Legal Insights

When Government Sequestration Collides With Contractual Obligations Resolving Jurisdictional Disputes

Judicial Due Process When Haste Makes Waste in Nullity Cases

Two judges fined for gross ignorance of procedure after rushing a marriage nullity case, depriving the husband of due process.

Double Sale of Immovable Property: Good Faith as the Decisive Factor in Land Ownership Disputes

Learn how good faith determines ownership in double sale cases under Philippine law, and what buyers must do to protect their property rights.

Default Judgments in Ejectment Cases: Upholding Due Process and the Rules of Summary Procedure

Learn how the Supreme Court protects due process in ejectment cases, emphasizing strict adherence to procedural rules and the proper grounds for default judgments.

When Contract Claims Must Yield to the Sandiganbayan: Jurisdiction Over Sequestered Assets

A contract dispute over sequestered shares belongs to the Sandiganbayan, not the regular courts, when the assets are subject of ill-gotten wealth cases.

Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Victim's Mental Incapacity: People v. Constantino

The Supreme Court affirmed a rape conviction where the victim had the mental age of a child, clarifying that mental incapacity negates consent under Philippine law.

Reasonable Doubt and Prior Inconsistent Actions in Philippine Rape Cases

How the Supreme Court weighed credibility, prior sexual history, and the sweetheart defense in a rape conviction.

Accountability FOR Accomplices Establishing Conspiracy AND Liability IN Murder Cases

Burden of Proof in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Employer's Duty to Certify Illness

In Duterte v. Kingswood Trading, the Supreme Court held the employer, not the worker, must prove that illness justified a dismissal.

Mandatory Foreclosure: GFIs Must Verify Borrower Payments Before Proceeding

Supreme Court ruling on P.D. 385: government financial institutions must verify borrower payments before mandatory foreclosure.

Government Liability When Illegal Land Seizure Requires Just Compensation

Supreme Court ruling on government liability for illegally seized property, default judgments, and limits on monetary awards.

Accountable Public Officer Failing to Render Accounts: Liability for Cash Advances

Municipal mayors who receive cash advances are accountable officers. Failure to liquidate or return disallowed funds within two months is a crime under Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code.

Duterte v. Kingswood: Burden of Proof in Disease-Based Dismissals

Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers, not employees, must secure a health authority certification to validly terminate on disease grounds.

Prior Court Rulings Bind Later Appeals: Default Judgment Limits Explained

A bank's repeated procedural challenges failed when earlier rulings became the law of the case. Learn how default judgments and prior decisions shape litigation.

Valid Buy-Bust Operation Upholds Conviction Despite Chain of Custody Concerns in Drug Cases

The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, ruling that minor lapses in chain of custody do not automatically warrant acquittal when the evidence's integrity is preserved.

Binding Amicable Settlements: Understanding Repudiation in Barangay Justice

When is a barangay amicable settlement binding? The Supreme Court explains repudiation rules under the Local Government Code.

Motion for Reconsideration: An Essential Step Before Certiorari

Learn why the Supreme Court requires a motion for reconsideration before filing a petition for certiorari, and the exceptions to this rule.

Real Property Tax Exemption: Government Instrumentalities vs. Beneficial Use by Private Entities

When does a government agency's real property tax exemption end? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on leased government properties.

Shares of Stock and Due Diligence: Examining the Duty to Verify Ownership in Legal Disputes

A look at Jimmy T. Go v. Abrogar, where the Supreme Court ruled on the duty to verify share ownership before claiming attachment rights.

Rape Shield Consent AND Credibility IN Sexual Assault Cases

Philippine Government Employees and the Right to Protest: Understanding the Limits of Mass Actions

The Supreme Court clarifies the scope of civil servants' right to protest and the legal boundaries of mass actions in the Philippines.

Trust Receipts AND Estafa When Does Failure TO PAY Constitute Criminal Liability

Bouncing Checks LAW Intent NOT A Defense Strict Liability Prevails

Double Jeopardy and Amendment of Information: Pacoy v. Cajigal Explained

When can a court amend a charge from homicide to murder after arraignment? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on amendment, substitution, and double jeopardy.