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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Who Pays When Rebellion Sparks Insurance Claims: Burden of Proof on Insurers
When fire destroys insured property, who must prove the cause? The Supreme Court clarifies insurers' burden in rebellion-related claims.
Speedy Trial Rights: Motion for Reinvestigation and Waiver of Timeliness Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether filing a motion for reinvestigation waives the right to claim speedy disposition of cases.
Burden of Proof in Electricity Pilferage: Meralco Must Substantiate Tampering Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Meralco's burden to prove electricity pilferage before imposing differential billings on customers.
Intent vs Accident: Distinguishing Homicide from Murder and the Role of Treachery
The Supreme Court clarifies when accidental shooting claims fail, how intent to kill is proven, and why treachery must be established beyond doubt.
Indefeasibility of Title vs Claims of Prior Ownership: Understanding Land Registration Disputes
When a Torrens title becomes indefeasible, prior claims—even earlier sales—can no longer defeat it. Learn the rules from a 2001 case.
Self-Defense vs. Treachery: Burden of Proof and Elements in Philippine Law
Explaining the burden of proof in self-defense claims and how treachery qualifies killing to murder under Philippine law.
Independent Civil Actions Under the Civil Code: No Reservation Needed, Even With a Pending Criminal Case
The Supreme Court clarifies that civil claims based on the Civil Code may proceed independently of criminal cases, with no prior reservation required.
On Duty or Off Target: Defining Course of Employment in Police Compensation Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a police officer's death is compensable under employees' compensation law, applying the 24-hour duty doctrine.
Breach of Trust and Damages for False Claims in Family Business Disputes
A family shareholder who falsely claimed full ownership of a pooled investment faced actual and moral damages after the Court found his claim breached a trust.
Upholding Possessory Rights When Injunction Protects Possession Over Public Use
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on injunction, possessory rights, and claims that a lot is part of public domain.
Reversion of Land Titles: Fraud, Public Domain, and the Limits of Possessory Claims
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Magsino v. Republic on reversion of fraudulently issued free patents to public domain.
Self-Defense Claims and Treachery: Lessons from People vs. Mazo
A look at how the Supreme Court weighed self-defense, witness credibility, and treachery in a homicide conviction.
Reforming Insurance Policies How Manifest Intent Prevails Over Technical Descriptions In Property Claims
A fire insurance dispute shows how courts prioritize the parties' true intent over technical misdescriptions in policies.
Conspiracy and the Absence of Self-Defense: Collective Criminal Liability in Group Attacks
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy, self-defense claims, and collective liability in group attacks resulting in murder.
Unregistered Land Sale Prevails Over Registered Mortgage Protecting Prior Ownership Rights
When an unregistered sale precedes a mortgage, the buyer's prior ownership rights can defeat the mortgagee's registered claims.
Good Faith in Property Acquisition: Protecting Torrens Titles From Unrecorded Claims
Learn how the Supreme Court protects buyers of registered land from unrecorded claims, and why a notice of lis pendens must be properly annotated.
SSS Contribution Claims: When Does the Clock Start Ticking on Prescription Periods in Philippine Law
Understand how prescription periods apply to SSS contribution claims in the Philippines, based on recent Supreme Court rulings and statutory deadlines.
Increased Risk and Compensation: Overcoming the Occupational Disease Requirement
Explaining the increased-risk doctrine in Philippine employees' compensation claims, using GSIS v. Barrameda as a guide for non-occupational diseases.
Prescription IN TAX Refund Claims Dissolutions Impact ON Filing Deadlines
Supreme Court Affirms Murder Conviction Despite Defense Claims of Self-Defense
SC affirms murder conviction of three men who mauled victim to death, rejecting self-defense claims and upholding reclusion perpetua.
When Corporate Veil Claims Fail: Lessons from the Behest Loan Case
The Supreme Court explains when the Ombudsman may dismiss fraud complaints against corporate officers and why evidence of conspiracy matters.
When Defense Falters: Shifting the Burden in Self-Defense Claims Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that in self-defense claims, the burden shifts to the accused to prove justification, but the prosecution must still prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Corporate Governance and Stockholder Rights: Lessons from Marubeni v. Lirag
The Supreme Court clarifies that stockholders must prove their claims by preponderance of evidence and cannot rely on speculation or corporate veil piercing.
Upholding Land Ownership Claims: The Importance of Evidentiary Proof in Reconveyance Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling on reconveyance underscores that ownership claims must be proven by clear evidence, not mere allegations.