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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Protecting Property Rights: The Validity of Sales by Thumbprint in Philippine Law
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that a thumbmark on a deed of sale is valid consent, and the duty of buyers to verify ownership.
Statutory Rape Conviction Upheld: Impotence and Alibi Defenses Fail
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction, rejecting impotence and alibi defenses, and explains how courts weigh victim testimony.
Probate Appeals and Executor Disqualification: Lessons from the Marcos Estate Case
The Supreme Court clarifies appeal rules in probate cases and when a criminal conviction disqualifies an executor for moral turpitude.
When Summary Judgment Is Not Proper: Lessons from D.M. Consunji v. Duvaz
The Supreme Court explains when summary judgment is improper due to genuine factual disputes, using a construction dispute as a case study.
Marital Cohabitation and Consensual Acts: Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when cohabitation does not imply consent, and how rape and acts of lasciviousness are distinguished in Philippine criminal law.
Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts: Court Employee Suspended After Third Offense
Supreme Court suspends court employee for six months for willful failure to pay a just debt, clarifying standards for administrative liability and mitigating circumstances.
Final Judgments Bar Refiled Claims: Navarro v. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company
A Supreme Court ruling on how a final dismissal based on laches bars a refiled case, even when the new suit seeks different relief.
Docket Fees and Jurisdiction: The High Cost of Underpayment in Corporate Disputes
Underpaying docket fees can be fatal to a case. Learn from Sameer v. Santos how the Supreme Court treats this procedural pitfall.
Double Taxation and Local Business Tax: Clarifying Exemptions for Manila Businesses
Supreme Court ruling on double taxation under Manila's tax ordinance, clarifying exemptions for businesses already paying local business tax.
Agency Responsibility Clarifying Liability In Overseas Placement Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a Philippine recruitment agency remains liable to overseas workers despite an alleged transfer of accreditation.
COA Audit Powers and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim v. COA
Supreme Court affirms COA's broad audit powers and the limits of quantum meruit in government construction contracts.
Finality of Judgment: Disbarred Lawyer’s Bid to Reverse Disbarment Fails
The Supreme Court denies a disbarred lawyer's motion to reverse his disbarment, citing the doctrine of finality of judgment and citing him for indirect contempt.
Perfecting an Appeal: Timely Payment of Appeal Fees Is Jurisdictional
Understand why paying appeal fees on time is a strict jurisdictional requirement in Philippine courts, based on a 2009 Supreme Court ruling.
Torrens System Prevails: Registered Land Protected Against Adverse Claims
When registered land is sold to innocent buyers, claims of long possession cannot defeat the Torrens title, the Supreme Court rules.
Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Conspiracy and Murder: The Maliao Case
A look at how the Supreme Court distinguished conspiracy from mere accomplice liability in a rape-with-homicide case.
Common Carriers and Fortuitous Events: Reassessing Liability in Passenger Injury Cases
The Supreme Court held that a bus company is not liable for a passenger's death when the collision was caused solely by a third-party truck's brake failure.
Accomplice Liability in Rape With Homicide: Clarifying the Degree of Participation
The Supreme Court clarifies when a witness to a crime becomes an accomplice, not a principal, in rape with homicide.
Letters of Intent: When a Preliminary Document Is Not a Contract of Sale in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a Letter of Intent remains a mere declaration of intention, not a binding contract to sell or conditional sale.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Unlawful Detainer: Prior Tolerance Not Required When Encroachment Is Discovered Later
Supreme Court clarifies when prior tolerance is needed in unlawful detainer cases, and how ownership claims affect ejectment suits.
Proportional Representation in the Commission on Appointments: What Drilon v. De Venecia Means for Political P
The Supreme Court explains when political parties can demand seats in the Commission on Appointments and the proper remedy for violations.
Practicing Law During Suspension: Judicial Ethics and Integrity
A judge's preventive suspension does not lift the ban on private law practice. The Supreme Court explains why.
Retention Rights Under Agrarian Reform: Landowner's Duty of Full Disclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agrarian retention rights, emphasizing a landowner's duty of full disclosure in retention applications.
Probationary Employees Can Vote in Certification Elections: Key SC Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies probationary employees' voting rights in certification elections, ordering a run-off after votes were wrongly excluded.