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.
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Regularization Rights: Defining Labor-Only Contracting in Philippine Law
Supreme Court clarifies labor-only contracting vs. legitimate job contracting, affirming workers' right to regularization under Philippine law.
Labor-Only Contracting: Why Contract Language Alone Does Not Decide Employer Status
The Supreme Court clarifies when a contractor is merely a labor-only contractor and the true employer under Philippine law.
Protecting Public Funds Supreme Court Invalidates Compromise Agreement Involving Government Assets
Supreme Court voids PNCC-Radstock compromise that would have transferred P6.185 billion in public assets to a private foreign firm.
Protecting Public Funds Supreme Court Voids Illegal Government Contracts AND Compromises
Learn how the Supreme Court protects public funds by voiding illegal government contracts and compromises, safeguarding taxpayer money.
Rule 108 Limits: When Civil Registry Corrections Need Full Legal Action
Supreme Court clarifies when civil registry corrections exceed Rule 108 and require a full legal action to protect property rights.
Navigating Drug Possession Laws: Evidence and Credibility in Shabu Cases
A Supreme Court ruling on drug possession explains why minor witness inconsistencies and the defense of frame-up often fail against credible police testimony.
Drug Testing in the Workplace: Ensuring Procedural Rigor and Employee Rights
The Supreme Court ruled that employers must ensure drug tests are properly administered, or face liability for illegal dismissal.
Speedy Trial Rights Balancing Justice AND Practicality IN Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court clarifies that the right to speedy trial is relative and flexible, not a rigid counting of days.
Sufficiency of Information Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Imprecise Dates
Supreme Court affirms statutory rape conviction, ruling that an Information need not state the exact date of the offense.
Preventive Suspension of Public Officials: Due Process and Unexplained Wealth in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when the Ombudsman may preventively suspend public officials and what due process requires in unexplained wealth cases.
Court Clerk Dismissed for Certifying Spurious Decision: Gross Neglect of Duty
Philippine Supreme Court holds court clerk liable for gross neglect after certifying a fake decision without verifying records, resulting in dismissal.
Agrarian Reform vs Tourism: Resolving Land Use Conflicts in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling on whether tourism zone proclamations automatically exempt agricultural lands from CARP coverage.
Seafarers Disability: When Permanent Unfitness Means Full CBA Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a seafarer's disability is permanent and total, entitling full CBA compensation despite partial impediment grade.
Contempt of the COMELEC: The Scope of Its Quasi-Judicial Power Explained
The Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's power to cite for contempt even when acting through fact-finding task forces, clarifying the scope of its quasi-judicial authority.
Presidential Warranties vs. State Sovereignty: The PICOP Timber License Case
The Supreme Court ruled presidential warranties on timber licenses are not contracts, and state sovereignty over natural resources prevails.
COMELEC Contempt Power Upholds Investigative Authority for Fair Elections
Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's power to punish contempt during fact-finding investigations, reinforcing its constitutional mandate to ensure honest elections.
Right to Travel vs Public Interest: Examining the Scope of the Writ of Amparo
The Supreme Court explains why the writ of amparo cannot question travel restrictions such as hold departure orders issued in pending criminal cases.
Untangling Rescission: Prescription Periods in Philippine Property Sales
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when the four-year prescriptive period for rescission of a sale starts, using the Quirong v. DBP case.
Presidential Warranty vs Constitutional Limits: Timber License Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies that timber licenses and presidential warranties are not contracts protected by the non-impairment clause, upholding constitutional limits on natural resource exploitation.
Enforced Disappearance and Government Accountability: The Writ of Amparo Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies the writ of amparo as a protective remedy against enforced disappearance, distinguishing responsibility from accountability.
Contempt of the COMELEC: Scope of Power and Due Process in Election Investigations
The Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's power to initiate contempt proceedings motu proprio during fact-finding investigations, clarifying due process requirements.
Reinstatement vs Restructuring: Employee Rights in Corporate Changes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employee rights when corporate restructuring invalidates termination—reinstatement, backwages, and separation pay explained.
Unlawful Termination of NPC Employees: Reinstatement Rights and Corporate Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies reinstatement rights for illegally dismissed NPC employees and limits PSALM's liability in execution.
Balancing Public Service and Political Rights: The Unconstitutionality of Automatic Resignation for Appointive
The Supreme Court strikes down the automatic resignation rule for appointive officials who file certificates of candidacy, upholding equal protection and political rights.