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.
Modifying Penalties When Retirement Alters Judicial Discipline
When a judge retires before serving a suspension, the Supreme Court may convert the penalty to a fine. Learn how this works.
Water District Board Compensation: Per Diems, Additional Benefits, and COA Disallowances
The Supreme Court clarifies that water district directors may receive only per diems under PD 198, with limited exceptions for good faith recipients.
Project Employees vs Regular Employees: Security of Tenure Under the Labor Code
When is a construction worker a project employee rather than a regular one? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on tenure and illegal dismissal.
Conflicting Land Titles: DARAB Jurisdiction Over Annulment of CLOA-Based Titles
When land titles conflict, knowing which court has jurisdiction is crucial. The Supreme Court clarifies DARAB's exclusive authority over CLOA-derived titles.
Protecting Land Titles: Good Faith Purchasers and Forgery in Property Sales
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a forged deed must be proven, not presumed, and how a registered owner's acts can protect an innocent buyer's title.
Express Trusts Upholding Beneficiaries Rights Despite Fictitious Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on express trusts, beneficiaries' rights, and fictitious sales of property.
Insurance Companies Not Taxable as Lending Investors: CIR v. PHILAM Companies
Supreme Court rules insurance companies are not "lending investors" under the NIRC, clarifying tax obligations for lending activities.
Permissive Joinder of Parties and the Totality Rule in Vehicular Accident Claims
Learn how the Supreme Court applied permissive joinder and the totality rule in determining jurisdiction for vehicular accident claims.
Upholding Agrarian Reform Land Classification and Beneficiary Rights Under CARP
Supreme Court affirms CARP coverage of agricultural land in Canlubang Estate, protecting farmer-beneficiaries' rights to land distribution.
Suspension for Unauthorized Absences: Accountability in the Judiciary
Supreme Court suspends employee for six months and one day for unauthorized absences, underscoring strict accountability standards in the judiciary.
Contractual Obligations Mutuality AND Modification IN Commission Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court applied the mutuality of contracts principle in a commission dispute, protecting a manager's right to earned franchise fees.
Seafarer Status Contractual Employment AND Security OF TENURE IN Philippine Maritime LAW
The Supreme Court rules that seafarers are contractual employees, not regular employees, even after decades of continuous rehiring.
Probable Cause in Search Warrants: Lessons from Sony Music v. Judge Espanol
The Supreme Court quashed a search warrant in a copyright case because the applicant and witnesses had no personal knowledge that the discs were pirated, only hearsay.
Prompt Disposition Mandate: Disciplining Judges for Case Delays
The Supreme Court disciplines a judge for undue delay in deciding an ejectment case, underscoring the mandatory nature of the 30-day period under the Revised Rules on Summary Procedure.
Future Inheritance vs Present Rights: Resolving Property Disputes Among Heirs
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on partition inter vivos, future inheritance, and validity of property transfers among heirs.
Marital Consent Is Key: Encumbering Conjugal Property Without Spouse's Agreement Is Void
A spouse cannot mortgage conjugal property without the other spouse's written consent. The Supreme Court explains why such encumbrances are void.
Good Faith vs Forgery: Protecting Innocent Purchasers in Property Transactions
When a forged deed transfers property, who keeps the land? The Supreme Court explains the rights of innocent purchasers for value under the Torrens system.
Habitual Neglect of Duty as Just Cause for Termination in Philippine Labor Law
Explaining when habitual neglect of duty justifies dismissal under Philippine labor law, citing the Supreme Court's ruling in Chua v. NLRC.
Intestate Succession Under the Old Civil Code: Equal Rights for Illegitimate Children
How the Supreme Court applied the old Civil Code's succession rules to protect the inheritance rights of illegitimate children in a landmark 2005 ruling.
Intestate Succession and Property Rights: Clarifying Inheritance Shares Under the Old Civil Code
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs truly own inherited property, and why a parent's lifetime transfer can defeat a compromise agreement's promised shares.
Voiding Contracts With Indigenous Peoples Prior Approval IS Mandatory
Supreme Court clarifies that contracts with indigenous peoples require prior government approval or they are void, protecting ancestral lands.
Church Authority vs Civil Courts: Defining the Boundaries of Religious Freedom in the Philippines
The Supreme Court rules civil courts cannot interfere in church expulsions, upholding religious freedom and ecclesiastical autonomy.
Letters of Credit and Attorney-in-Fact Duties: Land Bank's Dual Role Explained
Supreme Court clarifies a bank's limited role under letters of credit versus its fiduciary duties as attorney-in-fact in export collections.
Lawyer Disbarred for Grave Misconduct in Handling Court Funds and Land Titles
Supreme Court disbars a Register of Deeds for grave misconduct, affirming that lawyers in government service face professional discipline for official wrongdoing.