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.
Notarial Duties: Judges Must Certify Lack of Lawyers and Remit Fees to Avoid Sanctions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judges acting as notaries public ex officio, their certification duties, and fee remittance requirements.
Regular vs Seasonal Employment: Security of Tenure in Sugarcane Farming
Supreme Court clarifies when seasonal sugarcane workers become regular employees entitled to security of tenure and protection from illegal dismissal.
Plunder and Conspiracy: Defining "Combination or Series" in Amassing Ill-Gotten Wealth
The Supreme Court clarifies what constitutes a "combination or series" of acts in plunder cases, and the scope of conspiracy among co-accused.
Murder Conviction and Sentencing in the Philippines: The Leoncio Lawa Case
How the Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction and death penalty, explaining treachery, evident premeditation, and alibi in Philippine law.
Contractual Obligations Prevail: Bank's Right to Offset Debts Despite Trustee-Beneficiary Claims
Supreme Court ruling on when a bank may validly apply a borrower's funds to settle debts, even amid trustee-beneficiary claims.
Agency and Real Estate Sales: The Necessity of Written Authority
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why an agent's authority to sell land must be in writing, or the sale is void.
Judicial Authority and Limits: A Judge's Jurisdiction After Temporary Reassignment
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on a judge's notarial powers, the limits of judicial authority, and the importance of following SC Circular No. 1-90.
Judicial Accountability: The Duty of Judges to Decide Cases Promptly
Philippine Supreme Court holds judges accountable for undue delay in deciding cases, citing the constitutional duty to resolve matters within prescribed periods.
Due Process in Lawyer Discipline: Formal Investigation Required Before Sanctions
Supreme Court remands lawyer disciplinary case to IBP for formal investigation, underscoring that due process requires a full hearing before sanctions.
Rape Conviction Intact Hymen AND THE Nuances OF Attempted VS Consummated Rape Under Philippine LAW
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that an intact hymen does not negate consummated rape, and distinguishes attempted from consummated rape.
Conspiracy Unmasked When Silence Implies Guilt IN Murder AND Kidnapping Cases
The Supreme Court explains how circumstantial evidence and silence can establish conspiracy in murder and kidnapping cases.
Judicial Temperament: Upholding Impartiality and Avoiding Bias in Court Proceedings
A judge's dismissal for gross misconduct and ignorance of law underscores the need for judicial temperament, impartiality, and restraint.
Judicial Accountability: The Duty to Decide Cases Promptly and the Price of Gross Inefficiency
The Supreme Court fined a retired judge P50,000 for gross inefficiency after he failed to decide 49 cases within the reglementary period.
Court Employee Reprimanded for Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts
The Supreme Court holds a judiciary employee liable for willful failure to pay debts, stressing that court personnel must uphold integrity in both public and private conduct.
Union Registration Validity and Challenges in Philippine Labor Context
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a registered union's legal personality cannot be collaterally attacked in certification election cases.
Upholding Integrity: Court Employees' Duty to Safeguard Public Funds
A clerk of court's negligence in handling a cash bond leads to liability for simple neglect of duty, reinforcing the high standards of integrity required of court personnel.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Loss of Confidence Justifies Termination
Explaining when Philippine employers may validly dismiss employees for breach of trust, based on a Supreme Court ruling on cashiers and tellers.
Judicial Efficiency: Resolving Motions Within Prescribed Deadlines
The Supreme Court reminds judges that delaying motions beyond 90 days is gross inefficiency, as shown in Visbal vs. Buban.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Why Victim Credibility and Corroborating Evidence Matter
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, highlighting victim credibility, corroborating medical evidence, and mandatory civil indemnity in sexual assault cases.
Judicial Accountability: Gross Ignorance of Law in Issuing Erroneous Orders
When do a judge's errors become sanctionable? The Supreme Court explains in this administrative case involving a writ of seizure and a warrant of arrest.
Plain View Doctrine and Warrantless Searches in Drug Possession Cases
When can police search a vehicle without a warrant? The Supreme Court explains the plain view doctrine and moving vehicle exception in drug cases.
Affidavits of Desistance: When Do They Overturn a Guilty Verdict?
When can an affidavit of desistance overturn a guilty verdict? The Supreme Court explains in Santos v. People.
Attempted Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Retraction and Blotter Gaps
Supreme Court affirms attempted rape conviction, explaining why recantations and police blotter entries carry little weight in Philippine criminal cases.
Barangay Election Substitution After Candidate's Death: The People's Mandate Prevails
Supreme Court allows substitution of deceased barangay election candidates, honoring voter will over technical rules.