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.
Upholding Justice When Procedural Technicalities Give Way to Substantial Rights
A party who participates in irregular trial proceedings without objection cannot later question them to escape an adverse ruling.
Orchestrating Death: Conspiracy and Accountability in Murder Cases
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling shows how a hacienda overseer who ordered killings was held liable as a principal under conspiracy doctrine.
Service of Summons on Corporations: Due Process and Jurisdictional Validity
When is service of summons on a corporation valid? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on proper service, substantial compliance, and jurisdiction.
When Courts May Suspend Ejectment Proceedings: Balancing Possession and Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court explains the narrow exception when an ejectment case may be suspended pending an ownership action, and why equity matters.
Qualified Theft vs Robbery with Homicide: Force and Intent Distinguished
Supreme Court clarifies when unlawful taking without proven force is qualified theft, not robbery with homicide.
Credibility of Rape Victim's Testimony: The Requisite Standard for Conviction
In rape cases, the victim's credible testimony alone can sustain a conviction. The Supreme Court explains the standard.
Reversion of Fraudulent Land Titles: The State's Right to Reclaim Public Property
The Supreme Court affirms the State's power to revert fraudulently acquired public land, even after the one-year indefeasibility period.
State Immunity vs Personal Liability: Defining the Limits of Official Authority
The Supreme Court clarifies when public officials can be sued personally despite state immunity, using the Lansang v. Court of Appeals case.
Defining Sandiganbayan’s Jurisdiction Over Sequestered Assets and PCGG Authority
The Supreme Court clarifies the Sandiganbayan’s exclusive jurisdiction over incidents related to sequestered assets, reinforcing PCGG’s authority to protect ill-gotten wealth.
Appeals From Ombudsman Decisions: Understanding Jurisdictional Boundaries
Learn how the Supreme Court clarifies jurisdictional boundaries in appeals from Ombudsman decisions and related ill-gotten wealth cases.
Treachery and Witness Credibility: Examining Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Murder Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when abuse of superior strength qualifies murder, and why credible witnesses outweigh bare denials in Philippine criminal cases.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder, emphasizing that sudden attacks from a heated argument may only constitute homicide.
State Witness Discharge and Justice in Philippine Robbery With Homicide Cases
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on discharging an accused as state witness in robbery with homicide, and the limits of that discharge.
The Perils of Superior Strength: How Conspiracy Elevates Homicide to Murder
A Supreme Court ruling shows how conspiracy and abuse of superior strength can raise a killing from homicide to murder.
Circumstantial Evidence and Eyewitness Testimony in Rape of a Minor: People v. Torejos
The Supreme Court affirms a death sentence for rape of a three-year-old, clarifying evidentiary rules on witness credibility and circumstantial proof.
Child Witnesses and Acts of Lasciviousness: The Dulla Case Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when a child can testify and how acts of lasciviousness differ from rape in this 2000 ruling.
Probable Cause and Warrants of Arrest: Ensuring Judicial Independence
The Supreme Court clarifies probable cause standards for warrants, reinforcing judicial independence in determining probable cause for arrests.
Protecting the Defenseless: Upholding Conviction for Child Rape Despite Claims of Unreliable Testimony
The Supreme Court affirms that a child of tender years can be a credible witness, upholding a conviction for acts of lasciviousness against a minor.
When RTCs Overstep Jurisdiction in Barangay Election Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies that only the COMELEC, not the RTC, may hear certiorari cases arising from barangay election protests.
Agrarian Reform Landowners Retention Rights Prevail Over Tenant Emancipation Patents
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how landowner retention rights under agrarian reform interact with tenant emancipation patents.
Finality of Judgment vs Insolvency Proceedings: Protecting Creditors' Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a final and executory judgment prevails over insolvency stay orders, and the proper remedy for assignees.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conspiracy: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence and conspiracy, explaining the rules for proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Reliance on Official Advice as Good Faith Defense in Anti-Graft Cases
Supreme Court holds that public officers who rely on prevailing BIR opinions act in good faith and cannot be liable under Section 3(e) of RA 3019.
Protecting Childhood: Supreme Court Upholds Conviction in Child Rape Case
The Supreme Court affirms a reclusion perpetua conviction for statutory rape of a nine-year-old, clarifying rules on victim credibility, alibi, and damages.