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.
Execution Pending Appeal in Election Cases: When "Good Reasons" Are Not Enough
The Supreme Court clarifies when execution pending appeal in election cases is allowed and why "good reasons" must be clearly established.
Successor Liability in Philippine Labor Law: When Is a Company Responsible for Another's Debts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company becomes liable for another firm's labor debts under successor liability rules.
Attorney Conflicts of Interest: Lessons from Philippine Jurisprudence
Learn how Philippine courts handle attorney conflicts of interest, consent requirements, and ethical duties through key Supreme Court rulings.
Deficiency Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure: Can Banks Recover More After Auction?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks can collect deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure of real estate mortgages.
Unsigned Stipulations in Mortgages: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Consent as Key
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mortgage stipulation inserted after signing without the mortgagor's consent is void ab initio.
When Government Salaries Can Be Withheld: The Santiago COA Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when COA may withhold a government employee's salary for an alleged cash shortage, and when it cannot apply the withheld amounts.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: Understanding Your Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court applies due process in administrative proceedings and what rights individuals have when facing government actions.
Stare Decisis in Philippine Courts: How Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to bar relitigation of the Pepsi The decision demonstrates how prior rulings on the same controversy can bar subsequent claims and promote consistency in the ad
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.
Falsification of Documents: Proving Intent and Damage in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on notarial falsification, forgery evidence, and lawyer liability in Lingan v. Calubaquib.
Employee Termination: Just Cause and Due Process Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for valid employee termination in the Philippines, focusing on just cause and due process requirements.
Finality of Judgments in Disbarment Cases: Lessons from Bihag v. Era
The Supreme Court enforces final disbarment orders through execution and contempt, underscoring the doctrine of finality of judgment.
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Accion Publiciana: When Can You File to Recover Property Possession in the Philippines
Learn when to file accion publiciana instead of unlawful detainer to recover property possession in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Why Exhausting Administrative Remedies Matters in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling why skipping administrative appeals before going to court can be fatal to a property case.
Supreme Court on Lost Appeals: Certiorari Cannot Replace a Missed Appeal
The Supreme Court rules that a petition for certiorari cannot substitute for a lost appeal, affirming dismissal of a case for procedural lapses.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Interest on Maritime Liens in the Philippines: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when legal interest on a maritime lien begins to accrue—from extrajudicial demand, not from foreclosure sale.
Judge Dismissed for Gross Immorality: Extramarital Affair and Child Bar Judicial Office
Supreme Court dismisses a judge for gross immorality over an extramarital affair and child, and suspends him from law practice for three years.
Constructive Dismissal and OFWs: What the Supreme Court Says About Quitting
The Supreme Court explains when an OFW's resignation is constructive dismissal and how quitclaims affect claims for unpaid wages.
When Can CLOAs Be Canceled? Landowner Rights Under CARP Explained
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when CLOAs may be canceled, who may question farmer-beneficiary qualifications, and landowner rights under CARP.
Protecting Landowner Rights Due Process and Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform
Learn how the Supreme Court balanced landowner due process rights with farmer-beneficiary qualifications in agrarian reform cases under RA 6657.