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.
Self-Defense Claims: Proving Imminent Threat and Reasonable Response in Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the burden of proof for self-defense claims in homicide cases, requiring clear evidence of unlawful aggression.
Psychological Incapacity in Marriage: Defining Utter Insensitivity Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that psychological incapacity requires grave, incurable personality disorders, not mere emotional immaturity or irresponsibility.
Judges Must Decide Cases Within 90 Days: Lessons from Montes v. Bugtas
The Supreme Court reminds judges that failing to decide cases within the constitutional 90-day period is gross inefficiency, even with heavy workloads.
Raffle Promotions: When Overdue Accounts Disqualify Prize Winners
Supreme Court rules on when overdue accounts can forfeit raffle prizes in Mondragon International Philippines v. Blanco.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent in Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court explains how sudden, unexpected attacks establish treachery in murder cases, even when attacker and victim exchange words first.
Judges Must Know the Law: Gross Ignorance and Its Consequences
When a judge issues warrants and conducts proceedings without knowing basic rules, the Supreme Court steps in. Learn from Oporto v. Monserate.
Attempted Rape Conviction Affirmed: Court Explains Elements and Penalties
The Supreme Court affirms an attempted rape conviction, clarifying the elements, evidentiary standards, and penalties under Philippine law.
Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Attempted Rape: Credibility of Witnesses Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on attempted rape, witness credibility, and proof beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
Judicial Misconduct: The Limits of Helping and the Imperative of Impartiality
A look at how the Supreme Court defines judicial misconduct, emphasizing the limits of assistance and the non-negotiable duty of impartiality for judges.
Parental Authority and Child Abuse: Upholding Protection of Children Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that a father's moral ascendancy cannot excuse acts of lasciviousness against his child under R.A. 7610.
Trademark Infringement: How the Dominancy Test Protects Brand Recognition
The Supreme Court explains why the dominancy test, not the holistic test, governs confusing similarity in trademark infringement cases.
The Limits of Injunctive Relief When Enrollment Rights Meet School Policies
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts may issue injunctions in school enrollment disputes, requiring clear legal rights and urgent necessity.
Treachery and Intent: Differentiating Murder and Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder and when it remains homicide, in People v. Lucena.
Presidential Immunity vs Accountability: Limits of Power After Leaving Office
The Supreme Court clarifies that presidential immunity shields sitting presidents from suit, but accountability resumes once they leave office.
When Identification Fails: The Teves Parricide Acquittal and the Limits of Circumstantial Evidence
The Supreme Court acquits a parricide convict, showing how suggestive identification and weak circumstantial evidence cannot support a conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
Conditional Donations: Upholding Intent Despite Technicalities in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court ruled that substantial compliance with donation formalities and the donor's intent prevail over technical defects in accepting conditional donations.
Habeas Corpus and Deportation: What Tung Chin Hui v. Rodriguez Means for Aliens in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when habeas corpus is available to aliens facing deportation orders from the Bureau of Immigration.
Habeas Corpus Cannot Free Undocumented Alien with Tampered Passport
Supreme Court rules habeas corpus cannot be issued when BID has validly ordered deportation of an alien found using a tampered, cancelled passport.
Amending Informations After Arraignment: Rights of the Accused vs. Prosecutorial Efficiency
When can the prosecution amend an Information after arraignment? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on substantial vs. formal amendments.
Upholding Labor Tribunal Authority Regular Courts Barred From Enjoining Nlrc Decisions
Philippine Supreme Court affirms that regular courts cannot issue TROs against NLRC decisions, holding a judge liable for gross ignorance of the law.
UP vs Rosario: The Crucial Role of Land Survey Approval in Property Title Validity
When a land title may be void for lack of approved survey plan, and why courts must fully hear such claims before dismissal.
The Weight of a Witness Conviction Based on Uncorroborated Testimony in Philippine Rape Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a single, credible victim testimony suffices to convict in rape cases, and why corroboration is not always required.
Upholding Judicial Efficiency: The Consequences of Delay in Case Resolution
A judge's four-month delay in deciding a summary procedure case leads to a fine, reinforcing the constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases.
Accion Pauliana: When the Four-Year Clock Starts on Fraudulent Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when the four-year prescriptive period for accion pauliana begins, protecting creditors from fraudulent conveyances by debtors.