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.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: Understanding Your Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court applies due process in administrative proceedings and what rights individuals have when facing government actions.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: What Philippine Courts Look For
When is a deed of sale really a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains the rules on equitable mortgage in Cirelos v. Hernandez.
Attorney Conflicts of Interest: Lessons from Philippine Jurisprudence
Learn how Philippine courts handle attorney conflicts of interest, consent requirements, and ethical duties through key Supreme Court rulings.
When Government Salaries Can Be Withheld: The Santiago COA Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when COA may withhold a government employee's salary for an alleged cash shortage, and when it cannot apply the withheld amounts.
Stare Decisis in Philippine Courts: How Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to bar relitigation of the Pepsi The decision demonstrates how prior rulings on the same controversy can bar subsequent claims and promote consistency in the ad
Falsification of Documents: Proving Intent and Damage in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on notarial falsification, forgery evidence, and lawyer liability in Lingan v. Calubaquib.
Search Warrant Requirements in the Philippines: A Judge's Duty to Examine Witnesses in Writing
The Supreme Court reminds judges that issuing search warrants requires a written, searching examination of witnesses—not just oral interviews.
Unsigned Stipulations in Mortgages: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Consent as Key
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mortgage stipulation inserted after signing without the mortgagor's consent is void ab initio.
Successor Liability in Philippine Labor Law: When Is a Company Responsible for Another's Debts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company becomes liable for another firm's labor debts under successor liability rules.
Deficiency Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure: Can Banks Recover More After Auction?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks can collect deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure of real estate mortgages.
Finality of Judgments in Disbarment Cases: Lessons from Bihag v. Era
The Supreme Court enforces final disbarment orders through execution and contempt, underscoring the doctrine of finality of judgment.
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Corporation Can Be Bound by Unauthorized Acts
Learn when courts may hold a corporation liable for acts done under a trade name, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Ridgewood Estate, Inc. v. Belaos.
Illegal Dismissal and Quitclaims: Employee Rights in Retrenchment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retrenchment, quitclaims, and illegal dismissal — what employees and employers must know.
Accion Publiciana: When Can You File to Recover Property Possession in the Philippines
Learn when to file accion publiciana instead of unlawful detainer to recover property possession in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Supreme Court on Lost Appeals: Certiorari Cannot Replace a Missed Appeal
The Supreme Court rules that a petition for certiorari cannot substitute for a lost appeal, affirming dismissal of a case for procedural lapses.
Writ of Possession Is Ministerial After Foreclosure Consolidation
The Supreme Court explains why a writ of possession is a ministerial duty of courts once a foreclosed property's title is consolidated.
Why Exhausting Administrative Remedies Matters in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling why skipping administrative appeals before going to court can be fatal to a property case.
COA Audit Power and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim Construction v. COA
The Court upholds COA's power to determine overpayments under quantum meruit, and clarifies procedural bars to belated jurisdictional challenges.
Court Employee Misconduct Upholding Integrity IN THE Philippine Judiciary
Tuition Fee Hikes and Teacher Pay: Can Universities Deduct CBA Benefits from the 70% Share?
Supreme Court ruling on whether universities may deduct CBA-integrated benefits from the 70% incremental tuition fee share under RA 6728.
Falsification of Documents: When Can an Employee Be Disciplined?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an employee's DTR irregularities amount to falsification or merely conduct prejudicial to the service.