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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Intrafamilial Rape: Proving Guilt and the Nuances of Consent and Evidence
A father's rape conviction upheld on appeal, clarifying evidence rules, consent issues, and penalty requirements in incestuous rape cases.
Intimidation in Rape Cases: Protecting Minor Victims Under Philippine Law
How Philippine courts assess intimidation, delay in reporting, and child testimony in rape cases involving minors.
Credibility of Rape Victim's Testimony: Supreme Court on Conflicting Evidence and Behavioral Expectations
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining why a victim's testimony prevails over alibi and why resistance is not always required.
Why Qualifying Circumstances Must Be Alleged in Rape Informations
The Supreme Court explains why failure to allege minority and use of a deadly weapon in a rape information downgrades the crime to simple rape.
Qualifying Circumstances in Rape: Why Specific Allegation in the Information Matters
The Supreme Court clarifies that qualifying circumstances like minority and use of a deadly weapon must be alleged in the information to justify the death penalty.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Acquittal in Forcible Abduction and Rape Case Based on Inconsistent Testimony
Supreme Court acquits accused in forcible abduction with rape case, ruling that inconsistent testimony and lack of resistance failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Intact Hymen Does Not Negate Rape: SC Upholds Conviction But Reduces Death Penalty
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction despite intact hymen, but reduces death penalty to reclusion perpetua for lack of qualifying circumstances.
Rape and Parental Authority: Proving Qualifying Circumstances for Enhanced Penalties
In rape cases, the death penalty requires proof of both the victim's minority and the offender's relationship. This case explains why.
The Boundaries of Consent: Statutory Rape and the Exploitation of Minors in the Philippines
The Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Jalosjos clarifies that statutory rape applies regardless of consent, especially when minors are exploited.
Dying Declarations and Witness Credibility: Reevaluating Guilt in Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rape conviction standards, intact hymen evidence, and proper death penalty application in People v. Dayna.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Penetration, Not Hymen Damage, Is the Key
An intact hymen does not negate rape. The Supreme Court clarifies that slight penetration suffices for conviction.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: The Role of Identification and Consent in Sexual Assault Cases
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, clarifying voice and sight identification, consent, and damages in sexual assault cases.
Proving Victim’s Age in Rape Cases: When Death Penalty Fails
In People v. Virrey, the Supreme Court ruled that minority must be proven beyond reasonable doubt before the death penalty can be imposed in rape cases.
Delayed Reporting in Statutory Rape: When Delay Does Not Destroy Victim Credibility
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why delayed reporting of statutory rape does not automatically undermine a minor victim's credibility.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Supreme Court Upholds Statutory Rape Conviction Despite Reporting Delay
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction, ruling that a victim's delay in reporting the crime does not automatically undermine her credibility.
Voice Identification in Rape Cases: Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How Philippine courts treat voice recognition as valid identification in rape cases, and why unpleaded aggravating circumstances reduce the penalty.
Uninhabited Places and Cruelty: Defining Aggravating Circumstances in Robbery with Rape
The Supreme Court clarifies when cruelty and uninhabited place aggravate robbery with rape, and affirms the death penalty in a Quezon City case.
Upholding Victims Rights Positive Identification AND Aggravating Circumstances IN Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on voice identification, but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because aggravating circumstances were not alleged in the information.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Voice Identification and the Requirement of Pleading Qualifying Circumstances
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on voice identification but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because the information failed to allege qualifying circumstances.
Consensual Encounter vs Rape: Proving Lack of Voluntariness in Sexual Assault Cases
When does a sexual encounter become rape? The Supreme Court explains why consent and voluntariness matter in rape prosecutions.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Child Rape Testimony and the Rebuttal of Presumption of Innocence
The Supreme Court acquits a rape accused, underscoring that credible testimony and proof beyond reasonable doubt are essential to overcome the presumption of innocence.
Reevaluating Guilt Statutory Rape vs Kidnapping with Rape in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a sexual offense against a minor is statutory rape rather than kidnapping with rape, and the penalties that follow.
Rape Consummation and the Significance of Labial Penetration in Philippine Law
Philippine jurisprudence clarifies that full penetration is not required for rape; mere labial contact suffices for consummation.
Protecting Vulnerable Witnesses Upholding THE Testimony OF Deaf Mute Rape Victims IN Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on the sign-language testimony of a deaf-mute victim, clarifying rules on witness competence and alibi.