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.
Shareholder Rights vs PCGG Authority: Jurisdiction in Corporate Disputes Involving Government Assets
Supreme Court clarifies Sandiganbayan jurisdiction limits in corporate disputes involving sequestered assets and stockholder pre-emptive rights.
Carnapping With Homicide: Conspiracy and Admissibility of Extrajudicial Confessions
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on carnapping with homicide, conspiracy among co-accused, and when extrajudicial confessions to private persons are admissible.
Rape Intimidation As A Substitute FOR Physical Resistance IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that intimidation and moral ascendancy can substitute for physical resistance in statutory rape cases.
Father's Conviction for Raping Minor Daughter Upheld; Death Penalty Affirmed
The Supreme Court affirms the death sentence of a father convicted of qualified rape of his 14-year-old daughter, clarifying rules on victim credibility and damages.
Rape and Defective Informations: Protecting the Rights of the Accused and the Victim
This article examines the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Aquino on the sufficiency of rape informations and the rights of both the accused and the child victim.
Confessions and Constitutional Rights: How Philippine Courts Balance Justice and Due Process in Criminal Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when extrajudicial confessions are admissible and how circumstantial evidence can sustain a conviction in rape with homicide.
Breach of Professional Duty Attorneys Must Avoid Representing Conflicting Interests
Lawyers who represent conflicting interests violate the Code of Professional Responsibility and face suspension from the practice of law.
Percentage Tax on Commercial Brokers: Lessons from Nichimen Corporation
When does a branch office become a commercial broker liable for percentage tax? The Supreme Court clarifies in Nichimen Corporation.
Estoppel Bars Investor from Questioning Contract After Enjoying Its Benefits
Supreme Court ruling on estoppel: an investor cannot question a trading agreement's validity after benefiting from it and suffering losses.
Slightest Penetration Enough for Consummated Rape: Key Philippine Ruling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that the slightest penetration of the vagina consummates rape, even without hymenal laceration or full entry.
Slightest Penetration Consummated Rape Defined in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that slightest penetration of the labia consummates rape, even without hymenal laceration or full entry.
Judges Must File SALN: Lessons from a Cavite Judge's Suspension
A judge's failure to file Statements of Assets and Liabilities for years led to suspension. Learn the SALN rules under RA 6713 and RA 3019.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: Agency Prerogative and Orderly Legal Process
Explore how the Supreme Court upheld SEC disclosure rules for listed banks, clarifying the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and SEC Jurisdiction Over Listed Banks
Supreme Court clarifies that listed banks must comply with SEC disclosure rules despite BSP supervision, explaining agency jurisdiction and administrative remedies.
Stepfather's Rape Conviction Upheld on Credible Victim Testimony
SC affirms stepfather's rape conviction, ruling a credible child victim's testimony alone suffices for conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
Incestuous Rape and Parental Authority: When Consent Is Invalid in Familial Sexual Abuse Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on incestuous rape clarifies that a father's moral ascendancy and threats invalidate any claim of consent from a minor daughter.
Rape Conviction: Consent, Intimidation, and Victim Testimony in Philippine Law
How the Supreme Court weighed intimidation, delayed reporting, and victim credibility in affirming a rape conviction.
Positive Identification in Philippine Criminal Law: Why Witness Testimony Is Key to Conviction
How the Supreme Court reaffirmed that credible witness testimony outweighs alibi and denial in rape convictions, shaping Philippine criminal law.
Unmasking Trust Receipts When a Loan Is Not What It Seems in Philippine Law
When is a trust receipt really just a loan? The Supreme Court clarifies in Colinares v. Court of Appeals.
Defining Kidnapping When Taking A Child Becomes A Crime IN THE Philippines
When does taking a child become kidnapping? The Supreme Court explains the elements of serious illegal detention under the Revised Penal Code.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Ambush Case: The Ditche Decision
In Ditche v. Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court affirmed that positive identification by credible eyewitnesses outweighs the weak defense of alibi.
Honesty is the Best Policy: Understanding Concealment in Philippine Insurance Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when an insurer may deny a claim for concealment, and who may sue on a mortgage redemption insurance policy.
Credibility of Rape Victim Testimony: Insights from People vs. Agunos
Philippine courts may convict on a rape victim's credible testimony alone. Learn the rules from People vs. Agunos.
Motion for Reconsideration Deadlines and Jurisdictional Challenges in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies strict enforcement of motion for reconsideration deadlines and distinguishes certiorari from appeal in jurisdictional challenges.