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.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Corroborating Testimony in Sexual Assault Cases
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that a minor victim's credible testimony, corroborated by medical evidence, suffices for conviction.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conspiracy in Homicide Cases: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How Philippine courts use circumstantial evidence and conspiracy to establish guilt in homicide cases beyond reasonable doubt.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Circumstantial Evidence and the Burden of Proof in Rape Cases
A father's rape conviction was reversed when circumstantial evidence failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, reaffirming the prosecution's burden in criminal cases.
Contractor Relationships and the Test for Employer Liability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer liability in contractor relationships, and the duties of lawyers and notaries.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction
The Supreme Court clarifies when construction workers are project employees, not regular employees, and their rights to wages and benefits.
Breach of Public Trust: Accountability for Mismanagement of Judiciary Funds
Supreme Court rules on accountability of judges and court personnel for tampered receipts and overwithdrawals from judiciary funds.
Chain of Custody Safeguarding Drug Evidence Integrity in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to justify deviations from Section 21, RA 9165, highlighting the importance of the chain of custody rule.
Upholding Buy-Bust Operations When Minor Deviations Don't Nullify Drug Convictions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that minor deviations in buy-bust operations, like delayed marking, do not automatically invalidate drug convictions.
Finality of Labor Decisions: When a Seafarer's Dismissal Case Cannot Be Reopened
A seafarer's illegal dismissal case was reinstated because the employer failed to timely appeal. Learn why final judgments stick.
Late Evidence and the Judicial Affidavit Rule: Lara's Gift v. PNB General Insurers
The Supreme Court clarifies when trial courts may admit late evidence and supplemental judicial affidavits under the Judicial Affidavit Rule.
Sales Commissions Are Wages: Supreme Court Ruling on Unpaid Commissions and Unauthorized Deductions
Sales commissions are wages under Philippine law. Learn what the Supreme Court ruled on unpaid commissions and unauthorized car plan deductions.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The 120-240 Day Rule for Medical Assessments
Understand the 120-240 day rule for company-designated physician assessments in seafarer disability claims, explained through a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
Private Roads and Public Use: When a Local Ordinance Cannot Convert Private Property
A local ordinance cannot convert a private road into public property without donation, purchase, or expropriation. The Supreme Court explains.
Beyond Possession: Establishing Animus Possidendi in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies what it takes to prove animus possidendi in illegal drug possession cases under RA 9165.
Defective Summons When Improper Service Nullifies Court Jurisdiction
When service of summons misses the persons listed in Rule 14, Section 11, the court never gains jurisdiction—even if a secretary accepts the papers.
Perfected Construction Contract Award Trumps Suspension
A bidder's acceptance of a notice to proceed perfects a construction contract; a later suspension does not undo it. The Supreme Court explains.
Administrative Due Process and Bank Secrecy: The Sibayan v. Alda Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies how administrative due process and bank secrecy limits discovery in BSP proceedings, as shown in Sibayan v. Alda.
Untimely Filing: The High Cost of Ignoring Procedural Rules in Philippine Courts
A bank's appeal was dismissed because its motion for reconsideration was served by private courier without proper proof. Learn the procedural rules.
Supreme Court on Self-Defense and Treachery in Homicide Cases
The High Court clarifies when self-defense fails and why treachery cannot be presumed in killings.
Self-Defense Claims and the Limits of Justification: The Panerio Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails and why multiple wounds negate it, reducing murder to homicide.
Finality of Judgments: Why Procedural Rules on Service of Motions Cannot Be Ignored
A bank's appeal was dismissed for defective service of its motion for reconsideration. The Supreme Court explains why procedural rules matter.
Dismissal for Immoral Conduct: Upholding Decency in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court dismisses a process server for exposing himself to a janitress, ruling it disgraceful and immoral conduct—a second offense warranting the severest penalty.
Eyewitness Reliability and Positive Identification in Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts assess eyewitness reliability and positive identification in murder cases, and when an accused's death extinguishes criminal liability.
Revival of Judgment: Why It Must Be Filed with the RTC, Not the Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court clarifies that actions to revive a judgment must be filed with the Regional Trial Court, not the Court of Appeals.