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.
PCG Disciplinary Authority: Supreme Court Upholds Coast Guard’s Separate Administrative System
Supreme Court affirms the PCG Efficiency and Separation Board’s power to discipline uniformed personnel, distinct from civil service rules.
Debt Recovery Execution: Waiver of Demand and Proving Overlevy
Learn when a sheriff's failure to demand payment is excused and how to prove overlevy in execution sales under Rule 39.
Wage Order Enforcement: Prescription Rules for Money Claims vs Final Judgments
Learn the difference between the 3-year prescription for money claims and the 5-year period to enforce final judgments in Philippine labor law.
Guarantor's Defense of Excussion: What the Supreme Court Requires
Explaining the benefit of excussion for guarantors under Philippine law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Bitanga v. Pyramid Construction.
Exterior vs Interior Contract Interpretation and Obligations in Philippine Law
Supreme Court rules on contract interpretation: plain meaning controls unless ambiguity exists, and obscurity cannot favor the drafting party.
Abuse of Rights in Philippine Law: When Filing Complaints Is Not a Basis for Damages
The Supreme Court clarifies the abuse of rights principle, ruling that filing labor complaints and seeking government action without malice is not actionable.
Upholding Ethical Conduct: Infidelity as Grounds for Attorney Disbarment in the Philippines
The Supreme Court rules on infidelity as grounds for attorney disbarment, clarifying ethical standards for lawyers and judges in the Philippines.
Compulsory Retirement at 60: When Company Policy Violates Security of Tenure
A company policy forcing retirement at 60 can be illegal dismissal. The Supreme Court explains the difference between voluntary and compulsory retirement.
Parol Evidence Rule and Oral Agreements in Lease Contracts: Key Lessons from Amoncio v. Benedicto
When can oral agreements modify a written lease? The Supreme Court explains the parol evidence rule and its exceptions.
Seafarer’s Illegal Dismissal: Due Process and the Ship’s Logbook in Maritime Cases
The Supreme Court ruled a seafarer’s dismissal illegal for lack of just cause and due process, highlighting the logbook’s evidentiary value.
Injunctions in Ejectment Cases: Balancing Property Rights and Public Service
When can an ejectment judgment be stayed? City of Naga v. Asuncion shows how courts balance property rights against disruption of public services.
Crediting Government Service for Retirement: Defining the Scope of the Civil Service and Compensation
The Supreme Court clarifies which government services count for retirement benefits, distinguishing full-time civil service from part-time and non-chartered positions.
Bouncing Checks and Iniquitous Interest: When a Civil Case Cannot Stop a Criminal Prosecution
Learn when a dispute over unconscionable interest rates can—and cannot—suspend criminal prosecutions for bouncing checks under BP 22.
Arrastre Contractor Liability: When the P3,500-Per-Package Limit Does Not Apply
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when arrastre contractors cannot invoke the P3,500 per-package liability limit under PPA Administrative Order No. 10-81.
Simulated Sales: When Continued Possession Trumps a Deed of Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated sales: continued possession and tax payments can nullify a deed of absolute sale.
Estafa by False Pretenses: Proving Fraud Beyond Reasonable Doubt in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts prove estafa by false pretenses, using the Rizza Lao case to explain the elements, burden of proof, and penalties.
When a Financing Company Is Not a Mortgagee in Good Faith: Lloyd's Enterprises v. Dolleton
A financing firm that failed to inspect a mortgaged property cannot claim good faith. Learn the due diligence rule from this 2008 case.
Senior Citizen Discounts: Tax Credit vs. Deduction Under RA 7432
The Supreme Court clarifies that under RA 7432, the 20% senior citizen discount is a tax credit, not a mere deduction from gross income.
Jurisdictional Boundaries Resolving Labor Disputes Involving Government Chartered Corporations
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that labor disputes in government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters fall under the Civil Service Commission, not the NLRC.
Defining Confidential Employees: Balancing Labor Rights and Management Prerogatives in Collective Bargaining
Supreme Court ruling on confidential employees in bargaining units and acting capacity pay, balancing labor rights with management prerogatives.
Certiorari vs Appeal: Choosing the Proper Remedy in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains why appeal and certiorari are mutually exclusive remedies, and why procedural rules matter in extraordinary actions.
Lis Pendens Cancellation: Final Judgments and Property Rights Under Biglang-Awa
Learn when a notice of lis pendens can be cancelled after a final judgment, based on the Supreme Court ruling in Biglang-Awa v. Philippine Trust Company.
Ombudsman’s Authority to Impose Administrative Sanctions on Erring Officials
The Supreme Court affirms the Ombudsman's power to directly impose administrative penalties, not just recommend them, on erring public officials.
Pre-Proclamation Controversies in Senatorial Races: Pimentel v. COMELEC Explained
The Supreme Court in Pimentel v. COMELEC limits pre-proclamation challenges in senatorial races, directing disputes to election protests instead.