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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Falsification of Documents: Proving Intent and Damage in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on notarial falsification, forgery evidence, and lawyer liability in Lingan v. Calubaquib.
Deficiency Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure: Can Banks Recover More After Auction?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks can collect deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure of real estate mortgages.
Banking Insolvency: When the Central Bank Can Close an Insolvent Bank
The Supreme Court upholds the Central Bank's power to close insolvent banks, explaining the legal meaning of insolvency and the limits of judicial review.
Unsigned Stipulations in Mortgages: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Consent as Key
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mortgage stipulation inserted after signing without the mortgagor's consent is void ab initio.
Attorney Conflicts of Interest: Lessons from Philippine Jurisprudence
Learn how Philippine courts handle attorney conflicts of interest, consent requirements, and ethical duties through key Supreme Court rulings.
Search Warrant Requirements in the Philippines: A Judge's Duty to Examine Witnesses in Writing
The Supreme Court reminds judges that issuing search warrants requires a written, searching examination of witnesses—not just oral interviews.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: What Philippine Courts Look For
When is a deed of sale really a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the rules on equitable mortgage in Cirelos v. Hernandez.
Stare Decisis in Philippine Courts: How Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to bar relitigation of the Pepsi The decision demonstrates how prior rulings on the same controversy can bar subsequent claims and promote consistency in the ad
Finality of Judgments in Disbarment Cases: Lessons from Bihag v. Era
The Supreme Court enforces final disbarment orders through execution and contempt, underscoring the doctrine of finality of judgment.
Why Exhausting Administrative Remedies Matters in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling why skipping administrative appeals before going to court can be fatal to a property case.
Writ of Possession Is Ministerial After Foreclosure Consolidation
The Supreme Court explains why a writ of possession is a ministerial duty of courts once a foreclosed property's title is consolidated.
Accion Publiciana: When Can You File to Recover Property Possession in the Philippines
Learn when to file accion publiciana instead of unlawful detainer to recover property possession in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Corporation Can Be Bound by Unauthorized Acts
Learn when courts may hold a corporation liable for acts done under a trade name, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Ridgewood Estate, Inc. v. Belaos.
Supreme Court on Lost Appeals: Certiorari Cannot Replace a Missed Appeal
The Supreme Court rules that a petition for certiorari cannot substitute for a lost appeal, affirming dismissal of a case for procedural lapses.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Illegal Dismissal and Quitclaims: Employee Rights in Retrenchment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retrenchment, quitclaims, and illegal dismissal — what employees and employers must know.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Falsification of Documents: When Can an Employee Be Disciplined?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an employee's DTR irregularities amount to falsification or merely conduct prejudicial to the service.
Tuition Fee Hikes and Teacher Pay: Can Universities Deduct CBA Benefits from the 70% Share?
Supreme Court ruling on whether universities may deduct CBA-integrated benefits from the 70% incremental tuition fee share under RA 6728.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Illegal Dismissal and Retirement Pay: Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran
The Supreme Court ruled on illegal dismissal, CBA benefits for managers, tax disputes, and retirement pay in Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Dismissal for Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct, and Breach of Public Trust in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court affirms the dismissal of a court employee for dishonesty, grave misconduct, and breach of public trust, underscoring the strict standards of conduct required of judiciary personnel.
Interest on Maritime Liens in the Philippines: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when legal interest on a maritime lien begins to accrue—from extrajudicial demand, not from foreclosure sale.