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.
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.
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.
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.
Mandamus and Judicial Duty: Enforcing Court Orders in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on interlocutory orders, summary judgment, and the ministerial duty of courts to execute final judgments.
Forcible Abduction and Rape: When "Elopement" Is Actually a Crime
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies forcible abduction, rape, and grave coercion in People v. De Lara, distinguishing consensual elopement from criminal force.
Right to Photocopy Ballots in Philippine Election Protests: Due Process and Fair Elections
A look at the Supreme Court's ruling on a COMELEC order declaring a ghost precinct, and the due process rights of voters in election protests.
Lost Court Exhibits: When Court Personnel Are Held Liable
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on sheriff's liability for lost firearms held as court exhibits, explaining duties of clerks of court.
Rape Conviction of 82-Year-Old Upheld: Age, Impotency, and Credibility Examined
The Supreme Court affirms an octogenarian's rape conviction, ruling that old age and alleged impotency do not automatically negate criminal liability.
Tenant Redemption Rights: Time Limits and Land Ownership Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the two-year redemption period for agricultural tenants under RA 3844 and its effect on land transfers.
Expropriation in the Philippines: When Can Land Be Sold During Proceedings
Learn when landowners can still sell property during expropriation proceedings and who gets just compensation, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Appeal vs Certiorari in Philippine Courts: Why the Wrong Remedy Can Cost You Your Case
Philippine Supreme Court explains why appeal and certiorari are not interchangeable remedies, and how choosing wrong can be fatal.
Conspiracy in Philippine Criminal Law: Establishing Shared Criminal Intent
Explaining conspiracy in Philippine criminal law through People v. Flora, where the Supreme Court clarified the limits of co-conspirator liability.
When Delayed Justice Becomes Administrative Liability: The Case of Judge Aquino
The Supreme Court fined a judge P5,000 for failing to decide cases within the reglementary period, reaffirming that delayed justice is denied justice.
Understanding Novation in Philippine Contract Law: When Does a New Agreement Cancel the Old
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a new contract cancels an old one, and why novation is never presumed in law.
Police Use of Force in the Philippines: When Is Homicide Justified
The Supreme Court clarifies when a police officer's use of deadly force is justified, and when it becomes homicide.
When a Nullity Case Is Not a Prejudicial Question in Concubinage Prosecutions
A nullity of marriage case does not automatically suspend a concubinage prosecution. The Supreme Court explains why.
Bail in Capital Offenses: The Mandatory Hearing Requirement
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why judges must hold a hearing before granting bail in capital offenses like rape.
Stare Decisis in Property Disputes: Tala Realty vs. Banco Filipino
How the Supreme Court applied stare decisis to settle a property dispute between Tala Realty and Banco Filipino over conflicting lease contracts.
Eminent Domain in the Philippines: Why RTCs Always Have Jurisdiction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that expropriation suits are incapable of pecuniary estimation, so RTCs have exclusive jurisdiction regardless of property value.
When Does an Agreement Become Legally Binding? The BF Homes Case on Perfected Contracts
Learn when a contract becomes legally binding in the Philippines, based on the Supreme Court's BF Homes ruling on homeowners' rights and jurisdiction.
Upholding Statutory Intent: HDMF Rule-Making Power and Employee Benefit Exemptions
Supreme Court rules HDMF exceeded its authority by requiring both provident and housing plans for Pag-IBIG exemption.
Incestuous Rape and the Moral Ascendancy Standard: Key Lessons from People v. Nava
The Supreme Court explains the moral ascendancy standard in incestuous rape and why qualifying circumstances must be pleaded in the information.
Jurisdictional Threshold Resolving Agrarian Disputes in Ejectment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when ejectment cases must be referred to agrarian courts, and the importance of hearing jurisdictional issues.
When Mental Illness Raises Doubt: The Estrada Case on Competency to Stand Trial
Philippine Supreme Court nullifies a murder conviction where the trial court ignored evidence of the accused's mental illness and denied a mental examination.