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.
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Breach of Trust Establishing Estafa Through Misappropriated Funds
Explore how failure to remit collected funds constitutes estafa under Article 315(1)(b) of the Revised Penal Code, as ruled in Pucay v. People.
Breach of Trust: Understanding Estafa and Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court defines estafa by misappropriation under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code and what it means for your liability.
When Fear Is Not Enough: Unlawful Aggression in Philippine Self-Defense Cases
Philippine law requires actual unlawful aggression for self-defense claims. Learn what counts and what does not under the Revised Penal Code.
How Minority Affects Criminal Liability: The Larrañaga Case on Privileged Mitigating Circumstances
The Supreme Court explains how the privileged mitigating circumstance of minority lowers penalties under the Revised Penal Code.
Technical Malversation in the Philippines: When Is Public Fund Misuse Illegal
The Supreme Court clarifies technical malversation under of the Revised Penal Code and when public fund diversion becomes a crime.
Libel Jurisdiction: Where Does a Case Belong?
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on libel jurisdiction, venue rules under the Revised Penal Code, and when amendments to informations are allowed.
Provocation and Voluntary Surrender: How Two Mitigating Circumstances Lowered a Frustrated Homicide Sentence
Learn how the Supreme Court applied Article 64(5) of the Revised Penal Code to reduce a frustrated homicide sentence when provocation and voluntary surrender were present.
Carnapping Penalties: Special Laws vs Revised Penal Code Explained
Understand how carnapping penalties under RA 6538 differ from Revised Penal Code terms, and why the distinction matters in Philippine criminal appeals.
Breach of Trust Establishing Estafa in Misappropriated Funds
Supreme Court ruling on when misappropriating advance payments constitutes estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.
Illegal Recruitment and Conspiracy: Accountability Under RA 8042 and the Revised Penal Code
A Supreme Court ruling on syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa clarifies how conspiracy is proven and how offenders are penalized.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Force, Intimidation, and the Credibility of the Victim
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining how force and intimidation satisfy the elements of the crime under the Revised Penal Code.
Custodial Responsibility Deliberate Failure to Return a Minor and the Boundaries of Trust
The Supreme Court clarifies when a custodian's failure to return a minor becomes a crime under Article 270 of the Revised Penal Code.
In-Court Identification Overcomes Police Lineup Doubts in Rape Case
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on police lineup identification, in-court testimony, and rape conviction under Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code.
Kidnapping and Failure to Return a Minor: What the Supreme Court Said About Custody and Intent
A look at People v. Bernardo, where the Supreme Court clarified the elements of kidnapping and failure to return a minor under the Revised Penal Code.
Serving Multiple Prison Terms in the Philippines: The Rule on Successive Sentences
Philippine law requires imprisonment terms for multiple offenses to be served successively, not simultaneously. Learn the rule under the Revised Penal Code.
Malversation in the Philippines: Why Failure to Liquidate Cash Advances Can Lead to Criminal Charges
A clerk of court's failure to account for missing public funds triggered malversation charges under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code.
Defining Kidnapping When Taking A Child Becomes A Crime IN THE Philippines
When does taking a child become kidnapping? The Supreme Court explains the elements of serious illegal detention under the Revised Penal Code.
Reclassifying Highway Robbery: When a Single Robbery Becomes Robbery With Homicide
Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between highway robbery under PD 532 and robbery with homicide under the Revised Penal Code.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of a Woman Deprived of Reason Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that sexual intercourse with a mentally retarded woman constitutes rape under Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code.
Statutory Rape in the Philippines: Consent Is No Defense Under the Revised Penal Code
The Supreme Court explains why consent is irrelevant in statutory rape cases involving victims below 12 years old, citing the Alojado case.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: When an Attack Qualifies as Murder
The Supreme Court explains how treachery elevates killings to murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.
Complex Crimes: When One Act Causes Multiple Fatalities Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains how a single act causing multiple deaths is treated as a complex crime under the Revised Penal Code.
Investment or Loan? Understanding Estafa and Fiduciary Duty in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a failed investment becomes estafa under the Revised Penal Code, and why fiduciary duty matters.
Highway Robbery vs Robbery with Homicide: Key Distinctions Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when a hold-up on a Philippine highway is highway robbery under P.D. 532 or robbery with homicide under the Revised Penal Code.