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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Ombudsman's Immunity Power Prevails: Protecting Whistleblowers in Corruption Cases
Supreme Court affirms Ombudsman's power to grant immunity to accused-turned-state-witness in tax credit scam, overriding Sandiganbayan's objections.
Court Employee's Vulgar Outburst: Simple Misconduct Under Civil Service Rules
When a Sandiganbayan security guard cursed co-workers, the Supreme Court ruled it was simple misconduct, not grave misconduct.
Illegal Dismissal and Abandonment: Proving Employee Intent in Philippine Labor Law
When does failure to report for work become abandonment? The Supreme Court clarifies the employer's burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases.
Privacy Beyond Residence: Surveillance Cameras and the Right to Be Let Alone
The Supreme Court expands the right to privacy beyond residences, holding that business premises and property enjoy protection from intrusive video surveillance.
Buy-Bust Operations, Warrantless Arrests, and Preserving Drug Evidence in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court upholds a shabu conviction, clarifying rules on buy-bust operations, warrantless arrests, and the chain of custody of seized drugs.
Parental Authority VS Childs Rights Examining Credibility IN Rape Cases
Falsification of Commercial Documents: When a Bank Manager Faces Estafa Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when a bank manager who forges documents and misappropriates funds is liable for the complex crime of estafa through falsification of commercial documents.
Protecting Marital Integrity When a Prior Spouse Can Challenge a Bigamous Marriage
A prior spouse can ask Philippine courts to recognize a foreign judgment nullifying a bigamous marriage, protecting marital integrity.
When Judges May Dismiss Criminal Cases for Lack of Probable Cause
The Supreme Court clarifies when trial courts may dismiss criminal cases for lack of probable cause, and when they must let the case proceed to trial.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Following POEA-SEC Dispute Procedures Matters
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why seafarers must follow the POEA-SEC third-doctor procedure in disability claims.
Ombudsman's Immunity Power Prevails in Protecting the State's Interest in Prosecuting Corruption
Supreme Court rules courts should defer to Ombudsman's grant of immunity to state witnesses in corruption cases, protecting prosecutorial discretion.
Buy-Bust Operations and Drug Convictions: The Role of the Presumption of Regularity
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, explaining how the presumption of regularity in police buy-bust operations works and when it applies.
Probable Cause and Estafa: The Judge's Role in Dismissing Criminal Cases
Supreme Court clarifies when a judge may dismiss criminal cases for lack of probable cause, using estafa charges as the backdrop.
Citizenship and Residency Requirements for Public Office: Reyes v. COMELEC
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Reyes v. COMELEC on citizenship, residency, and disqualification of candidates for public office.
When Retirement Ends Judicial Accountability: The Andaya Doctrine on Administrative Cases
The Supreme Court explains when a judge's retirement bars administrative liability for acts committed while in office.
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.
Probationary Employment: Employers Must Disclose Regularization Standards
Employers must inform probationary employees of regularization standards at engagement or risk them being deemed regular employees from day one.
Circumstantial Evidence Can Sustain a Rape with Homicide Conviction — People v. De la Cruz
Philippine courts can convict of rape with homicide based on circumstantial evidence alone when the circumstances form an unbroken chain pointing to the accused.
Buy-Bust Operations and Chain of Custody: Protecting Rights in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court upholds a drug conviction, clarifying buy-bust validity, chain of custody rules, and evidentiary standards under RA 9165.
Gross Neglect vs Illegal Dismissal: Employee Duties and Employer Rights
When can an employer dismiss a rank-and-file employee for gross neglect? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on just causes and loss of confidence.
Expropriation and Summary Judgment: Protecting Just Compensation in Philippine Condemnation Cases
When can summary judgment decide just compensation in expropriation cases? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules and protects landowners' rights.
When Company Benefits AND Legal Title Collide Establishing Ownership Through Resulting Trusts
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that paying for an asset registered in another's name creates a resulting trust, even in employee benefits.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: When Absence Is Not Enough to Fire an Employee
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when employee absence is not abandonment, and what employers must prove to justify dismissal.
Probationary Employment: Employers Must Communicate Standards for Regularization
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on probationary employment: employers must inform workers of regularization standards at hiring or risk illegal dismissal liability.