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.
Good Faith and Emergency Purchases: When Public Officials Escape Graft Liability
Explore how the Supreme Court protected a public official from graft charges, citing good faith and emergency procurement during a blood shortage crisis.
Redemption Rights: Upholding Mortgagor's Five-Year Redemption Agreement
Supreme Court affirms five-year redemption period for mortgagor, voiding subsequent sales that cut short the agreed term.
Due Process in Disbarment: Why Hearings Are Indispensable in Attorney Discipline Cases
The Supreme Court reminds the IBP that formal hearings are mandatory in disbarment cases, safeguarding due process for respondent lawyers.
Spousal Liability in Estafa: Why Marriage Alone Does Not Prove Guilt
Supreme Court ruling: a husband's mere presence when his wife issued a bouncing check does not prove conspiracy in estafa.
Double Jeopardy and Modification of Criminal Penalties: Protecting the Accused
The Supreme Court rules that courts cannot increase a convicted person's penalty on the prosecution's motion, citing double jeopardy protections.
Minors Can File Acts of Lasciviousness Cases Independently: Key SC Ruling
A minor may file acts of lasciviousness complaints without parental assistance. The Supreme Court explains why judges must respect this right.
Corporate Name Confusion: Protecting Business Identity in the Philippines
When can the SEC compel a corporation to change its name? A Supreme Court ruling on confusingly similar corporate names and public protection.
Presumption of Innocence Prevails: Analyzing Evidence in Incestuous Rape Cases
How the Supreme Court weighs a child victim's testimony against alibi in incestuous rape, and why the presumption of innocence demands rigorous proof.
Rape and Parental Authority: Why Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt Still Matters in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court acquits father in incestuous rape case, ruling that parental authority and relationship alone cannot substitute for proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Statutory Rape by an Uncle: Supreme Court Upholds Conviction and Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for an uncle who raped his seven-year-old niece, clarifying rules on statutory rape, alibi, and damages.
Rape and Incest: Protecting Minors in Familial Abuse Cases
A father convicted of raping his 15-year-old daughter twice; the Supreme Court affirms conviction but reduces death penalty to reclusion perpetua.
Abuse of Right Doctrine: Terminating a Contract Without Cause Can Still Trigger Damages
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how terminating a contract without cause can still lead to damages liability under the abuse of right doctrine.
Security of Tenure vs Management Prerogatives: Employee Transfers in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employee transfers, security of tenure, and management prerogatives explained in plain language.
Upholding Contractual Obligations: The Imperative of Timely Performance in Compromise Agreements
A Supreme Court ruling on continuing suretyship, assignment of credit, and trust receipts—clarifying that debtors cannot escape liability through technical defenses.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: The Weight of a Victim's Testimony and Corroborating Medical Evidence
A look at how the Supreme Court upheld a rape conviction, relying on the victim's credible testimony and medical findings.
Upholding Land Rights Resolving Title Disputes AND Granting Intervention IN Land Ownership Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void land titles, fraudulent transfers, and late intervention in property disputes.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of a Person Deprived of Reason and the Boundaries of Consent
The Supreme Court affirms that a mentally retarded rape victim cannot consent to sexual acts, clarifying the law on persons deprived of reason.
Custody Beyond Conversion: Best Interests of the Child Prevail in Custody Disputes
When a mother's faith changes, does her fitness as custodian change too? The Supreme Court says the child's welfare governs.
Hold Departure Orders: Why Only Regional Trial Courts Can Issue Them
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that only Regional Trial Courts may issue hold-departure orders, protecting the constitutional right to travel.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Scrutinizing Rape Allegations in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court acquits an uncle of rape, emphasizing that flawed and inconsistent victim testimony cannot overcome the presumption of innocence.
Premature Appeals and Waived Objections: Lessons from Abuyen v. People
Learn how the Supreme Court in Abuyen v. People upheld a direct assault conviction, emphasizing timely remedies and the weight given to trial court credibility findings.
Rape Convictions Hinge on Credible Victim Testimony: People v. Villaflores
A rape conviction requires clear, consistent victim testimony. The Supreme Court explains why in People v. Villaflores.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Elements and Legal Implications
Understand treachery (alevosia) as a qualifying circumstance in murder under Philippine law, explained through a landmark Supreme Court case.
Intact Hymen Does Not Preclude Rape Conviction: Slight Penetration Is Sufficient
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that an intact hymen does not negate rape; even the slightest penetration of the female organ constitutes consummated rape.