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.
Pactum Commissorium: When Mortgage Agreements Unfairly Benefit Lenders
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on mortgage validity, unconscionable interest rates, and when borrowers cannot escape contractual obligations.
Intent to Kill in Philippine Law: How Courts Prove Homicide and Fix Penalties
Philippine courts explain how intent to kill is proven in homicide cases, and when penalty and damages must be corrected on appeal.
Navigating Factual Disputes: The Supreme Court's Stance on Appellate Review
The Supreme Court clarifies when appellate courts may review factual findings and correct arbitrary penalties in homicide convictions.
Priority of Registered Adverse Claims Over Subsequent Mortgages: Protecting Land Rights in the Philippines
Learn how a registered adverse claim protects land rights against subsequent mortgages, and why prior registration prevails under Philippine property law.
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.
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.
DARAB Jurisdiction Over Annulment of Land Sales Under CARP Coverage
Supreme Court clarifies DARAB jurisdiction over annulment of deeds of sale for agricultural lands covered by CARP, even without notice of coverage.
Construction Delays: Who Bears the Cost? Lessons from BF Corp v. Werdenberg
A Supreme Court ruling on construction delays clarifies how courts apportion liability and compute liquidated damages when both parties share fault.
Preventive Suspension Limits and Employer Rights in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when employers may impose successive preventive suspensions and the rules on appeal bonds in labor cases.
NCIP Jurisdiction: Protecting Indigenous Rights vs. Rights of Non-Indigenous Parties
The Supreme Court clarifies when the NCIP has jurisdiction over disputes involving indigenous peoples and non-indigenous parties under IPRA.
Finality vs. Recomputation: Computing Monetary Awards in Illegal Dismissal Cases
A final illegal dismissal ruling does not bar recomputation of back wages and separation pay. Learn the rules and key dates.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Proving Suicide as a Defense Against Employer Liability
The Supreme Court explains when an employer may escape liability for seafarer death benefits by proving suicide as a willful act.
Loan Payments and Proof: When a Certification Can Tip the Scales in Debt Disputes
A car loan dispute shows how a certification of payment can shift the burden of proof in Philippine debt cases.
Simulated Contracts: When a Deed of Sale Isn't Really a Sale
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of sale is absolutely simulated and void, using Tanchuling v. Cantela as a guide.
Navigating the Chain: Establishing Drug Possession and Extortion Defenses in Philippine Law
A look at how Philippine courts weigh buy-bust evidence, chain of custody, and the disfavored defense of extortion in drug cases.
Conflicting Medical Reports: When a Seafarer Gets Full Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court rules on conflicting company doctor reports, entitling seafarer to full permanent disability benefits under POEA-SEC.
Limits of a General Power of Attorney Authority to Sell Real Property in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a general power of attorney does not authorize an agent to sell real property without a special power of attorney.
Common Carriers and Passenger Safety: Defining the Scope of Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when a bus company is liable for a passenger's death caused by a co-passenger, distinguishing extraordinary diligence from ordinary care.
Inducement in Homicide: When Words Lead to Criminal Liability
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Ambagan v. People on when spoken words can make a person liable as principal by inducement in homicide.
Reinstatement Orders of Voluntary Arbitrators Are Immediately Executory—Even Pending Appeal
The Supreme Court confirms that reinstatement orders by Voluntary Arbitrators are immediately executory, even pending appeal, protecting workers' security of tenure.
Upholding Civil Liability: Death Does Not Erase Debt in B.P. 22 Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that criminal liability for B.P. 22 does not extinguish civil liability, which survives the offender's death.
Supreme Court Voids 'Right to Top' Clause in Government Asset Sale: Osmeña v. PSALM
The Supreme Court invalidated a 'right to top' provision in a government land lease, reaffirming that competitive public bidding protects public interest.
Termination Disputes and Choice of Law: Protecting Philippine Labor Rights in Cross-Border Employment
Philippine labor tribunals can hear termination disputes involving foreign employers; Philippine law applies when the worker's duties are performed here.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Victim Testimony and Procedural Compliance in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a father for qualified rape, underscoring the weight of credible victim testimony and the importance of procedural compliance.