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.
Marked Ballots in Philippine Elections: When Stray Marks Invalidate a Vote
Philippine election law invalidates ballots with deliberate identifying marks, but accidental or third-party markings may still be valid. Learn the rules.
Burden of Proof in Rape Cases: Why Evidence Is Paramount in Philippine Courts
A Supreme Court ruling shows why proof beyond reasonable doubt, not outrage, determines rape convictions in the Philippines.
Lis Pendens Cancellation in the Philippines: What Property Owners Should Know
Learn when a Notice of Lis Pendens can be cancelled in the Philippines, the grounds under PD 1529, and key lessons from Yared v. Ilarde.
Canceling a Fictitious Birth Certificate: The Babiera v. Catotal Ruling
When can a birth certificate be canceled as fictitious? The Supreme Court explains in Babiera v. Catotal.
Verbal Contracts in the Philippines: Why Written Agreements Win in Court
Verbal contracts are valid in the Philippines but hard to prove. Learn from Romago v. Court of Appeals why written agreements prevail.
Inconsistent Testimony in Rape Cases: How Reasonable Doubt Leads to Acquittal
How inconsistent testimony and lack of corroborating evidence created reasonable doubt, leading to acquittal in a Philippine rape case.
Piece-Rate Workers Can Be Regular Employees: The Lambo v. NLRC Ruling
How the Supreme Court ruled that piece-rate tailors are regular employees entitled to full labor rights under Philippine law.
Torrens Title vs. Fraud: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how the Torrens system protects land ownership in the Philippines and why proving fraud requires clear and convincing evidence, based on a landmark Supreme Court case.
Security of Tenure for Tenant Farmers: Upholding Leasehold Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court reaffirmed tenant farmers' security of tenure, ruling that land sale does not extinguish agricultural leasehold rights.
Defense of a Relative in the Philippines: Proving Unlawful Aggression
Philippine law allows defense of a relative, but only if unlawful aggression is clearly proven. A Supreme Court case shows why.
Employee vs. Partner in the Philippines: The Villaruel Case on Proof of Partnership
When is a worker an employee, not a partner? The Villaruel case clarifies the burden of proof and protects workers' labor rights.
Equitable Mortgage vs. Pacto de Retro Sale: When a "Sale" Is Really a Loan
Philippine law presumes certain "sales with right to repurchase" are equitable mortgages, protecting borrowers from unfair lending arrangements.
Self-Defense and Defense of Relatives in Philippine Law: Limits and Lessons from People v. Babor
When does self-defense fail in the Philippines? People v. Babor clarifies the limits of justifying circumstances, unlawful aggression, and reasonable force.
Self-Defense in the Philippines: Unlawful Aggression and the Cabiles Case
Philippine self-defense law requires unlawful aggression, reasonable force, and no provocation. The Cabiles case shows how courts test these elements.