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.
Land Registration: How Clear Title Strengthens Ownership and Possession Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how registered land rights and lease agreements strengthen claims to ownership and possession in property disputes.
Injunctions and Property Rights: Safeguarding Possession in Philippine Law
Philippine law protects possession through injunctions and property rights. This article explains how courts balance these interests.
When Jurisdictional Error Leads to Disciplinary Action: Analyzing Judicial Misconduct in the Philippines
Explore how Philippine courts handle judicial misconduct claims, from jurisdictional errors to ethical breaches, and what this means for accountability.
Extradition and Due Process: Balancing Treaty Obligations and Individual Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court ruled that a prospective extraditee enjoys basic due process rights—notice and hearing—even during the executive evaluation stage of extradition proceedings.
Homicide or Murder: Decoding Treachery and Premeditation in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court explains when treachery and evident premeditation qualify a killing as murder, and when the crime remains homicide.
Securing Shareholder Rights: Preliminary Injunctions in Philippine Corporate Disputes
Understand when Philippine courts grant preliminary injunctions in corporate disputes, using the Ortañez-Enderes case as a guide to shareholder rights.
Due Process in Elections: When COMELEC Cannot Invalidate Votes
The Supreme Court nullified COMELEC's cancellation of a candidate's nickname votes for lack of notice and hearing, reaffirming due process in election cases.
Filing Fees in Philippine Election Protests: Jurisdictional Rules and Timelines
Philippine election protest filing fees are jurisdictional. Late payment does not cure defects. Learn the rules and deadlines.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: Notice and Hearing Requirements in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on due process in employee dismissal, appeal bonds, and finality of labor arbiter decisions.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: When an Anonymous Letter Leads to Reinstatement and Back Wages
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal based on an anonymous letter, and the awards of back wages and separation pay.
When Court Errors Are Judicial, Not Administrative: A Guide for Litigants
The Supreme Court clarifies when a judge's error is a judicial matter for appeal, not an administrative case for discipline.
NLRC Remand Orders and Due Process in Philippine Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when the NLRC may remand labor cases for further proceedings without violating due process rights.
The Searching Inquiry: Why Guilty Pleas in Capital Cases Demand Extra Care
Philippine Supreme Court explains why guilty pleas to capital offenses require a searching inquiry to protect the accused's constitutional rights.
Lost Land Title: When Solicitor General Notice Is Not Required in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when the Solicitor General need not be notified in lost title replacement proceedings under PD 1529.
Habeas Corpus Territorial Limits and Judicial Accountability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on habeas corpus territorial jurisdiction limits and judicial accountability for judges who exceed them.
Unreasonable Trial Delays: A Judge's Duty to Control Court Proceedings
When a judge tolerates repeated postponements, the Supreme Court steps in. Learn the rules on trial delays and judicial accountability.
Enforcing Foreign Judgments in the Philippines: Lessons from Oil and Natural Gas Commission v. Pacific Cement
A Philippine Supreme Court case clarifies when foreign judgments are enforceable and how courts interpret arbitration clauses in commercial contracts.
Hlurb Jurisdiction Prevails Ensuring THE Right Forum FOR Land Dispute Resolution IN THE Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified expropriation rules under the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, including writ of possession and just compensation requirements.
Truth and Honesty in Legal Practice: Why Misleading the Court Can Lead to Suspension
A lawyer's false statement in a motion for postponement led to a six-month suspension. Learn the ethical rules on candor.
Expropriation in the Philippines: Provisional Deposit and Writ of Possession Explained
Understand how the 1997 Rules on expropriation allow the government to take property upon depositing assessed value, and what this means for owners.
Attorney Negligence in the Philippines: A Lawyer's Duty of Diligence and the Consequences of Abandoning a Clie
When can a lawyer abandon a client? The Supreme Court explains the duty of diligence and the penalty for neglect in Aromin v. Boncavil.
Strict Deadlines in Ejectment Cases: Why Missing the Answer Deadline Can Cost You Your Property in the Philipp
Learn how missing answer deadlines in ejectment cases can cost you your property, and understand the due process protections that may still apply.
Premature Complaints Against Judges: Why Timing Is Crucial in Philippine Judicial Ethics
Explore how the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Sesbreño clarifies why premature complaints against judges fail and timing matters in judicial ethics.
Philippine Separation Pay: When Business Closure Is Not Enough to Avoid Labor Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when business closure does not exempt employers from separation pay obligations under Article 283 of the Labor Code.