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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Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Lessons from City of Iloilo v. Javellana
The Supreme Court clarifies when just compensation is reckoned in expropriation cases and penalizes the government for delayed payment.
Just Compensation and Timely Payment: Landowners' Rights in Eminent Domain
Apo Fruits v. Land Bank clarifies when interest and attorney's fees may be awarded in agrarian expropriation cases and why final judgments cannot be reopened.
When Can the Government Back Out of an Expropriation? The Ortega v. City of Cebu Case
Explaining when the government can no longer withdraw from an expropriation case, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Spouses Ortega v. City of Cebu.
Eminent Domain: Fair Initial Compensation Based on Property Classification
Supreme Court ruling on RA 8974: initial compensation in expropriation must match property classification, not actual use.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: When the Government Takes Property Without Filing a Case
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on just compensation, consequential damages, and attorney's fees when government takes private property without expropriation proceedings.
Lost Appeal Timeliness Rules in Expropriation Cases in the Philippines
When must an expropriation appeal be filed? Philippine Supreme Court clarifies appeal timeliness rules in land compensation cases.
The State's Obligation to Pay Interest on Delayed Just Compensation in Expropriation Cases
Philippine law requires the State to pay just compensation with legal interest when payment is delayed in expropriation cases. Learn the rules.
Eminent Domain Authority and Just Compensation in Expropriation Cases
Supreme Court clarifies board authority for expropriation and the immediate payment rule under R.A. 8974 for writs of possession.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain, just compensation, and property rights when government takes land without expropriation proceedings.
Reconveyance After Expropriation: Balancing Public Purpose and Private Rights
When government abandons an expropriated lot's public purpose, former owners may recover it—but must return just compensation.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: When Is Land "Taken"?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when property is and "adjustment factor" to account for the time elapsed since the taking.
Just Compensation for Land Taken Without Expropriation: The Nepomuceno Rule
When government takes private land without expropriation, compensation is valued at the time of taking, not at payment.
Immediate Possession in Expropriation: Public Purpose Need Not Be Settled First
Supreme Court clarifies that in expropriation cases, a local government may take possession of property upon filing the case and depositing 15% of the tax value, without a prior hearing on public purp
Expropriation of Small Lots Upheld: The Limits of RA 7279's Exemption Rule
Supreme Court clarifies when small property owners may be exempt from expropriation, and the prospective effect of RA 7279.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Why Courts—Not Agencies—Fix Fair Value
Supreme Court clarifies that RTCs, not DAR adjudicators, have original jurisdiction over just compensation in agrarian expropriation cases.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: The Cost of Delay and Finality of Judgments
A 28-year expropriation case shows why just compensation must reflect fair market value at the time of taking, and why final judgments must stand.
Retroactivity of Laws in Eminent Domain: When New Legislation Meets Pending Expropriation
Explains when new laws apply retroactively in eminent domain cases, citing the Supreme Court ruling in Spouses Lintag v. NPC.
Just Compensation When Government Takes Property Without Formal Expropriation
When enforcing an easement of right-of-way renders the remaining property unusable, just compensation is due. Learn from Republic v. Andaya.
When Is Property "Taken" for Expropriation? The Timing of Just Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when "taking" occurs in expropriation, affecting how just compensation is valued.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Why Timing Matters in Philippine Property Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that just compensation in expropriation is valued at the time of filing or taking, whichever comes first.
Just Compensation and Due Process: Protecting Landowners from Unjustified Government Taking
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on just compensation and due process in expropriation cases, protecting landowners' property rights.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: Fair Market Value and the Role of Commissioners' Reports
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts must determine just compensation in expropriation cases, and the proper weight of commissioners' reports.
Eminent Domain by LGUs: Why an Ordinance Is Required, Not Just a Resolution
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mere resolution cannot authorize a local government's expropriation; an ordinance is required under the Local Government Code.
Res Judicata in Philippine Land Expropriation When Prior Judgments Bar Reversion Claims
Explaining when prior final judgments bar reversion claims in expropriation cases, citing Republic v. Yu (G.R. No. 157557).