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.
Understanding Judicial Impartiality: Bias and Inhibition in Philippine Election Protests
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for judicial inhibition in election protests, explaining what bias truly means and why rulings must not be mistaken for prejudice.
Understanding Dislocation Allowances Legal Insights AND Implications FOR Government Employees
The Supreme Court ruled on incentive allowances for government employees, clarifying limits under Philippine law on additional compensation.
Understanding Theft in the Philippines: Key Insights From a Landmark Supreme Court Case
A look at how the Supreme Court clarifies plea bargaining rules in drug cases and what this means for criminal procedure in the Philippines.
Plea Bargaining in Drug Cases: The Supreme Court’s Stand on Prosecution Consent
A guilty plea to a lesser drug offense needs the prosecutor’s consent. Learn the rules and what the Court said in People v. Reafor.
Judicial Misconduct and the Consequences of Soliciting Bribes: A Landmark Ruling on Integrity in the Philippin
The Supreme Court's ruling in OCA v. Amor clarifies that resignation does not erase administrative liability for judicial misconduct like bribery.
Navigating Accountability in Government Procurement: Lessons from a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
A Supreme Court ruling on CNA incentives clarifies when government employees must refund disallowed funds and how special funds may be spent.
Lawyer's Duty to Account for Client Funds: A Case of Trust and Misappropriation
When a lawyer fails to account for client funds, the Supreme Court steps in. Learn the rules on fiduciary duty and the penalties for misappropriation.
Understanding Evident Bad Faith in Graft Cases: Insights from Philippine Jurisprudence
The Supreme Court clarifies the element of evident bad faith in Section 3(e) R.A. 3019 cases and the crucial rule on variance of the mode of commission.
Prosecutorial Authority and Criminal Jurisdiction: The Villa Gomez Doctrine
The Supreme Court clarifies when a prosecutor's lack of authority to file an Information affects a trial court's jurisdiction over a criminal case.
Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide: Key Insights from a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court Case
The Supreme Court clarifies what the prosecution must prove in reckless imprudence resulting in homicide cases, and why mere negligence is not enough.
Understanding Tax Implications of Initial Public Offerings: Separate vs Joint Computation
The Supreme Court clarifies how IPO taxes on primary and secondary offerings are computed under the National Internal Revenue Code.
Lease Renewal vs Extension: Supreme Court Clarifies the Critical Distinction
The Supreme Court clarifies the crucial difference between lease renewal and extension in a dispute over a government property lease.
Contract Renewal vs. Extension: Key Lessons from a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court Case
The Supreme Court clarifies the critical legal difference between renewing and extending a lease, and why precise contract language matters.
Domestic Violence and Lawyer Discipline: Lessons from a Philippine Disbarment Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows why lawyers face discipline for domestic violence—even when criminal cases are dismissed.
Understanding Statutory Rape: Protecting Minors and Legal Implications
The Supreme Court clarifies statutory rape under -A(1)(d) of the Revised Penal Code, emphasizing that carnal knowledge of a child under 12 is always rape.
Navigating Tax Assessments: The Validity of Letters of Authority in the Philippines
Learn when a BIR Letter of Authority becomes invalid, the 30-day and 120-day rules, and how the Supreme Court ruled in AFP General Insurance.
Simulated Contracts in the Philippines: When a Deed of Sale Is Void
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a simulated deed of sale is void. Learn the rules on genuine intent in property transactions.
Moral Ascendancy in Rape Cases: What People v. XXX Means for Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that a relative's moral ascendancy can substitute for force or intimidation in proving qualified rape.
The Sweetheart Defense in Philippine Rape Cases: What the Supreme Court Teaches Us
The sweetheart defense cannot justify rape. Learn what the Supreme Court ruled and why consent matters in Philippine law.
Administrative and Criminal Liability: Prescription and Speedy Disposition Lessons from Perez v. Sandiganbayan
The Supreme Court clarifies prescription and speedy disposition rules in graft cases, balancing public accountability with the accused's rights.
Lateral Transfers and Security of Tenure in Philippine Civil Service
When a government employee's lateral transfer appointment is disapproved, does the employee automatically revert to a former position? The Supreme Court clarifies.
Limits of Compensation Authority in Government Corporations: Insights from SSS v. COA
The Supreme Court clarifies when GOCCs may grant employee benefits without presidential approval, and when officers may be excused from refunding disallowed amounts.
Prescription and Speedy Disposition in Philippine Criminal Cases: Key Insights
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when the prescriptive period for graft cases begins and what constitutes inordinate delay.
Navigating the Legal Boundaries of Government-Owned Corporations: Insights from a Landmark Supreme Court Rulin
The Supreme Court upheld the GOCC Governance Act, clarifying the limits of security of tenure and delegation of powers.