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.
Dying Declarations and Witness Credibility Determining Guilt in Murder Cases
Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, alibi, conspiracy, and treachery in multiple murder convictions.
Self-Defense vs Murder: Unlawful Aggression in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court explains when self-defense fails in murder cases, focusing on unlawful aggression as its primordial element.
Eyewitness Credibility and the Principle of Alibi: Standards of Proof in Philippine Criminal Law
This article explains how Philippine courts weigh eyewitness testimony, self-defense claims, and abuse of superior strength in murder cases.
Duress vs Free Will: When Fear Does Not Excuse Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court explains when uncontrollable fear excuses a crime and when it does not, in a murder case.
Eyewitness Testimony and Conspiracy Decide Double Murder Case
How credible eyewitness testimony and conspiracy principles led to homicide convictions in a juvenile double murder case.
When Silence Isn't Golden: Delayed Witness Testimony and the Pursuit of Justice in Murder Cases
A delayed eyewitness affidavit doesn't automatically destroy credibility, the Supreme Court rules in People v. Cawaling, affirming a murder conviction.
Probable Cause vs DOJ Secretary's Discretion in Parricide Cases: Key Lessons from Asetre v. Asetre
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of judicial review over the DOJ Secretary's finding of probable cause in parricide and murder cases.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Deliberate Attacks
How Philippine courts define treachery in murder cases and why a single credible eyewitness can secure a conviction.
Guilt by Association: Circumstantial Evidence and Conviction in the Philippines
How Philippine courts use circumstantial evidence to convict, explained through a murder case where no one saw the killing.
Treachery and Alibi: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
When sudden attack meets weak defense: how treachery qualifies murder and why alibi fails against positive identification.
The Weight of Witness Testimony, Credibility, and Conspiracy in Murder Cases
How Philippine courts assess eyewitness credibility and infer conspiracy in murder cases, explained through People v. Bucayo.
Self Defense Claim Fails Why Intent AND Evidence Matter IN Murder Cases
Learn why the Supreme Court rejected a self-defense claim in a murder case, emphasizing intent and evidence.
Dying Declarations and Witness Testimony Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How a victim's dying declaration and an eyewitness's testimony secured a murder conviction, and what this means for Philippine criminal evidence.
Positive Identification Over Alibi Upholds Conviction in Double Murder Case
Supreme Court affirms double murder conviction, ruling that positive identification by eyewitnesses prevails over alibi and denial.
Treachery and Eyewitness Testimony: Proving Murder Beyond Reasonable Doubt
A look at how positive eyewitness identification and treachery established guilt beyond reasonable doubt in a Philippine murder case.
Treachery Defined: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sudden Attacks Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies treachery in murder cases, affirming that attacking a defenseless victim who is grappling with another constitutes treachery.
Conspiracy and Witness Credibility in Murder Cases: Lessons from People v. Tan
How Philippine courts weigh witness credibility and establish conspiracy in murder cases, explained through a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.
Intent to Kill: Understanding the Nuances of Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains how intent to kill and treachery are established in murder cases, using a fatal explosive bottle attack as the example.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Sudden Attacks and Defenseless Victims
The Supreme Court explains treachery in murder cases—sudden, unexpected attacks on defenseless victims qualify killings as murder, not homicide.
Doubt and Acquittal: Assessing Witness Credibility in Attempted Murder Cases
The Supreme Court acquits Gerardo Biong of attempted murder, stressing that credible testimony, not just a credible witness, is required for conviction.
Eyewitness Testimony vs Expert Opinion in Philippine Murder Trials
The Supreme Court explains why eyewitness accounts can outweigh ballistics expert testimony in murder cases, and when courts may disregard expert opinions.
Minority as Privileged Mitigating Circumstance in Murder Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that minority is a privileged mitigating circumstance under Article 68, reducing the penalty for murder by one degree.
Reasonable Doubt When Circumstantial Evidence Falls Short in Murder Cases
Explore how Philippine courts weigh circumstantial evidence and treachery in murder convictions, using the Larry Cagas case as a guide.
Conspiracy vs Mere Presence: When Bystanders Escape Murder Liability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that mere presence at a crime scene does not prove conspiracy in murder cases, acquitting three accused.