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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Land Registration Imperfect Title Requires Possession Since June 12 1945
Supreme Court clarifies that 30 years of possession is not enough; possession must trace back to June 12, 1945 for land registration.
Negligence in Public Service: Distinguishing Gross from Simple Neglect and the Right to Backwages
Explains the Supreme Court's distinction between gross and simple neglect of duty in public service, and when backwages may be awarded.
Challenging Ownership The Affidavit Requirement In Third Party Claims Over Levied Property
Third-party claims over levied property need more than a bare affidavit. Learn the rules from Bacos v. Arcega.
Preventive Suspension and Backwages of Local Government Employees Under Investigation
When can a suspended local government employee claim backwages? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule in Plaza v. Court of Appeals.
Mandatory Retirement Age for Water District Employees: The Bayona Case
The Supreme Court affirms that water district employees must retire at 65, not 60, and that forced early retirement entitles them to back salaries.
Reinstatement and Full Backwages for Illegal Dismissal: What Employers Must Prove in Redundancy Cases
The Supreme Court explains when redundancy dismissals are illegal and why reinstatement with full backwages is the remedy.
Backwages in Illegal Dismissal: When the Employer’s Obligation Ends
Backwages in illegal dismissal accrue until actual reinstatement or payment of separation pay, per Mt. Carmel College v. Resuena.
Compromise Agreements Upholding Judicial Decisions AND Preventing Reneging ON Obligations
When a compromise agreement is approved by the court, can a party later back out? This case explains the binding effect of such agreements.
Upholding Decorum: False Accusations Among Court Employees and Administrative Liability
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how courts treat unproven accusations among judiciary employees and what happens when grave charges are not backed by evidence.
Party-List Proportionality: The Veterans Formula After CIBAC v. COMELEC
The Supreme Court clarifies the correct formula for computing additional party-list seats, reaffirming the Veterans ruling in CIBAC v. COMELEC.
Forum Shopping and Res Judicata: When Filing a Second Civil Case Backfires
The Supreme Court explains how filing a second case over the same vessel violated the rule against forum shopping and triggered res judicata.
Prolonged Suspension Equals Constructive Dismissal: Security Guard Rights Under Philippine Labor Law
When a security guard's preventive suspension lasts beyond 30 days without pay, it becomes constructive dismissal entitling the worker to reinstatement and backwages.
Unjustified Meralco Bills: Know Your Rights and Fight Back
A Supreme Court ruling protects consumers from unjust differential billing. Learn the limits on electric companies' collection powers.
Is 24% Interest Legal in the Philippines? Bacolor v. Banco Filipino Explained
The Supreme Court in Bacolor v. Banco Filipino ruled that a 24% annual interest rate agreed upon in writing is not usurious or unconscionable.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Employee Rights Under the Boundary System
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on jeepney drivers under the boundary system, illegal dismissal, and employee rights to reinstatement and backwages.
Forum Shopping in Philippine Courts: Why Filing Multiple Cases Can Backfire
Learn how the Supreme Court defines forum shopping, why filing multiple cases over the same dispute can get a case dismissed, and what the certification against forum shopping requires.
When a Judge’s Delay and Dishonesty Undermine the Right to Speedy Trial
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge’s 13-year case backlog and falsified certificates of service, and what it means for the constitutional right to speedy justice.
Falsification of Public Documents: When Collective Signatures Do Not Equal Collective Guilt
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies individual criminal liability for falsification of public documents in collective decision-making bodies like the PBAC.
Procedural Rules vs Substantial Justice: When Technicalities Take a Backseat
The Supreme Court affirms that minor procedural lapses in appellate briefs should not trump substantive rights and substantial justice.
Dilatory Tactics and the Five-Year Rule: When Delaying Execution Backfires
The Supreme Court condemns a losing party's dilatory tactics that delayed execution of a final judgment for years, clarifying the five-year rule on execution by motion.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Reinstatement and Backwages Explained
Understand the rights of illegally dismissed employees in the Philippines—reinstatement, full backwages, and other benefits under Article 279 of the Labor Code.
When Strikes Become Illegal: Collective Bargaining Rights and Union Representation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when strikes are illegal, who can be dismissed, and the rules on backwages for union members.
Illegal Dismissal: Abandonment Defense Fails, Backwages Still Due
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal, abandonment defense, and the right to full backwages even when separation pay is awarded.
Illegal Dismissal Burden of Proof: Employer Must Substantiate Abandonment Claims
In Velasco v. NLRC, the Supreme Court clarified that employers bear the burden of proving abandonment in illegal dismissal cases, and that separation pay does not replace backwages.