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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Preliminary Injunctions in the Philippines: Preserving Status Quo in Property Disputes
Learn when Philippine courts issue preliminary injunctions to preserve status quo, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank.
Civil Liability for Criminal Acts: Proving Damages in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts award damages for crimes, what evidence suffices, and key lessons from Sevilla v. Villareal.
Co-Ownership in the Philippines: Inheritance and Property Rights Explained
Understand co-ownership in Philippine inheritance law, including property rights, partition rules, and how courts resolve disputes among co-owners.
Intra-Corporate Disputes: Protecting Shareholder Rights in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts classify intra-corporate disputes and protect shareholder rights from fraudulent share transfers, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling.
Conjugal Property Rights in the Philippines: Protecting Assets From Spousal Debt
Learn how Philippine courts treat conjugal property when one spouse incurs personal debt, and what the Imani v. Metrobank ruling means for creditors and families.
Paraffin Tests and Witness Credibility in Philippine Homicide Convictions
Learn how Philippine courts weigh negative paraffin test results against eyewitness testimony in homicide cases, and why credibility prevails.
Confessions and Corpus Delicti: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How Philippine courts weigh confessions and corpus delicti to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt in murder prosecutions.
Ejectment Actions and the Primacy of Registered Titles in Philippine Property Law
Philippine courts uphold registered titles over unregistered claims in ejectment cases. Learn the rules and practical implications.
Upholding Judicial Integrity Balancing Free Speech AND Respect FOR THE Courts IN THE Philippines
Delayed Justice: A Judge's Accountability for Prolonged Case Resolution
Explore how Philippine courts hold judges accountable for undue delay in resolving cases, and what this means for litigants seeking timely justice.
Just Compensation Under CARP: Courts Must Follow DAR Valuation Formula
Supreme Court clarifies that courts determining just compensation under CARP must strictly apply the DAR valuation formula, not substitute their own methods.
Perjury Complaints and the DOJ Secretary's Discretion in Preliminary Investigations
Explains when the DOJ may dismiss a perjury complaint appeal and why constitutional due process rules for courts do not bind prosecutors.
Navigating Appeals When Questions of Fact and Law Intertwine in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts handle appeals involving mixed questions of fact and law, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Due Process and Corporate Identity in Kukan v. Reyes
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may pierce the corporate veil, emphasizing due process and finality of judgment.
HLURB Jurisdiction vs Regular Courts: Protecting Subdivision Buyers' Rights
When does HLURB have exclusive jurisdiction over subdivision disputes? The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary between regular courts and the housing regulator.
Counsel's Negligence and Missed Appeal Deadlines: When Excuses Fail in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer's negligence excuses a missed appeal deadline, and when clients remain bound by counsel's mistakes.
When Words Become Weapons: Establishing Conspiracy in Philippine Homicide Law
Learn how Philippine courts determine conspiracy in criminal cases, using the landmark Babanggol drug case as a guide.
Conspiracy and Credibility in Philippine Homicide Cases: Key Lessons from Bug-atan v. People
How Philippine courts weigh co-conspirator testimony, conspiracy evidence, and credibility in homicide and murder cases.
Breach of Construction Contract: Establishing Liability and Damages in Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts determine liability and damages in construction contract breaches, including key rules and practical guidance.
Bail and Burden of Proof: When Courts Can Grant Bail in Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies bail in murder cases: burden of proof, evidentiary standards, and when courts may grant bail.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Courts Hold Subsidiaries Liable
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate fiction and hold a subsidiary liable for a parent company's obligations.
Valid Service of Summons: Ensuring Corporate Officers Are Notified
Learn when substituted service of summons on a corporate officer is valid under Philippine rules, and how courts protect due process.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Courts Must Follow DAR Valuation Formula
Philippine Supreme Court rules that courts must apply DAR's mandatory valuation formula under RA 6657 in determining just compensation for agrarian reform lands.
Demand to Comply: The Key to Valid Ejectment in Lease Disputes
Learn the rules on ejectment and demand to vacate, plus when courts may stay execution of eviction judgments.