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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Seafarers Disability Defining Permanent Disability Beyond the Company Doctor's Assessment
Supreme Court ruling on seafarer disability claims: the company doctor's assessment is not conclusive, and inability to work for over 120 days may mean permanent disability.
Accomplice Liability in Homicide: Defining the Scope of Criminal Participation in the Philippines
Understand how Philippine courts define accomplice liability in homicide cases, the rules on criminal participation, and what makes a person an accomplice rather than a principal.
Weighing THE Scales Resolving Doubts IN Illegal Dismissal Cases AND Protecting Employee Rights
Treachery and Alibi: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
When sudden attack meets weak defense: how treachery qualifies murder and why alibi fails against positive identification.
Breach of Contract and Tortious Interference: Proving a Valid Contractual Right
Learn when tortious interference claims fail: a valid contract must exist before third-party interference can be actionable under Philippine law.
Motion Denied: Why a Defective Notice Dooms an Appeal in Philippine Courts
Learn how defective verification, missing proof of authority, and improper counsel representation can derail appeals in Philippine courts.
Entrapment vs Instigation: Defining the Line in Philippine Drug Sale Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the difference between valid entrapment and prohibited instigation in illegal drug sale cases under RA 9165.
Estafa Conviction Overturned: The Critical Role of Notice in Bouncing Check Cases
The Supreme Court acquits Goretti Ong of estafa, ruling that failure to prove notice of dishonor is fatal to a bouncing check prosecution.
Notarial Duty Failure To Verify Identity Leads To Suspension And Disqualification
A notary public who notarized a deed without verifying identity was suspended and disqualified. Learn the duties and consequences.
City Prosecutors Must Represent Local Governments: Urdaneta City Case on Private Counsel Ban
Supreme Court rules city prosecutors must represent local governments in civil cases, barring private counsel in Urdaneta dispute.
Res Judicata in Estate Disputes: Prior Judgments Bar Relitigation of Property Ownership
A party cannot relitigate property ownership in probate proceedings when final judgments already settled the issue, the Supreme Court rules.
Res Judicata Bars Estate's Claim Over Properties Redeemed by Heir
Supreme Court explains when prior final judgments bar new claims over the same properties, applying res judicata to estate disputes.
Breach of Trust Dismissal for Misappropriation of Public Funds in the Judiciary
Cash clerk dismissed for dishonesty and grave misconduct after tampering receipts and misappropriating over P600,000 in judiciary funds.
Accountability in Air Travel When a Lost Document Leads to Stranded Passengers
When an airline loses a required document and strands unaccompanied minors, the Supreme Court says it may be liable for damages for breach of contract of carriage.
Psychological Incapacity and Conjugal Property: Understanding Marital Obligations and Asset Division in Philip
The Supreme Court clarifies when psychological incapacity voids a marriage and how conjugal assets are divided, using Laurena v. Court of Appeals.
Incestuous Rape Consummation and the Retroactive Effect of the Death Penalty Ban
Explaining when rape is consummated and how R.A. 9346 retroactively reduced death sentences to reclusion perpetua without parole.
PCG Disciplinary Authority: Supreme Court Upholds Coast Guard’s Separate Administrative System
Supreme Court affirms the PCG Efficiency and Separation Board’s power to discipline uniformed personnel, distinct from civil service rules.
Arson and Double Jeopardy: When a Single Act Leads to Multiple Deaths
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether burning a house killing two victims is one complex crime or two separate murders.
Possession Disputes HOW Foreclosure Affects Third Party Property Claims
Conviction Despite Alibi: Positive Identification Overrules Defense in Quirino Arson-Murder Case
In People v. Gaffud, the Supreme Court upheld a conviction for double murder by fire, ruling that positive identification and flight defeat alibi and denial.
Writ of Possession and Third-Party Claims: When Foreclosure Buyers Get Possession
Learn when a court must issue a writ of possession after foreclosure and how third-party claims affect the process, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Pawn Tickets and Documentary Stamp Tax: Understanding Pledge Agreements and Taxable Privileges
The Supreme Court rules pawn tickets are subject to documentary stamp tax as proof of exercising the taxable privilege of entering into a pledge contract.
Adverse Claims and Good Faith: Protecting Prior Rights in Property Sales
When an adverse claim annotated on a title protects a prior buyer against a later attaching creditor, and why good faith matters.
Preserving Family Lands: The Right to Repurchase in Free Patent Cases
Learn how heirs can repurchase family land under free patents even after foreclosure, based on a 2008 Supreme Court ruling.