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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Employer Liability: Proving Due Diligence in Employee Negligence Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer liability under Article 2180 and the burden of proving due diligence in employee negligence cases.
Lawyer Suspended for Neglect and Absconding with Client Records
Supreme Court suspends lawyer for one year for neglecting client cases, absconding with records, and keeping fees without rendering service.
Finality of Judgment: Why Late Payment of Appeal Docket Fees Is Fatal
The Supreme Court explains why failing to pay appellate docket fees on time makes a judgment final and executory, even if a notice of appeal was filed.
Mistake of Law vs Mistake of Fact: Grounds for Relief from Judgment in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that only mistakes of fact, not errors of law, justify relief from judgment under Rule 38.
Parental Betrayal and Rape: When a Stepfather's Crime Redefines Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies statutory rape, qualifying circumstances, and why a stepfather's conviction for simple rape, not death, underscores due process.
Novation in Philippine Law: Can a Restructuring Agreement Extinguish Promissory Note Obligations?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a restructuring agreement novates promissory notes, and when it merely modifies payment terms without extinguishing the debt.
When Corporate Notices Are Not Libel: The Novicio Case on Privileged Communication
A look at Novicio v. Aggabao, where the Supreme Court ruled that a corporate officer's notice to banks about changed signatories was not libel.
Credibility of Testimony in Rape Cases: The Importance of Consistent and Believable Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, force, intimidation, and proof of qualifying circumstances in rape cases.
Eyewitness Testimony and Treachery: Proving Murder Beyond Reasonable Doubt
The Supreme Court affirms a murder conviction based on credible eyewitness testimony and treachery despite minor inconsistencies in witnesses’ accounts.
When Group Violence Turns Fatal: Treachery, Conspiracy, and Criminal Liability
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when treachery applies in group violence and why the prosecution must prove how the attack began.
Sheriff's Duty of Diligence Over Personal Property During Demolition
The Supreme Court fined a deputy sheriff P5,000 for failing to safeguard a occupant's belongings hauled away during a court-ordered demolition.
From Murder to Homicide: Understanding the Absence of Treachery in Philippine Law
When treachery is not proven, a killing is homicide, not murder. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court case.
Failure of Elections vs Election Protests: Defining COMELEC's Jurisdiction After Proclamation
The Supreme Court clarifies when a failure of election petition is proper and when the remedy should be an election protest after proclamation.
Workplace Boundaries: Defining Acts of Lasciviousness and Consensual Acts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when sexual acts are rape, not consensual, and why workplace familiarity does not imply consent.
Accidental Shooting or Intentional Act: Understanding Criminal Liability in Retubado
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a shooting is an accident or a crime, and why the defense of state of necessity failed.
Protecting Property Rights: The Absolute Right to Possess Foreclosed Property After Redemption Period
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property rights, redemption, and the right to possess foreclosed property after the redemption period.
Recounting Votes in Fraudulent Election Returns: Safeguarding the Electorate's Will
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when COMELEC must recount votes instead of excluding fraudulent election returns, protecting voter enfranchisement.
When an Annotation Order Is Not a Final Resolution in Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a court order in a land case is interlocutory and not appealable, using a Lapu-Lapu City title dispute.
Upholding Barangay Dispute Resolutions Enforceability AND Timeframes FOR Amicable Settlements
The Supreme Court clarifies when barangay amicable settlements become final and how the six-month execution period under the Local Government Code should be counted.
Rape and Credibility: How Inconsistencies in Victim Testimony Are Weighed
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts assess victim credibility, force, intimidation, and qualifying circumstances in rape cases.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: Funeral Homes and Zoning Regulations
Supreme Court ruling on exhaustion of administrative remedies in zoning disputes involving funeral homes and the HLURB's appellate jurisdiction.
Sufficiency of Information: The Critical Element of Manifest Partiality, Bad Faith, or Gross Negligence in Gra
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that an information under Section 3(e) of RA 3019 must allege manifest partiality, bad faith, or gross negligence.
Donato v. Court of Appeals: Substantial Compliance and the Non-Forum Shopping Rule
A 2003 Supreme Court ruling shows how procedural lapses like a defective non-forum shopping certificate may be excused when a party substantially complies.
Forged Signatures and Land Titles: Upholding Property Rights Against Fraud
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on forged special powers of attorney, nullifying land transfers and protecting property rights against fraud.