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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
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.
Subrogation Rights Prescription Period For Insurers Seeking Reimbursement
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that an insurer's subrogation claim prescribes in 10 years, not 4, under Article 1144 of the Civil Code.
Tolerance and Land Ownership: How Permissive Use Impacts Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how possession by mere tolerance cannot ripen into ownership through prescription or adverse possession.
Co-Ownership, Partition, and Prescription in Disputed Land Titles: Key Lessons from Figuracion
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies co-owners' rights to partition property, the limits of prescription, and why Torrens titles are not absolute.
Contractual Obligations vs Agrarian Reform: Upholding Lease Agreements in Agricultural Land Disputes
Supreme Court rules on binding lease addendums in agrarian reform lands, emphasizing contract mutuality and prescription under RA 3844.
Revival of Judgment: When Does the Clock Start Ticking on Prescription in Civil Actions?
Learn when the 10-year prescriptive period for reviving a judgment starts and how interruptions affect the deadline, explained in plain language.
Upholding the Sanctity of Titles: Resolving Disputes Over Land Ownership and Authenticity of Deeds
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on reviving judgments, prescription periods, and the hierarchy of courts in land disputes.
Upholding Agreements: The Decisive Impact of Admitted Extensions in Maritime Claims
How a carrier's failure to specifically deny an agreed extension period can defeat a prescription defense in maritime cargo claims.
Acquisitive Prescription vs Torrens Title: Proving Land Registration Claims in Court
The Supreme Court clarifies when possession of public land can ripen into private ownership and registration under the Property Registration Decree.
Prescription in Anti-Graft Cases: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for anti-graft cases begins, using a landmark Marcos-era case.
When Does Prescription Run for Bounced Checks? The Pangilinan Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for BP 22 cases is interrupted—and why filing with the prosecutor's office counts.
When Prescription Stops: Filing Complaints with Prosecutors Under Special Laws
The Supreme Court clarifies that filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office interrupts prescription for special laws like BP 22.
Navigating Land Disputes When Unproven Sales Fail Against Registered Titles
A Supreme Court ruling on why unproven deeds of sale cannot defeat registered land titles, and the limits of prescription in land disputes.
Compromise Offers and Debt Obligations: When Words Don't Bind Lawyers
A lawyer's compromise offer in a debt dispute can imply guilt. Learn the ethical rules and prescription rules for lawyer discipline.
Just Compensation for Transmission Lines: Full Market Value, Not Easement Fees
Explaining NAPOCOR v. Saludares on just compensation for transmission line easements—full market value, no prescription, and valuation timing.
Perfecting Land Titles THE Complexities OF Acquisitive Prescription Against THE State IN THE Philippines
Acquisitive Prescription and Double Sales: When Long-Term Possession Confirms Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling on how prior possession and good faith determine ownership in double sales of land.
Prescription Periods and Missing Seafarers: How Employer Actions Can Extend Your Claim for Death Benefits
Learn how employer negligence and concealment can extend prescription periods for seafarer death benefit claims in the Philippines.
Prescription Period for Illegal Dismissal: The 4-Year Rule in Philippine Labor Law
Illegal dismissal claims prescribe in four years, not three. Learn the rule and how refiling a case interrupts prescription.
Prescription in Fraud Claims: When Does the Clock Start Ticking
When does the prescriptive period for fraud claims begin? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule in a recent decision.
Prescription in Anti-Graft Cases: When the Clock Starts Ticking
The Supreme Court clarifies when the prescriptive period for anti-graft offenses begins, applying the doctrine to behest loans.
Prescription and Laches in Land Disputes: Understanding Time Limits to Protect Your Property Rights
The Supreme Court explains when actions for reconveyance of registered land prescribe and how laches can bar claims, even those based on forged titles.
Reconveyance Actions in the Philippines: Understanding Prescription and Laches
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when reconveyance actions prescribe and how laches bars claims, even without fraud allegations.
Prescription in Tax Collection: When Does the Government Lose Its Right to Collect
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on prescription periods for tax collection and when the government's right to collect prescribed taxes expires.