rules.
Perfecting Appeals Strict Compliance With Rules OF Court IS Mandatory
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on writs of possession, third-party adverse claims, and strict procedural compliance in extrajudicial foreclosures.
Court Relaxes Forum Shopping Rule for Heirs Sharing Common Interest in Land Case
Supreme Court rules heirs with common interest may substantially comply with certification against forum shopping, remanding agrarian dispute for merits review.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Integrity Over Strict Compliance
The Supreme Court clarifies that substantial compliance with Section 21, RA 9165 suffices when the drug's integrity and evidentiary value are preserved.
Balancing Technical Rules and Justice When the Court of Appeals Must Review Cases on Merit
The Supreme Court clarifies that failure to attach all pleadings to a Rule 42 petition should not automatically result in outright dismissal.
Challenging Foreclosure When Courts Must Halt Mortgage Proceedings
When can courts dismiss appeals for incomplete attachments? Galvez v. CA clarifies the rules on foreclosure challenges and procedural compliance.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Evidence Integrity Determines Guilt or Acquittal
The Supreme Court explains why strict compliance with the chain of custody rule in drug cases is essential to protect the accused from wrongful conviction.
Jail Officers Negligence Defining Gross Misconduct in Public Service
Supreme Court ruling on when a jail officer's negligence and consent to a prisoner's escape constitutes gross misconduct in public service.
When Can Courts Dismiss a Case for Failure to Prosecute? A Land Registration Lesson
The Supreme Court clarifies the limited grounds for dismissing a case for failure to prosecute, using a land registration dispute as the backdrop.
Balancing Landlord Rights and Tenant Protection When Personal Use Justifies Eviction
Explore how Philippine courts balance a landlord's need to repossess property for personal use against a tenant's rights under urban land reform laws.
Navigating VAT Refund Claims: Prescriptive Periods and Equitable Estoppel in Philippine Tax Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the two-year prescriptive period for VAT refund claims and the mandatory 120-day waiting period before judicial appeal.
Public Easements in Land Disputes: Private Rights vs Public Welfare
The Supreme Court clarifies that 3-meter easements along rivers and streams are public property, limiting private landowner rights.
Cultivation and Compliance: Land Ownership Under Agrarian Reform
The Supreme Court clarifies that a Certificate of Land Transfer confers only an inchoate right—full ownership requires compliance with agrarian reform conditions.
Corporate Reorganization, Presidential Alter Ego Doctrine, and Security of Tenure Limits
Supreme Court clarifies when government corporate boards may reorganize, reassign officers, and drop employees for poor performance without violating tenure.
When Courts Can No Longer Enforce Agreements: The Difference Between Entrapment and Instigation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when police buy-bust operations are legal entrapment versus illegal instigation, and why the distinction matters in drug cases.
Support Pendente Lite Orders Are Interlocutory: When Can They Be Appealed?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that support pendente lite orders are interlocutory and not appealable, explaining the proper remedy under Rule 65.
Reconstitution of Title: The Critical Requirements of Loss and Good Faith
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies strict requirements for judicial reconstitution of lost or destroyed Torrens titles under RA 26.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Why Original Documents Matter for Property Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court explains strict requirements for reconstituting lost land titles under RA 26, emphasizing original documents over substitutes.
Balancing Justice and Procedure When Attorney Negligence Threatens a Client's Appeal
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may relax procedural rules, holding that a counsel's ordinary negligence binds the client and cannot justify a late appeal.