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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Attorney's Fees and Quantum Meruit: Fair Compensation for Legal Services in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts determine reasonable attorney's fees and quantum meruit principles, with insights from a Supreme Court ruling on contractual obligations.
Unconscionable Interest Rates: When Courts Step In to Protect Borrowers
Philippine courts can reduce excessive loan interest rates. Learn how the Supreme Court protected borrowers from unconscionable terms.
Judicial Reconstitution of Title: Proving Loss of Prior Source Documents
Supreme Court clarifies evidence needed for judicial reconstitution of lost titles under RA 26, applying Bercede guidelines.
Barangay Officials Term Limits: Clarifying the Reckoning Point for Accountable Governance
The Supreme Court clarifies when the three-term limit for barangay officials begins, affirming Congress's power over local term rules.
Mining Rights and State Control: The Limits of Exploration Permits in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on exploration permits, vested rights, and state control over mineral reservations under the Mining Act.
Handwriting Analysis and Election Disputes: Protecting the Sanctity of the Ballot
The Supreme Court clarifies when handwriting analysis may invalidate ballots in election protests, stressing that no two persons write alike.
Reinstatement vs Separation Pay: Defining Strained Relations in Illegal Dismissal Cases
When can an illegally dismissed employee be denied reinstatement due to strained relations? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule.
When Courts Can Stop a Foreclosure: Preliminary Injunctions in Mortgage Disputes
The Supreme Court explains when a court may issue a preliminary injunction to stop a bank's extrajudicial foreclosure pending trial.
Illegal Dismissal, Retirement Age, and Employee Benefits: Key Lessons from Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on constructive dismissal, optional retirement, and CBA benefits for managerial employees in this Philippine labor case.
Court Personnel Discipline: Incompetence, Drunkenness, and Loafing in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court ruled on disciplining court personnel for incompetence, habitual drunkenness, and loafing, imposing fines despite retirement.
Compromise Agreements in Government Disputes: Upholding Contractual Obligations
The Supreme Court approves a compromise agreement between a province and an employee, affirming the validity of settling government disputes through mutual concessions.
Filial Support When Grandparents Share the Duty to Support Grandchildren
When parents cannot support their children, grandparents may be obliged to help. The Supreme Court explains how this duty works.
Liberty vs Military Authority: Balancing Rights in the Philippine Armed Forces
Supreme Court ruling on a general's preventive suspension and arrest, clarifying due process and injunctive relief in military discipline cases.
GSIS Held in Contempt for Delaying Payment of Permanent Total Disability Benefits Under RA 8291
Supreme Court cites GSIS for indirect contempt for delaying payment of a member's permanent total disability benefits under RA 8291.
Contempt of Court: Upholding Judicial Authority and Enforcing Final Judgments
The Supreme Court held GSIS in indirect contempt for delaying payment of a final disability award, reaffirming that final judgments must be obeyed.
When Loan Restructuring Terms Must Be in Writing: The Marcopper Case
A Supreme Court ruling on why unwritten conditions in loan restructuring cannot be enforced, and the binding nature of written agreements.
Upholding the Right to Organize: How the Supreme Court Scrutinizes Union Registration Objections
In Heritage Hotel Manila v. PIGLAS-Heritage, the Supreme Court rejected technical objections to union registration and affirmed the workers' right to self-organization.
Rape of a Mentally Retarded Person: Court Upholds Conviction and Justice
The Supreme Court affirms the rape conviction of a man who sexually assaulted a mentally retarded woman, clarifying the rules on consent, evidence, and penalties.
Deed of Sale Presumed Valid Absent Clear Proof of Fraud
Supreme Court clarifies that notarized deeds of sale enjoy presumption of authenticity; challengers must present clear and convincing evidence of fraud.
Judicial Overreach: Defining the Limits of Disciplinary Authority in the Philippine Judiciary
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that executive judges cannot unilaterally impose penalties on court personnel, reaffirming the Court's exclusive disciplinary power.
Mortgage Rights Prevail Over Prior Unregistered Sale: Good Faith Purchasers Protected
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a registered mortgage prevails over an earlier unregistered sale, protecting good faith purchasers.
Probable Cause and Witness Credibility in Preliminary Investigations for Murder
Supreme Court clarifies how prosecutors should weigh witness credibility and probable cause in murder preliminary investigations.
Article 448 and Final Judgments: Clarifying an Incomplete Fallo in Property Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling on when courts may complete an ambiguous dispositive portion even after finality, applying Article 448.
Public Hearing Imperative Invalidating Ordinances Without Community Input
A municipal ordinance imposing goodwill fees without a valid prior public hearing is void, the Supreme Court rules.