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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Just Compensation and Timely Payment: Landowners' Right to Interest for Delayed Agrarian Reform Payments
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when landowners may claim 12% interest on delayed just compensation in agrarian reform cases.
Deceit and Syndicated Estafa: Distinguishing Simple Estafa From Large-Scale Swindling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when fraud against a bank is simple estafa, not syndicated estafa under PD 1689.
Entrapment vs Instigation in Illegal Drug Sales: Key Distinctions from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court distinguishes entrapment from instigation in drug cases, explaining why a buy-bust arrest remains valid when criminal intent originates from the accused.
Judicial Accountability vs Erroneous Judgments: Protecting Judicial Independence in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judicial accountability, erroneous judgments, and the constitutional protection of judicial independence.
Unsigned Contracts and Oral Plan Changes: When Additional Construction Costs Are Recoverable
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when contractors can recover extra costs from unsigned contracts and orally approved plan revisions.
Trust Receipt vs. Loan: When a Security Agreement Becomes a Debt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a trust receipt arrangement is actually a loan, affecting liability and criminal exposure.
Due Process in Termination: Balancing Employer Rights and Employee Protection
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on due process in employee termination, balancing employer rights with constitutional protection of workers.
When Courts Can No Longer Enforce Agreements: The Difference Between Entrapment and Instigation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when police buy-bust operations are legal entrapment versus illegal instigation, and why the distinction matters in drug cases.
Redundancy Dismissal: Employers Must Prove Justification, Not Just Declare It
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers cannot simply declare redundancy—they must present substantial proof to justify dismissal.
Mortgage Without HLURB Approval: Buyer Protection in Condominium Sales
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a mortgage lacking HLURB approval is void only against the unit buyer, not the developer and bank.
Retirement vs. Separation Pay: The Age Rule in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an employee can claim retirement benefits and when separation pay applies under the Labor Code.
Third-Party Mortgages and Stay Orders: Scope Under Philippine Rehabilitation Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that stay orders in corporate rehabilitation do not cover third-party or accommodation mortgages under the Interim Rules.
Reinstatement With Backwages for Employees Excluded From Illegal Strike Charges
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that workers not charged with illegal strike cannot be treated as in pari delicto and must get backwages.
Judicial Immunity: When CAN Judges Be Held Liable for Their Decisions?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the limits of judicial immunity and when judges may face administrative liability for their rulings.
Support Pendente Lite Orders Are Interlocutory: When Can They Be Appealed?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that support pendente lite orders are interlocutory and not appealable, explaining the proper remedy under Rule 65.
Loan Default and Foreclosure: When Preliminary Injunction Is Not Available
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a borrower in default cannot enjoin foreclosure without a clear legal right, citing TML Gasket v. BPI.
Causal Connection in Seafarer Death Claims: Proving the Link Between Injury and Fatality
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the evidentiary standard for death compensation claims in seafarer cases, requiring substantial proof of causation.
Dying Declarations and Eyewitness Testimony Proving Murder Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how eyewitness testimony and dying declarations establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt in murder cases.
Reconveyance and Good Faith: When a Torrens Title Is Not Enough
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a Torrens title obtained in bad faith may be defeated by an action for reconveyance by one with a better right.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Why Original Documents Matter for Property Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court explains strict requirements for reconstituting lost land titles under RA 26, emphasizing original documents over substitutes.
Reconstitution of Title: The Critical Requirements of Loss and Good Faith
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies strict requirements for judicial reconstitution of lost or destroyed Torrens titles under RA 26.
Seafarers Disability Claims Strict Compliance With POEA SEC Requirements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why seafarers must strictly comply with POEA-SEC disability claim procedures, including the 3-day post-employment medical examination rule.
Prolonged Layoff Equals Constructive Dismissal Employer Liability FOR Separation PAY
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when prolonged layoff becomes constructive dismissal, entitling employees to separation pay and backwages.
Rehabilitation vs Secured Interests: Balancing Creditor Rights in Corporate Recovery
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how corporate rehabilitation balances secured creditors' rights with the need for equal treatment and recovery.