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.
Unconscionable Penalties in Real Estate Contracts: Balancing Equity and Contractual Obligations
When a 3% monthly penalty on unpaid installments becomes unconscionable, Philippine courts may reduce it under Civil Code Articles 1229 and 2227.
Bouncing Checks Law: When Courts May Impose Fine Instead of Imprisonment
The Supreme Court clarifies that under BP 22, courts may impose only a fine instead of imprisonment, depending on the circumstances.
Prescription in Contract Disputes: The 10-Year Rule Under Philippine Law
Learn how the 10-year prescription period for written contracts works in the Philippines, and why delay can bar a valid claim.
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.
Timeliness of Appeals When Weekends Extend Deadlines in Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts compute appeal deadlines when weekends intervene, and why timing can decide a case's fate.
PNB v. Ritrato Group: Suing the Wrong Party in Foreclosure Disputes
Learn why the Supreme Court dismissed an injunction suit against PNB, a mere attorney-in-fact, and how corporate veil piercing works.
Finality Prevails: Reopening a BP 22 Case After Judgment
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a final BP 22 conviction cannot be reopened through a belated new trial motion or petition for relief.
Bouncing Checks Law: The 90-Day Rule and Proof of Knowledge Under BP 22
Presenting a check after 90 days does not bar prosecution under BP 22—knowledge of insufficient funds can still be proven by other evidence.
Conspiracy and Intent: How Philippine Courts Establish Criminal Liability
A Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy and evident premeditation in murder, explaining how joint purpose and intent establish liability.
Bouncing Checks and Insufficient Notice: Protecting Individuals From Unjust Convictions
The Supreme Court acquits a check issuer because the prosecution failed to prove receipt of notice of dishonor, a key element under BP 22.
Hired Guns and Silent Inducements: Criminal Liability in Contract Killings Under Philippine Law
A look at how Philippine courts treat hired killers and those who induce them, based on a landmark 2001 murder case.
Option Contract vs Contract to Sell: Key Lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the difference between an option contract and a contract to sell in real estate transactions.
Raffle Promotions: When Overdue Accounts Disqualify Prize Winners
Supreme Court rules on when overdue accounts can forfeit raffle prizes in Mondragon International Philippines v. Blanco.
Docket Fees and Intervention: Y Realty's Quest for Justice in Marcos Wealth Case
A look at how the Supreme Court resolved docket fee issues in intervention cases involving recovered Marcos assets.
Land Retention Rights Prevail Landowners Choice Overrides Prior Land Transfer Certificates
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a landowner's retention right under PD 27 can override a previously issued Certificate of Land Transfer.
Deceptive Recruitment Establishing Guilt In Large Scale Illegal Recruitment Cases
Learn how deceptive recruitment schemes establish guilt in large-scale illegal recruitment cases under Philippine law.
Buyer Beware: Understanding Delivery Delays and Liabilities in Philippine Sales Contracts
Learn how Philippine courts treat conditional sales, court approval requirements, and seller liability when property sales face delays.
Timely Payment Matters Retroactivity Of Docket FEE Rules IN Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retroactive docket fee rules and the importance of timely payment in civil cases.
Defining Counterclaims: Compulsory vs. Permissive in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish compulsory from permissive counterclaims, and why docket fees and jurisdiction depend on that distinction.
Conspiracy in Check Fraud: When Signing Another's Check Is Not Estafa
The Supreme Court explains when signing checks from another person's account does not prove conspiracy in estafa cases.
Management Prerogative in Reorganization: Upholding Business Needs in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when demotions during corporate reorganization are valid and when they constitute illegal dismissal under Philippine labor law.
Perfecting Real Estate Sales in the Philippines When Receipts Seal the Deal
Learn when receipts perfect real estate sales in the Philippines, and the legal rules on ownership transfer.
GOCC vs. Private Corporation: Labor Jurisdiction and the Philippine National Red Cross Case
Learn how the Supreme Court's charter test determines whether an employer is a GOCC and which tribunal—CSC or NLRC—has jurisdiction over labor disputes.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: SSS Coverage for Farmworkers in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a "pakyaw (piece-rate) basis considered an employee entitled to compulsory Social Security System (SSS) coverage? The ruling is a reminder that the label used b