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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Navigating Mining Disputes When DO Courts NOT Mining Agencies Decide
The Supreme Court clarifies when regular courts, not the Panel of Arbitrators, have jurisdiction over mining-related contract disputes under the Philippine Mining Act.
When Courts Can Relax Filing Deadlines: Hierarchy of Courts and Final Judgments
The Supreme Court clarifies when direct recourse to it is allowed, and why final judgments cannot be set aside by belated claims of indigenous status.
Upholding Due Process in Termination: Nominal Damages for Procedural Lapses
When dismissal has just cause but lacks due process, employers pay nominal damages. Learn the twin notice rule.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer Bears Burden of Proving Just Cause and Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer's burden to prove just cause and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
Protecting the Vulnerable: The Credibility of Child Witnesses in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on a six-year-old's testimony, explaining why minor inconsistencies do not destroy a child witness's credibility.
Positive Identification Prevails Upholding Convictions IN Highway Robbery Based ON Witness Credibility
Just Cause vs Due Process: What Bacolod-Talisay Realty Teaches About Employee Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on dismissal with just cause but defective procedure, explaining nominal damages for employees.
Security OF Tenure Lack OF Eligibility Prevents Permanent Appointment IN Civil Service
Supreme Court Upholds Ejectment for Lease Violation Despite Late Position Paper
SC rules on unlawful detainer, late position papers under summary procedure, and damages recoverable in ejectment cases.
MTRCB Power to Regulate TV Broadcasts: Free Speech vs Public Welfare
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling in Soriano v. Laguardia on MTRCB regulatory powers over television broadcasts and free speech limits.
Demolishing a Leased Property Without Consent: Ejectment and Damages in Philippine Law
A lessee who demolished a leased house without the lessor's consent was validly ejected. Learn the rules on lease violations, damages, and summary procedure.
Moral Turpitude and Electoral Disqualification: The Teves Case Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when a conviction for a prohibited interest involves moral turpitude, using the Teves cockpit case as guide.
Reconstitution of Title: Why Primary Evidence Matters in Land Registration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why reconstitution of a lost title requires primary evidence, not mere certifications.
Deportation and Drug Convictions: Broadening the Scope of Philippine Immigration Law
The Supreme Court rules that foreign drug convictions justify deportation under Philippine immigration law, rejecting a narrow reading of Section 37(a)(4).
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Drug Sale Conviction Overturned for Procedural Lapses and Insufficient Evidence
The Supreme Court acquits Cesar Cantalejo in a drug sale case, ruling that procedural lapses and weak evidence failed to overcome the presumption of innocence.
Conjugal Property and Spousal Liability: Defining Benefit Under the Family Code
When can a spouse's personal debt be charged against conjugal property? The Supreme Court clarifies the Rule Under Article 122
Dividends Follow the Shares in Ill-Gotten Wealth Recovery
Supreme Court rules dividends and interests follow ownership of recovered ill-gotten shares, even if not expressly stated in the dispositive portion.
Marital Discord and Deadly Conspiracy: Establishing Parricide Through Circumstantial Evidence
Explore how Philippine courts convict parricide when a spouse conspires with a lover to kill, relying on circumstantial evidence.
Homestead Patent Validity Prevails Clarifying Land Ownership Rights And Restrictions
Supreme Court ruling on homestead patents, quitclaims, and land ownership rights under the Public Land Act.
Abuse OF Parental Authority Upholding Justice FOR Victims OF Incestuous Rape
Court Personnel and Property Transfers: When "Facilitation" Becomes Dishonesty
A court stenographer's dismissal for accepting money to process land titles shows why court personnel must avoid moonlighting in property transactions.
Mining Rights VS Logging Concessions Resolving Territorial AND Permit Validity Disputes
Upholding Judicial Authority When Disrespect AND Insubordination Lead TO Suspension
The Supreme Court suspends a court process server for one year for gross insubordination and simple misconduct toward his judge.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Principal Becomes the True Employer in Labor-Only Contracting
When is a principal the real employer? The Supreme Court clarifies labor-only contracting rules in Iligan Cement Corporation v. IEWU-SPFL.