Legal Insights

Preliminary Injunctions in Foreclosure: Clear Legal Right Required

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts may issue preliminary injunctions to stop extrajudicial foreclosure sales.

Reconveyance vs Quieting of Title: When Co-Owner Claims Do Not Prescribe

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an action for reconveyance is imprescriptible, treating it as a suit to quiet title when the claimant remains in possession.

Employer Liability in Criminal Negligence Cases: When Subsidiary, Not Solidary, Liability Applies

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employers face subsidiary versus solidary liability for employee crimes like reckless imprudence.

Good Faith Construction: Defining Landowner and Builder Rights in Property Disputes

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rights of good faith builders and landowners under Civil Code Articles 448, 546, and 548.

Employer Liability in Criminal Cases: When Civil Liability Is Only Subsidiary

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employers are subsidiarily liable for employee crimes, distinguishing quasi-delict from criminal civil liability.

Tax Credit Certificates: Good Faith Transferees Protected Despite Fraudulent Origins

Philippine Supreme Court rules that a good faith transferee of tax credit certificates cannot be reassessed when the original grantee committed fraud.

Badges of Fraud in Property Sales: When Courts Void Real Estate Deals

Philippine Supreme Court explains how "badges of fraud" can invalidate property sales, even absolute deeds, when fraud taints the transaction.

Freight Forwarder Liability and the $500 Package Limitation Rule in Shipping Disputes

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a freight forwarder becomes a common carrier and the COGSA package limitation rule.

Retirement Age Flexibility: Employer Rights and Employee Expectations in Philippine Labor Law

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on PNB's compulsory retirement at 60, explaining employer rights and employee expectations under Article 287.

Procedural Due Process in Termination: When Post-Complaint Actions Uphold Dismissal Legality

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that notices sent after an illegal dismissal complaint may still satisfy procedural due process if not a mere afterthought.

Liability for Negligence: Contractual vs Extra-Contractual Obligations in Philippine Law

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when negligence gives rise to contractual liability versus quasi-delict, using a damaged cargo case as example.

Demand Is Key to Rescission Rights in Philippine Contract Law

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that demand is essential before rescission or foreclosure rights can be exercised under contract law.

Contractor and Subcontractor Liability for Negligence in Cargo Handling

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on liability of contractors and subcontractors for negligence of employees in cargo delivery operations.

Breach of Trust: When Banks Overstep Their Authority Over Depositor Accounts

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on bank liability for unauthorized deductions from depositor accounts and the fiduciary duty of banks.

Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Integrity of Evidence Is Key

Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why the chain of custody of seized drugs matters and when minor lapses will not acquit an accused.

Navigating Government Procurement: The Imperative of Protest Compliance in Philippine Law

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on LRA v. Lanting Security clarifies mandatory protest rules under R.A. 9184 before courts can act.

Illegal Dismissal: Employer's Burden to Prove Valid Termination and Due Process

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer's burden in illegal dismissal cases: valid cause and due process are both required for lawful termination.

Immediate Execution of Damages: Protecting Corporate Dissenting Stockholders' Rights

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that awards for exemplary damages and attorney's fees in intra-corporate disputes are not immediately executory pending appeal.

COGSA One-Year Prescription and Amended Complaints: Lessons from Wallem v. S.R. Farms

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that COGSA's one-year prescriptive period bars claims against newly impleaded defendants in amended complaints.

Maritime Claims: Strict Interpretation of COGSA Prescriptive Period

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the one-year COGSA prescriptive period for maritime cargo claims, emphasizing strict timing rules.

Upholding Government Authority When Public Interest Overrides Private Land Claims In Expropriation

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on expropriation, public interest, and limits of private land claims against government authority.

VAT Refund Apportionment When Exempt Sales Affect Tax Credit Claims

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when VAT refunds on capital goods must be apportioned if a taxpayer also has exempt sales.

Reorganizing Religious Entities: Converting a Corporation Sole into a Corporation Aggregate

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on converting a corporation sole to a corporation aggregate via amended articles, not dissolution.

Resignation vs Constructive Dismissal: What Philippine Employees Must Prove

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when preventive suspension and resignation amount to constructive dismissal, and what employees must prove.