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.
Attorney Misappropriation of Client Funds: Fiduciary Duty and Ethical Obligations of Lawyers
When a lawyer mishandles client money, the Supreme Court does not take it lightly. Learn the ethical rules and consequences.
Negligence in Notarization: Consequences for Failure to Comply With Notarial Duties
Learn how the Supreme Court disciplines lawyers who neglect notarial duties and mishandle client funds, with practical compliance tips.
Prescription of Penalties: Evasion of Sentence Requires Prior Imprisonment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: prescription of penalty starts only when a convicted person escapes from actual imprisonment, not from hiding.
Self-Defense and Treachery: Understanding Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when self-defense fails and treachery qualifies a killing as murder under Philippine law.
False Credentials Lost Promotion Integrity IN Public Service
Supreme Court dismisses court employee for falsifying educational credentials in Personal Data Sheet, affirming public office as a public trust.
Prescription of Penalties: Why Actual Imprisonment Matters in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when prescription of penalties begins—only after a convict actually escapes from imprisonment.
Entrapment vs Instigation: Safeguarding Rights in Drug Sale Cases
Learn the difference between valid entrapment and unlawful instigation in Philippine drug cases, and how courts protect accused persons' rights.
Contractual Obligations Upholding Agreed Upon Interest Rates in Construction Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court affirms 2% monthly interest on unpaid construction balance, enforcing contractual stipulations between owner and contractor.
Maintaining Professionalism: Lawyers' Duty to Courteous Conduct
Philippine Supreme Court rules on lawyer discipline for uncivil conduct toward fellow attorneys, citing Canon 8 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Conspiracy and Consent: Examining the Elements of Rape in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies rape elements, consent, and qualifying circumstances in a father's conviction for raping his 10-year-old daughter.
Dishonesty in Public Service: Forging Signatures and the Limits of Forgiveness
A court employee forged a colleague's signature to encash a check. The Supreme Court explains why forgiveness does not erase administrative liability.
Supreme Court Upholds Murder Conviction Despite Fugitive Status
The High Court affirms a murder conviction even as the accused remains at large, ruling on treachery, alibi, and the retroactive application of procedural rules.
Rape and Incest: Minor Testimony Inconsistencies Don't Undermine Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how minor inconsistencies in a rape victim's testimony don't weaken her credibility, and why minority must be proven.
Carnapping Conviction Affirmed: Penalties and Procedural Rules Under RA 6538
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified carnapping penalties and appeal rules in Mercado v. People, including key procedural takeaways.
Treachery Unveiled: The Standard for Qualifying Circumstances in Criminal Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that treachery must be proven with equal certainty as the crime itself, not presumed from the killing.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Delay in Reporting Explained
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explains why a child victim's testimony is credible despite delay in reporting and why alibi failed.
Rape Conviction and the Burden of Proving the Victim's Age for the Death Penalty
A look at People v. Cantuba on how positive identification overcomes alibi, and why proving the victim's age matters for sentencing.
Rape Conviction Upheld Categorical Identification AND THE Absence OF Consent
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explaining categorical victim identification and how resistance, not consent, defines the crime.
Self-Defense in Parricide: When Unlawful Aggression Fails
A son who killed his father in a drunken argument could not invoke self-defense because unlawful aggression was not proven. The Supreme Court explains why.
Rape and the Burden of Proof: Establishing Minority in Statutory Rape Cases
In People v. Tupaz, the Supreme Court ruled that a rape victim's bare testimony of her age is insufficient to prove minority for the death penalty.
Eyewitness Testimony, Confessions, and Conspiracy: Lessons from the Payumo Massacre Case
The Supreme Court's ruling in the Payumo Massacre case clarifies the rules on eyewitness credibility, inadmissible confessions, and conspiracy in Philippine criminal law.
How Youth and Voluntary Surrender Affect Criminal Liability in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when voluntary surrender is a mitigating circumstance and how self-defense claims are judged.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Elements and Implications in Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts define treachery in murder cases, why proof must be clear, and when a killing becomes homicide instead.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Force, Intimidation, and the Credibility of the Victim
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining how force and intimidation satisfy the elements of the crime under the Revised Penal Code.