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.
Acquisitive Prescription and Laches in Property Disputes: Aguirre v. Heirs of Villanueva
Learn how the Supreme Court applied ordinary acquisitive prescription and laches in a property dispute between heirs and buyers.
Balancing Property Rights and Law Enforcement: The Release of Seized Goods in Intellectual Property Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the release of seized goods in IP cases, balancing property rights and law enforcement.
Agricultural Land Reclassification: Continued Use Does Not Override Prior Conversion
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how prior land reclassification to commercial use affects agrarian reform coverage and tenant rights.
Upholding Land Titles When Government Reversion Claims Fail
When can the government cancel a free patent and revert land to the public domain? The Supreme Court explains the limits of reversion actions.
Arson and Homicide: Distinguishing Intent and Consequences in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when arson absorbs resulting deaths versus when separate homicide charges apply, using intent as the key.
Supplemental Complaints and Forum Shopping: Lessons from Young v. Sy
The Supreme Court clarifies when supplemental complaints are allowed and why filing both an appeal and certiorari amounts to forum shopping.
Dilatory Tactics and the Five-Year Rule: When Delaying Execution Backfires
The Supreme Court condemns a losing party's dilatory tactics that delayed execution of a final judgment for years, clarifying the five-year rule on execution by motion.
Motion for Reconsideration: Avoiding Pro Forma Dismissals in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts treat procedural lapses in motions for reconsideration, and why substantive justice prevails over technicalities.
Ejectment Proceedings Ownership Disputes DO NOT Oust Metropolitan Trial Court Jurisdiction
The Supreme Court clarifies that raising ownership issues in an ejectment case does not divest the Metropolitan Trial Court of jurisdiction over possession disputes.
Barangay vs. Homeowners: Who Administers a Multi-Purpose Hall?
The Supreme Court clarifies the division of authority between barangays and homeowners' associations over government-funded facilities in subdivisions.
Foreshore Lease Preference: Riparian Rights vs. Reclamation in Philippine Land Law
Supreme Court ruling on whether a littoral owner retains preferential right to lease foreshore land that has been reclaimed by another applicant.
Premature Partition: Estate Settlement Before Property Distribution
When heirs can and cannot demand partition of a decedent's property before estate settlement proceedings are completed.
Warranty Against Eviction: Why Buyers Must Implead the Seller in Eviction Suits
Buyers who lose property to third-party claims must implead the seller in the eviction suit to enforce the warranty against eviction under Philippine law.
Real Property Tax Sales: Ensuring Proper Notice to Delinquent Owners
The Supreme Court clarifies the notice requirements for tax delinquency sales under P.D. 464, emphasizing strict compliance with statutory notice rules.
Real Estate Foreclosure in the Philippines: Notice Requirements and Due Process
A look at Guanco v. Antolo and why strict notice and posting rules govern extrajudicial foreclosure sales in the Philippines.
Good Faith Builder Rights Under Article 448: Key Lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court Case
Understand the rights of a builder in good faith under Philippine law, including the landowner's options under Article 448 of the Civil Code.
Quieting Title and Due Process: Notice of Raffle and Voluntary Submission to Jurisdiction
Learn how notice of raffle and voluntary appearance affect jurisdiction in quieting title cases, based on a 2006 Supreme Court ruling.
Donations to Unregistered Organizations in the Philippines: When Are They Valid?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on donations to unregistered organizations: why juridical personality matters and what donors and groups must know.
Res Judicata in Philippine Land Disputes: Why a Reconstitution Case Doesn't Block Ownership Claims
A title reconstitution case doesn't settle ownership. Learn how res judicata applies in Philippine land disputes and protects your property rights.
Emancipation Patents Indefeasibility and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Rights
Supreme Court affirms that Emancipation Patents become indefeasible one year after issuance, protecting farmer-beneficiaries from late cancellation challenges.
Gross Negligence of Counsel Can Justify New Trial in Criminal Cases
When a lawyer's gross negligence deprives an accused of due process, courts may reopen the case for a fair trial.
Boundary Disputes: Proving Land Ownership in Philippine Courts
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how courts resolve boundary disputes, emphasizing the importance of approved survey plans and proper identification of property.
Fraud Voids Donations: Protecting Consent in Property Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how fraud and misrepresentation invalidate donations, protecting illiterate donors' consent in property transfers.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: What Philippine Courts Look For
When is a deed of sale really a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the rules on equitable mortgage in Cirelos v. Hernandez.