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.
Crossed Checks and Collecting Banks: Who Bears the Loss for Wrong Endorsement?
Learn when a collecting bank is liable for depositing a crossed check into the wrong account, and the duty to verify endorsements.
PCGG Duty to Disclose Evidence in Sequestration Cases: Due Process Wins
Supreme Court rules PCGG cannot hide evidence behind Executive Order No. 1; subpoenas must be honored in sequestration cases.
Cashier's Check as Bank's Primary Obligation: Holder in Due Course Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on cashier's checks, holder in due course status, and bank liability explained in plain language.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Why Courts—Not Agencies—Fix Fair Value
Supreme Court clarifies that RTCs, not DAR adjudicators, have original jurisdiction over just compensation in agrarian expropriation cases.
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.
Mandatory Foreclosure: GFIs Must Verify Borrower Payments Before Proceeding
Supreme Court ruling on P.D. 385: government financial institutions must verify borrower payments before mandatory foreclosure.
Prior Court Rulings Bind Later Appeals: Default Judgment Limits Explained
A bank's repeated procedural challenges failed when earlier rulings became the law of the case. Learn how default judgments and prior decisions shape litigation.
Private or Public? COA Audit Authority Over Animal Welfare Societies
When is a corporation created by special law a government entity subject to COA audit? The Supreme Court clarifies the test.
Behest Loans and Prescription: Timelines for Prosecuting Corrupt Practices in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when prescription begins for behest loan cases under RA 3019, and when courts defer to the Ombudsman's findings.
Mootness in Corporate Mergers: SSS Investment Disposition Examined
When a corporate merger dissolves the subject shares, a case over their sale becomes moot. The Supreme Court explains.
Written Notice of Dishonor Is Essential in B.P. 22 Cases: Bax v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies that oral demands do not suffice—written notice of dishonor is required to convict under the Bouncing Checks Law.
Writ of Possession Protecting Heirs' Rights in Undivided Estates
Learn how the Supreme Court protects compulsory heirs when a foreclosed property is subject to a writ of possession in an undivided estate.
Shared Intent Shared Liability Understanding Conspiracy in Philippine Criminal Law
Learn how conspiracy works in Philippine criminal law, when co-accused share liability, and what the Supreme Court says about proving a common design.
Withdrawal of Appeal in Reclusion Perpetua Cases: Discretion and Executive Clemency
The Supreme Court clarifies that reclusion perpetua cases are not subject to mandatory review, allowing appellants to withdraw their appeals.
Judicial Overreach When Haste in Execution Leads to Administrative Liability
A judge's one-year suspension for gross ignorance of the law after prematurely declaring a decision final and executing it without proper motion.
Certiorari Cannot Substitute for a Lost Appeal: Lessons from Negros Merchants v. China Banking
When can a denied motion to dismiss be challenged by certiorari? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on interlocutory orders and forum shopping.
Financial Crisis as Fortuitous Event: Real Estate Contract Obligations in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether the 1997 Asian financial crisis excuses a developer's failure to deliver condominium units.
Unfreezing Marcos-Era Assets: When Philippine Courts Can Act on Foreign Freeze Orders
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that allows Philippine courts to hear cases involving foreign freeze orders on Marcos-era assets.
Safeguarding Public Officers Good Faith AND THE Anti Graft LAW
Explore the PCGG v. Sandiganbayan ruling on res judicata, act of state doctrine, and the duty of public officers to act promptly on requests.
Bouncing Checks and Hearsay: BP 22 Conviction Upheld Despite Evidentiary Challenges
The Supreme Court explains when hearsay testimony may be admitted in a Bouncing Checks case, and why a BP 22 conviction can stand.
Navigating Corporate Disputes: The Boundaries of Forum Shopping and Litis Pendentia in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when two corporate cases are not forum shopping or litis pendentia, using the Taningco dispute as a guide.
Prescription vs Possession: Quieting Title and Indefeasibility in Land Disputes
Explore how prescription, possession, and indefeasibility of title interact in land disputes, and what the Supreme Court ruled on jurisdiction.
Fortuitous Events and Loan Obligations: DBP vs. Spouses Calina
A typhoon destroyed a financed fishing boat, but the borrowers still had to repay their loan. The Supreme Court explains why.
Disproving Forgery: Standards for Signature Comparison in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies standards for comparing signatures to prove forgery, emphasizing timing, genuine specimens, and burden of proof.