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.
Abandonment vs. Constructive Dismissal: Proving Intent in Philippine Labor Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the elements of abandonment of employment and why employers must prove clear intent to sever the employer-employee relationship.
Words Matter: Simple Misconduct and the Limits of Free Speech for Public Servants
A Sandiganbayan security guard's vulgar outburst at co-workers was simple misconduct, not grave. The ruling clarifies free speech limits for public servants.
Judicial Ethics: Court Employee Cannot Buy Litigated Property
Court employees must avoid acquiring property in litigation, even outside their court's jurisdiction, to uphold judicial integrity.
Upholding Dismissal for Dishonesty When Casino Employees Betray Public Trust
Supreme Court reinstates dismissal of PAGCOR dealers who declared void craps throws as good dice, defrauding the house.
Protecting Trademarks: Unauthorized Refilling Constitutes Infringement And Unfair Competition
Unauthorized refilling of LPG cylinders bearing registered trademarks is trademark infringement and unfair competition, the Supreme Court ruled.
DARAB Jurisdiction and Land Sale Nullification: Key Lessons from a 2013 Ruling
When can the DARAB nullify a land sale? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of its jurisdiction in this 2013 ruling.
Overseas Dreams, Local Schemes: Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale and Economic Sabotage
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on large-scale illegal recruitment, syndicate liability, and penalties for overseas employment fraud.
Teacher Discipline and Due Process: Grave Misconduct in Philippine Schools
A teacher's physical punishment of a student constitutes grave misconduct, but mitigating factors can temper the penalty of dismissal.
Court Personnel Neglect of Duty: When Delayed Case Records Trigger Administrative Liability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simple neglect of duty by court personnel who delayed transmitting appeal records, with penalties explained.
Possession vs Ownership: Forum Shopping in Land Dispute Cases
When two ejectment suits over one lot become forum shopping, and why actual possession matters more than tax declarations.
Party Autonomy vs Individual Rights in Party-List Internal Disputes
Supreme Court ruling on COMELEC’s authority to resolve internal party-list disputes and cancel registrations for nominee disqualification.
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.
Quantum Meruit: Fair Pay When Contracts Lack Clear Terms
Learn how quantum meruit ensures fair compensation when contracts lack clear payment terms, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in International Hotel Corporation v. Joaquin.
Affinity and Judicial Disqualification: What the Supreme Court Clarified
The Supreme Court explains when a judge's family relationship by affinity requires inhibition, and why a losing litigant's late complaint failed.
Tolerance and Land Ownership: How Permissive Use Impacts Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how possession by mere tolerance cannot ripen into ownership through prescription or adverse possession.
Breach of Trust Defining Qualified Theft in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the elements of qualified theft, emphasizing grave abuse of confidence as the distinguishing factor in criminal cases.
Beyond Labels: Conviction for Rape Stands Despite Mislabeling in Information
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that mislabeling a crime in the Information doesn't invalidate a conviction if the facts alleged constitute the offense charged.
Digital Ballots As Primary Evidence Protecting Electoral Integrity In The Philippines
The Supreme Court ruled that digital ballot images from PCOS machines are functional equivalents of physical ballots, protecting elections from tampering.
Retirement Bars Administrative Action: Jurisdictional Limits in Philippine Law
When a judge retires before an administrative complaint is filed, the Court loses jurisdiction to penalize him. This article explains the rule.
Movable or Immovable: How Mortgage Agreements Define Property in Foreclosure
A Supreme Court ruling on whether machineries are movable or immovable property in mortgage foreclosures, explained in plain language.
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.
Grave Neglect of Duty in Public Office: The Samson De Leon Case
When does a public official's inaction become grave neglect of duty? The Supreme Court clarifies the standard in this administrative law case.
Judicial Accountability vs Erroneous Judgments: Protecting Judicial Independence in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judicial accountability, erroneous judgments, and the constitutional protection of judicial independence.
Trust Receipt vs. Loan: When a Security Agreement Becomes a Debt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a trust receipt arrangement is actually a loan, affecting liability and criminal exposure.