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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Public Use Prevails: Water System Properties Cannot Be Seized for Private Debts
Supreme Court rules water works systems devoted to public use are property of public dominion, exempt from levy and auction sale.
Upholding Ethical Conduct: Failure to Pay Just Debts as a Breach of Public Trust
Court stenographer reprimanded for willful failure to pay just debts; the Supreme Court clarifies the definition under civil service rules.
Default Demand and Interest: Understanding Promissory Note Obligations in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a debtor is in default, how interest is computed, and what makes stipulated rates unconscionable.
Lawyer Suspended for Dishonesty and Failure to Pay Debt: A Lesson in Ethical Conduct
The Supreme Court affirms a lawyer's suspension for issuing worthless checks and failing to pay a debt, underscoring lawyers' ethical duty to honor financial obligations.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Can a Company Be Held Liable for Another's Debts?
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate personality and hold one company liable for another's obligations.
Novation vs Alternative Obligations: Clearing the Confusion in Contract Law
When does a new agreement extinguish an old debt? The Supreme Court clarifies novation versus alternative obligations in this contract law case.
Satisfaction of Judgment Moots Litigation: Lessons from Jacinto v. Gumaru
When a judgment debt is fully paid, the case ends and passes beyond review. Learn the rule and its practical effects.
Continuing Suretyship in the Philippines: Liability for Future Debts Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court upheld a surety's liability for future debts under a Continuing Suretyship, and when courts may reduce attorney's fees.
Attachment Liens Priority AND Protection IN Real Property Disputes
A prior attachment lien survives title cancellation and transfers, binding the property and subsequent purchasers until the debt is paid.
Surety Bonds Survive Debt Extension: Key Supreme Court Ruling on Article 2079
Extension of a principal's debt without a surety's consent does not automatically extinguish surety bonds, per the Supreme Court.
When Can a Party Be Held Liable for Another Person's Debt? A Philippine Supreme Court Guide
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a person may be held liable for another's debt under Article 1311 of the Civil Code.
Legal Compensation in Philippine Law: When Can Debts Be Offset?
Philippine law on legal compensation explained through a Supreme Court case on contingent obligations and when debts can be offset.
Premature Foreclosure: Protecting Mortgagors' Rights Before Default
Philippine Supreme Court rules that foreclosing a mortgage before the debtor defaults on the principal loan is void and ineffectual.
Breach of Contract vs Loan Obligations: Independent Liabilities in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a debtor's separate contract breach does not extinguish loan obligations to a creditor.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Asset Sales vs Mergers in Tax Liability
When is a buyer liable for a seller's tax debts? The Supreme Court clarifies asset sales vs mergers.
When Checks Prove a Loan: The Supreme Court Ruling on Evidence of Indebtedness
The Supreme Court clarifies when checks alone establish a loan obligation and shift the burden of proof to the debtor under Philippine law.
Rehabilitation Courts Have Limited Jurisdiction Over Insurance Claims of Corporate Debtors
Supreme Court clarifies that rehabilitation courts cannot adjudicate insurance claims filed by the distressed company against its insurers.
Novation, Verification, and Real Party in Interest: Lessons from S.C. Megaworld v. Parada
Explaining when accepting third-party payments does not release the original debtor, and why procedural objections must be raised early.
Reviving Judgments: The Doctrine of Suspended Prescription in Contract Disputes
When a debtor's own actions block execution, the five-year period to enforce a judgment by motion may be suspended.
Preliminary Attachment Lien Survives Compromise Agreement Until Debt Paid
Supreme Court rules attachment liens continue until debt is fully paid, even after a compromise agreement ends the main case.
Judicial Consignation: Paying a Loan When the Creditor’s Identity Is Unclear
When two entities claim the right to collect a debt, judicial consignation lets the debtor deposit payment in court and be released.
Right to Information: Compelling Document Production in Credit Assignment Cases
Supreme Court rules on compelling production of documents referenced in a Deed of Assignment under Rule 27, protecting debtors' right to information.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Banks Are Not Liable for Subsidiary Debts
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may—and may not—pierce the corporate veil to hold parent banks liable for subsidiary debts.
When Banks Can't Be Sued for Subsidiary Debts: Piercing the Corporate Veil in Philippine Banking
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may be held liable for subsidiary obligations and when the corporate veil protects them.