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.
Execution of Judgment: Liability Limited to the Dispositive Portion of the Court Decision
A writ of execution must conform to the dispositive portion of a final judgment. Learn from Solidbank v. Court of Appeals.
Priority in Litigation: Determining Which Case Prevails in Overlapping Contract Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts resolve overlapping contract disputes and which case prevails when judgments appear to conflict.
Conclusiveness of Judgment: When Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
Learn how the doctrine of conclusiveness of judgment prevents relitigation of settled issues between the same parties, even in different cases.
Finality of Judgments, Jurisdiction, and Forum Shopping in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains when judgments become final, how appeals affect jurisdiction, and what constitutes forum shopping.
Finality of Judgment: When an Annulled Decision Can Be Reinstated
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a set-aside judgment may be reinstated and why final and executory rulings cannot be resurrected.
Execution of Judgment in Ejectment Cases: Why the Court of Origin Matters
In ejectment cases, execution of an affirmed judgment generally belongs to the trial court of origin, not the appellate court. A Supreme Court ruling clarifies why.
Fatal Motion Flaws: Notice of Hearing and Preserving Appeal Rights in Philippine Courts
A motion without notice of hearing is a "scrap of paper" that won't stop the appeal clock—learn the rules from PCIBank v. Court of Appeals.
Finality of Judgment and the Limits of Post-Decision Remedies in Disbarment Cases
A disbarred lawyer's belated motion to reopen his case fails before the doctrine of finality of judgment, earning him contempt and fines.
Expropriation in the Philippines: When Can Land Be Sold During Proceedings
Learn when landowners can still sell property during expropriation proceedings and who gets just compensation, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Judicial Integrity Upheld: Judge Reprimanded for Ignorance of the Law
A judge who violated the doctrine of res judicata and ignored a final ruling is held liable for serious inefficiency.
When Courts Collide: The Impermissible Interference in Judicial Decisions
A judge who enjoined a co-equal court's final judgment was fined for gross ignorance of the law.
Corporate Liquidation vs Labor Claims: How the Supreme Court Resolved the Conflict
When a company under rehabilitation is ordered liquidated, labor claims must be filed with the liquidator, not executed separately. Learn the rule.
Unlocking Ejectment Cases: How to Use New Evidence to Challenge a Final Judgment in the Philippines
Learn when Philippine courts allow newly discovered evidence to overturn a final ejectment judgment, and the proper legal remedies available.
Full Backwages for Illegally Dismissed Employees: Understanding Philippine Labor Law
Philippine law awards full backwages to illegally dismissed employees without deducting earnings from other jobs. Learn the rule from Times Transit case.
Valid Service of Summons in Revival of Judgment Cases: Jurisdiction Lessons from Arcenas
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when substituted service of summons is invalid in revival of judgment actions, and why courts must acquire jurisdiction over the defendant.
Limits of Contempt Power: When Can You Actually Be Held in Contempt of Court in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains the limits of contempt power—when a court order binds you and when it does not.
Final Judgment Is Final: Understanding Annulment of Judgment in the Philippines
When can a final criminal judgment be annulled? The Supreme Court explains the limits of annulment of judgment and due process.
Final and Executory Judgments: When Can They Be Modified?
Explore the narrow exceptions to the finality of judgments in Philippine law, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Forum Shopping in the Philippines: How Duplicate Cases Can Kill Your Labor Claim
Learn how filing duplicate labor cases amounts to forum shopping and leads to automatic dismissal under Philippine rules.
Retroactive Application of Penal Laws: When a Final Sentence Can Be Modified
Explore when favorable penal laws apply retroactively and whether a final sentence can be modified, based on People v. Caco.
Final Executory Judgments and Ejectment: Why Ownership Disputes Do Not Bar Execution
A final ejectment judgment cannot be blocked by a later ownership ruling. The Soco v. Court of Appeals case explains the limits.