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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Judicial Accountability: Fines for Delayed Case Resolutions and Disregarding Court Directives
Supreme Court ruling on judge fined P20,000 for delayed decisions and ignoring directives, reinforcing judicial accountability.
Incestuous Rape Proving Minority Of The Victim For Imposition Of Death Penalty
The Supreme Court clarifies rules on proving victim's minority in incestuous rape cases for the death penalty.
Rape and Due Process: Fair Trial Rights in Philippine Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies how trial judges may question witnesses in rape cases without violating the accused's right to a fair trial.
Electoral Protests: COMELEC's Power to Correct Errors and the Essence of Due Process
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on COMELEC's authority to correct canvass errors and what due process truly requires in election cases.
Murder Conviction Upheld: Treachery and Voluntary Surrender in People v. Arca
The Supreme Court clarifies treachery in murder cases and the mitigating effect of voluntary surrender in People v. Arca.
Conspiracy and Homicide: Determining Individual Liability in Group Crimes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy in group crimes, and why a conviction for murder was reduced to homicide.
Voluntary Surrender as a Mitigating Factor in Murder Cases
The Supreme Court explains when voluntary surrender qualifies as a mitigating circumstance in murder, reducing the penalty from death to reclusion perpetua.
Perfected Land Sale vs. Subsequent Buyers: Good Faith and Notice in Property Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a perfected and partly consummated land sale defeats later buyers who had notice of a prior adverse claim.
Private Land vs Free Patent: Protecting Ownership Rights in the Philippines
A free patent issued over private land is void. Learn the rules on ownership, possession, and title validity from this Supreme Court case.
Treachery and Conspiracy in Stone Pelting: Understanding Murder Convictions in the Philippines
How the Supreme Court applied treachery and conspiracy to uphold murder convictions in a fatal stone-pelting attack in Sorsogon.
Judicial Delay: A Judge's Duty to Decide Cases on Time and Uphold Public Trust
The Supreme Court holds judges accountable for undue delay in deciding cases, reaffirming the constitutional mandate for timely justice and public confidence in the judiciary.
Murder Conviction Upheld: Credibility of Witnesses and Civil Damages in People v. Pacuancuan
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction based on witness credibility, clarifies damages for death by treachery in People v. Pacuancuan.
Perfecting a Sale vs. Transfer of Ownership: Forged Documents and Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when ownership transfers in a sale, and why forged documents cannot defeat a registered owner's title.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Murder Conviction
The Supreme Court explains why eyewitness identification by face outweighs alibi and how treachery must be proven in murder cases.
Corporate Officers' Apparent Authority and Breach of Warranties in Stock Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on corporate president's apparent authority to bind company and breach of warranty claims in stock purchase agreements.
When Can a Corporate President Bind the Corporation? Lessons from Inter-Asia v. Asia Industries
A corporate president can bind the corporation even without board authority under apparent authority. Learn the rules from this Supreme Court case.
Per Diem vs Other Compensation: Allowable Remuneration for Water District Board Members
The Supreme Court clarifies that water district board members may receive only per diems under PD 198, not allowances or bonuses.
Guilt Beyond Silence: How Confessions to Friends Can Seal Your Fate in Philippine Courts
A Supreme Court ruling shows that admitting a crime to a friend can be used as evidence against you in Philippine courts.
Competency of Witnesses: Testimony of Persons with Mental Retardation in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms that a person with mental retardation can be a competent witness in rape cases if able to perceive and relate facts.
Presumption of Innocence and Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a father of four rape counts, ruling that vague testimony and medical findings alone cannot overcome the presumption of innocence.
Gross Receipts Tax on Banks Includes Withheld Interest Income
Supreme Court rules the 20% final withholding tax on interest income forms part of a bank's gross receipts for gross receipts tax purposes.
When Robbery Evidence Fails: Acquittal for Lack of Corpus Delicti
The Supreme Court acquits an accused in robbery with homicide where the prosecution failed to prove the taking of property, explaining the necessity of establishing corpus delicti beyond reasonable do
Eyewitness Testimony and Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court weighed eyewitness accounts against a self-defense claim, and why a killing at the spur of the moment is homicide, not murder.
Intervention Denied: Maritime Liens, Forum Shopping in Ship Mortgage Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when mortgagees may intervene in crew wage claims and warns against forum shopping in vessel foreclosure cases.