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.
Judgment on the Pleadings: When Admissions in an Answer Bind a Party
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when admissions in an answer justify judgment on the pleadings, and why courts cannot look outside the pleadings.
Premature Filing Bars Seafarers Disability Claim: POEA-SEC 240-Day Rule Explained
Filing a disability claim before the company doctor issues an assessment within 240 days can be fatal. Learn from this Supreme Court ruling.
Hearsay on the Highway: When a Traffic Report Cannot Prove Fault in Damage Claims
A traffic accident report based only on an eyewitness's account is hearsay. Learn how this affects insurance subrogation claims.
Open Space Preservation: HLURB Authority Over Subdivision Mortgage Disputes
When a developer mortgages a subdivision's designated open space, homeowners can seek annulment before the HLURB, not just the courts.
When a Court Employee's Side Business Crosses the Line: Moonlighting Rules Explained
Court stenographer's side business processing land titles led to administrative liability for moonlighting. Learn the rules and limits.
Slight vs Grave Oral Defamation: Drawing the Line in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when insulting words amount to slight, not grave, oral defamation, and explains the rules on defaming public officers.
Circumstantial Evidence and Penalty Rules in Philippine Homicide Convictions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies penalty imposition, damages, and evidence rules in homicide appeals under Rule 45.
Circumstantial Evidence and Penalty Fixing in Homicide: Ladines v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies penalty imposition rules and damages in homicide, affirming conviction based on circumstantial evidence.
Voluntary Resignation vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Overseas Filipino Workers
When is an OFW's resignation voluntary or forced? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on quitclaims, waivers, and illegal dismissal claims.
Balancing Public Order and Private Rights: Limits on Summary Abatement of Nuisances
When can barangay officials destroy property as a public nuisance? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of summary abatement.
Can a University Be Bound by Unauthorized Mortgages? Corporate Authority Explained
When can a corporation be bound by an officer's unauthorized acts? The Supreme Court explains in University of Mindanao v. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Illegal Dismissal Claims: When Voluntary Resignation and Quitclaims Prevail
Supreme Court ruling on when a resignation and quitclaim are voluntary, and what evidence employees must present to prove illegal dismissal.
Overcoming Technicalities: Republic's Right to Recover Ill-Gotten Wealth
Supreme Court rules procedural lapses should not defeat the state's recovery of ill-gotten wealth, reversing Sandiganbayan dismissal.
Motion for Extension of Time: Balancing Strict Rules and Substantial Justice
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts should relax procedural rules on formal offer of evidence to serve substantial justice.
Preliminary Injunctions Safeguarding Rights Without Prejudging the Merits
The Supreme Court clarifies that preliminary injunctions must preserve rights, not prejudge cases, citing City of Iloilo v. Honrado.
Substantial vs Minor Breach of Contract: What Philippine Law Requires
Philippine law on when a contract breach justifies rescission: substantial vs minor violations explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Illegal Dismissal: Computing Separation Pay and Backwages Using Gross Monthly Pay
The Supreme Court clarifies how to compute separation pay and backwages for illegally dismissed employees, using gross monthly pay, inclusive of allowances and benefits.
Preventive Suspension for Separate Offenses: Smart Communications v. Solidum
Supreme Court clarifies that employers may impose fresh preventive suspensions for newly discovered offenses, and explains the limits of the rule.
Probable Cause and the Ombudsman's Discretion: Limits of Judicial Review
The Supreme Court affirms the Ombudsman's dismissal of criminal charges for lack of probable cause, underscoring the limits of judicial review over prosecutorial discretion.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Protecting Security Guards' Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies abandonment vs illegal dismissal in labor-only contracting cases involving security guards and agency-hired workers.
Labor-Only Contracting and Illegal Dismissal: Solidary Liability of Principal and Contractor
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on labor-only contracting, control test, and solidary liability for illegal dismissal under the Labor Code.
Who Hears CLOA Cancellation Cases? The DAR Secretary, Not DARAB, Rules
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that DARAB lacks jurisdiction over CLOA cancellation cases without tenurial disputes; the DAR Secretary decides.
Procedural Pitfalls: Why Improper Appeals Can Derail Your Case
Filing a case before the wrong tribunal wastes time and money. Learn how jurisdiction works and why proper procedure matters.
Simple Slander Conviction Upheld: Public Accusation of Theft and Malice
The Supreme Court affirms a Simple Slander conviction for publicly accusing someone of theft, explaining the elements, malice presumption, and penalties.