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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Boundary Disputes in the Philippines: Resolving Territorial Conflicts Between LGUs
The Supreme Court settles the Makati-Taguig territorial dispute, explaining how boundary conflicts between local governments are resolved.
Regulating Psychologists: When Professional Standards Meet Constitutional Rights
The Supreme Court upholds the 100-hour training requirement for psychologists seeking registration without examination under RA 10029.
Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts: Upholding Ethical Conduct in Public Service
Supreme Court reinstates dismissal of DENR officials for soliciting money under R.A. 6713, reaffirming strict ethical standards for public servants.
Righting A Name Overcoming Bureaucratic Inertia IN Change OF Name Petitions
A look at how Philippine courts handle petitions for change of name and the standards for granting them.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Construction Firms Are Liable for Labor Violations
Supreme Court holds construction firms solidarily liable for worker's retirement pay, backwages, and damages after piercing the corporate veil.
Understanding the Legal Boundaries of Employee Incentives in Government Agencies: Insights from Recent Supreme
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that government agencies, including GOCCs like PhilHealth, must secure presidential approval before granting employee allowances and benefits.
Social Media Ethics for Judges: Lessons from the Atillo Case
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's Facebook photos clarifies the ethical boundaries judges face when using social media in the Philippines.
Serious Misconduct and Due Process in Employment Termination: Key Lessons from a 2021 Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for serious misconduct and procedural due process in dismissing employees, using a university professor's case.
Evident Partiality in Philippine Arbitration: When Courts Can Vacate an Award
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the "evident partiality" standard for vacating arbitration awards, distinguishing it from mere errors in weighing evidence.
Psychological Incapacity Under Article 36: The Quilpan Ruling and the Totality of Evidence Standard
The Supreme Court clarifies psychological incapacity under Article 36, emphasizing totality of evidence over psychiatric examination requirements.
When Eyewitness Identification Fails: Reasonable Doubt and the Burden of Proof in Philippine Criminal Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a robbery-homicide accused, ruling that unreliable eyewitness identification creates reasonable doubt. Learn the legal standards.
Understanding Solidary Liability in Audit Disallowances: Lessons from Lozada v. COA
The Supreme Court clarifies solidary liability for audit disallowances, explaining how COA may collect from any liable officer.
Lost Land Title Replacement: RTC, Not DARAB, Has Jurisdiction Over CLOA Titles
Supreme Court clarifies that the RTC, not the DARAB, has jurisdiction over petitions to replace lost owner's duplicate certificates of title, even if the title originated from a CLOA.
Understanding the Burden of Proof in Breach of Warranty Cases: Lessons from a Supreme Court Ruling
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies bad faith, solidary liability, and the burden of proof in breach of warranty cases involving defective goods.
Understanding the Limits of Preliminary Injunctions in Property Disputes: A Guide for Property Owners and Lend
Learn how Philippine courts determine just compensation in agrarian reform cases, including the role of DAR formulas and the time of taking.
Piercing the Corporate Veil in Labor Cases: When Owners and Related Companies Can Be Held Liable
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts can pierce the corporate veil in labor disputes and hold owners and related firms solidarily liable for judgments.
Navigating Administrative Discipline in Philippine Courts: Understanding the Boundaries of Authority
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the limits of a clerk of court's authority to approve leave applications and the proper framework for disciplining court personnel.
Quiet Title Actions and Jurisdiction: When Courts, Not DARAB, Decide Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when regular courts, not DARAB, have jurisdiction over quiet title actions involving alleged tenants.
Understanding Gross Negligence and Due Process in Employee Termination: Insights from a Landmark Philippine Ca
The Supreme Court clarifies probationary employment standards, performance appraisal, and due process in termination cases under Philippine labor law.
Navigating Probable Cause: Warrantless Vehicle Searches in the Philippines
A solitary tip cannot justify an intrusive warrantless vehicle search in the Philippines. Learn the probable cause standard from Evardo v. People.
Understanding Statutory Rape in the Philippines: Key Lessons From a Landmark Supreme Court Case
The Supreme Court explains statutory rape elements, penetration standards, and age proof in People v. Ordaneza.
Judicial Misconduct and the Importance of Propriety: A Landmark Case on Ethical Standards in the Judiciary
A judge's off-bench conduct matters. The Supreme Court fined a magistrate P50,000 for slapping a quarantine officer and allowing his sons to maul him.
Libel in Media: When News Reporting Crosses Legal Boundaries
The Supreme Court clarifies when news reports become libelous and why denying a motion to quash is not appealable via certiorari.
Due Process in Administrative Proceedings: Lessons from Barroso v. COA on Solidary Liability
The Supreme Court nullified COA's solidary liability ruling against a university president who was never made a party, reaffirming due process rights in administrative cases.