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.
Pollution Adjudication Board Jurisdiction: Balancing Environmental Protection and Mining Regulations
The Supreme Court clarifies that the Pollution Adjudication Board retains jurisdiction over pollution cases involving mining operations, despite the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
Deceptive Check Issuance and Fraud in Estafa Cases Involving Postdated Checks
When does issuing a postdated check become estafa? The Supreme Court explains the crucial role of deceit in People v. Panganiban.
Clerk of Court Dismissed for Misconduct Upholding Fiscal Responsibility in the Philippine Judiciary
Supreme Court dismisses a clerk of court for grave misconduct, emphasizing the judiciary's strict fiscal accountability standards.
Judicial Accountability: Due Process in Ejectment Cases and the Ombudsman's Limits
When can the Ombudsman investigate a judge? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on judicial accountability in ejectment cases.
When Can a Trial Court Resolve a Motion to Quash a Search Warrant Issued by Another Court?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies which court resolves a motion to quash a search warrant when the criminal case is pending in a different court.
Perfecting Appeals: The Mandatory Nature of Docket Fee Payments in Philippine Courts
A look at the Supreme Court's ruling on judges' duties in execution orders, sheriff accountability, and procedural fairness in Philippine courts.
Incestuous Rape Conviction: Corroborated Testimony of Victim and Eyewitness Sustains Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms a father's death sentence for raping his 11-year-old daughter, relying on the victim's credible testimony corroborated by an eyewitness.
Sandiganbayan Jurisdiction Over Special Civil Actions: The Abbot Ruling
When can the Sandiganbayan hear certiorari and prohibition petitions? The Supreme Court clarifies its expanded jurisdiction under RA 7975.
Accountability in Conspiracy: Establishing Homicide Liability in Philippine Law
How Philippine courts infer conspiracy from concerted acts, and why each conspirator is liable for the crimes committed by the group.
Circumstantial Evidence in Carnapping with Homicide: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How the Supreme Court upheld a carnapping conviction based on circumstantial evidence, explaining the rules on identification, alibi, and damages.
Protecting Child Rape Victims: Why Precision in Criminal Charges Matters
The Supreme Court affirms a stepfather's rape conviction but spares his life because the information misstated his relationship to the victim.
Mistaken Identity vs Positive Identification: When a Wrong Name Does Not Exonerate a Killer
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether a witness's wrong name for the accused destroys identification and exonerates the killer.
When Does a Fistfight Turn Into Murder? Understanding Treachery in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden attack from behind qualifies as treachery, and when it does not, in a Philippine homicide case.
Attorneys Fees and Simulated Sales: Protecting Lawyers' Rights in the Philippines
A lawyer's right to collect contingent fees can extend to challenging simulated sales that defeat payment, as the Supreme Court ruled in Alberto v. Court of Appeals.
Attorney Discipline: Understanding Disbarment and Suspension in the Philippines
Explaining the difference between disbarment and suspension for Philippine lawyers, using the Supreme Court's ruling in Dumadag v. Lumaya.
Self-Defense vs. Unlawful Killing: Homicide and Justification in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when killing is murder, not self-defense, and how treachery is proven in Philippine criminal law.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Intent and Victim Vulnerability
Understand treachery and abuse of superior strength in Philippine criminal law through the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Lazarte.
Rape Conviction Reversal: Why Victim Conduct After the Alleged Assault Matters
Philippine Supreme Court reverses rape conviction, ruling that a complainant's post-incident behavior—writing to and seeking out the accused—can cast reasonable doubt on credibility.
Breaking the Silence: Understanding Rape Convictions in the Philippines — People v. Santos
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction, explaining the law on statutory rape, delayed reporting, and victim credibility.
Modal Institutions in Philippine Wills: Heirs' Obligations and the Rabadilla Ruling
Learn how modal institutions in Philippine wills impose enforceable obligations on heirs, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Rabadilla v. Court of Appeals.
When the Supreme Court Sits En Banc: Jurisdiction in Philippine Land Disputes
Learn when the Supreme Court sits en banc in land disputes, and how jurisdiction and land classification shape property rights in the Philippines.
Reclassifying Highway Robbery: When a Single Robbery Becomes Robbery With Homicide
Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between highway robbery under PD 532 and robbery with homicide under the Revised Penal Code.
Public Sector Strikes: Balancing Employee Rights and Government Service
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on public school teachers' mass actions, explaining why government employees cannot strike and the limits of constitutional rights.
Ombudsman Decisions: When Are They Immediately Executable?
The Supreme Court clarifies when Ombudsman decisions in administrative cases are immediately executory, using the Lapid case as a guide.