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.
Employer Control Determines Employment Status: The PLDT Security Guard Case
When a security agency's contract ends but guards remain at their posts under the principal's direction, an employer-employee relationship may arise.
Documentary Stamp Tax: When Special Savings Deposits Are Certificates of Deposit Drawing Interest
The Supreme Court rules that special savings deposits with fixed-term features are "certificates of deposit drawing interest" subject to documentary stamp tax.
Procedural Due Process and Employee Dismissal: When a Security Agency Contract Ends
When a security agency contract ends but guards remain on post, who is the employer? The Supreme Court clarifies control, due process, and liability.
Hauling Contracts: Scope of Work Defines Entitlement to Extra Pay
Supreme Court rules on when hauling contractors can claim extra compensation beyond the contract price in service agreements.
Territorial Jurisdiction and Taxing Power: The Limits of Local Authority
A local government cannot tax property outside its territory. The Supreme Court explains why jurisdiction defines taxing power.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Employee Rights in the Philippines
Explain the difference between abandonment and illegal dismissal in Philippine labor law, and the employer's burden of proof.
Defective Summons Ensuring Proper Notification IN Philippine Legal Proceedings
Learn how defective summons can void a default judgment, as shown in B.D. Long Span Builders v. R.S. Ampeloquio Realty.
Default and Foreclosure: When Accepting Late Payments Waives the Right to Foreclose
A lender who accepts late and partial payments after a borrower's default may waive the right to foreclose. Learn the rule from this Philippine case.
Proximate Cause Prevails: When a Plaintiff's Own Negligence Bars Recovery in Vehicle Accidents
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a plaintiff's own negligence as proximate cause bars recovery, even with defendant's contributory negligence.
Upholding Franchise Agreements: The Limits of Certiorari in Challenging Final Judgments
When can a party challenge a final judgment through certiorari? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of Rule 65 petitions in franchise disputes.
Upholding Land Titles: The Limits of Reconveyance Based on Alleged Fraud in Free Patent Applications
The Supreme Court clarifies when a free patent title becomes indefeasible and why mere allegations of fraud cannot defeat a Torrens title.
Surety Bond Validity: The Impact of Accreditation on Appeal Perfection in Labor Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that a surety bond remains valid if the bonding company was accredited at the time of issuance, affecting labor appeal perfection.
Indigency Status Corporations Cannot Claim FEE Exemption Despite Aiding THE Poor
Philippine Supreme Court rules corporations cannot claim indigent litigant fee exemptions, even when serving the poor. Learn the legal basis.
Agency Responsibility Clarifying Liability In Overseas Placement Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a Philippine recruitment agency remains liable to overseas workers despite an alleged transfer of accreditation.
Letters of Intent: When a Preliminary Document Is Not a Contract of Sale in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a Letter of Intent remains a mere declaration of intention, not a binding contract to sell or conditional sale.
Solidary vs Joint Obligations: When Liability Is Not Presumed in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that solidary obligations are not presumed; joint debtors are liable only for their proportionate shares.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Corporate Officer Liability in Labor Disputes
When can corporate officers be personally liable for labor claims? The Supreme Court clarifies the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in Nisda v. Sea Serve Maritime Agency.
When Counsel's Gross Negligence Can Win a Client a New Trial
The Supreme Court explains when a lawyer's gross negligence deprives a client of due process and justifies a new trial.
Shareholder Derivative Suits: Venue and Procedure Under Philippine Rules
Learn how Philippine courts determine venue for shareholder derivative suits and why procedural choices like certiorari vs. appeal matter.
Mortgagor's Stipulated Right to Notice Prevails in Foreclosure Proceedings
Supreme Court rules banks must honor contractual stipulations requiring personal notice to mortgagors before extrajudicial foreclosure, or risk nullifying the sale.
Breach of Trust vs Estafa: Delineating Fiduciary Duty in Investment Transactions
When does an investment house's failure to return funds become estafa? The Supreme Court clarifies the line between fiduciary duty and mere debtor-creditor relations.
Resignation With Assurance: Enforceability of Separation Pay Agreements in Voluntary Resignations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a voluntary resignation with a promised separation pay creates an enforceable obligation on the employer.
DST on Deposit on Stock Subscription: When Is It Due?
The Supreme Court clarifies when documentary stamp tax applies to deposits on stock subscription, distinguishing them from actual stock subscriptions.
Redundancy, Retrenchment, and Strikes: Lessons from the Hyatt Regency Manila Case
The Supreme Court balances valid downsizing against illegal strikes, explaining redundancy, retrenchment, and quitclaims in the hotel industry.