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.
When Self Defense Becomes Homicide: Treachery and Unlawful Aggression in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a claim of self-defense fails and why a killing is homicide, not murder, absent treachery.
When A Back Attack Isnt Always Murder Examining Treachery IN Philippine Criminal LAW
The Supreme Court clarifies that a shot to the back does not automatically mean treachery, explaining when killing is homicide instead of murder.
When Self-Defense Fails: Understanding Homicide vs. Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when a killing becomes homicide, not murder, and why a weak self-defense claim can backfire.
Stop-and-Frisk Doctrine: Balancing Public Safety and Individual Rights in Drug Cases
Explaining the stop-and-frisk exception to warrantless searches in Philippine drug cases, and how courts balance public safety with constitutional rights.
Illegal Firearm Possession: Understanding the Nuances of Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts decide illegal firearm possession cases, from warrantless searches to penalties under RA 8294.
Gross Ignorance of the Law: When Judges Overstep Their Authority
A Supreme Court ruling on when a judge's sentencing errors become gross ignorance of the law warranting administrative sanctions.
Self-Defense and Voluntary Surrender: Key Lessons from a Philippine Murder Case
A Philippine Supreme Court case clarifies when self-defense fails and voluntary surrender mitigates murder liability. Learn the rules.
When Judges Err in Sentencing: Gross Ignorance of the Law Explained
Learn when a judge's sentencing error becomes gross ignorance of the law, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on indeterminate penalties.
Retroactive Application of Reduced Penalties: A Guide to R.A. 7659
When can a final sentence be reduced by a new law? The Supreme Court explains the retroactive effect of R.A. 7659 on drug penalties.
Buy-Bust Operations: When Is a Warrantless Arrest Valid in Drug Cases
Philippine Supreme Court explains why buy-bust arrests are valid warrantless arrests in drug cases, and clarifies the rules on entrapment and searches.
Positive Identification in Philippine Criminal Law: When Is It Enough for Conviction
When does a witness's positive identification suffice for conviction? The Supreme Court explains in People v. Compendio.
When Self-Defense Fails: Proving Unlawful Aggression in Philippine Criminal Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why bare claims of self-defense fail without credible witnesses, and when treachery and evident premeditation do not qualify a killing.