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.
Accomplice Liability: Proving the Degree of Participation in Homicide Cases
When is a person an accomplice rather than a principal in a killing? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on participation and liability.
Lingnam Restaurant Case: Labor-Only Contracting Makes Principal the Employer
Supreme Court clarifies when a manpower agency is a labor-only contractor, making the client the true employer liable for illegal dismissal.
Intent to Kill: Distinguishing Attempted Murder From Slight Physical Injuries in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a harmful act is attempted murder or only slight physical injuries, focusing on intent to kill.
Seafarer Disability Claims: When the Company Doctor's "Fit to Work" Ruling Fails
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer gets total permanent disability benefits despite a company doctor's fit-to-work certification.
Rape Penetration Without Hymenal Rupture: What the Supreme Court Says
The Supreme Court clarifies that full penetration and hymenal rupture are not required for rape conviction under Philippine law.
Treachery Unveiled: When Sudden Attack Does Not Mean Murder
Supreme Court clarifies that sudden attack alone does not prove treachery, reducing a murder conviction to homicide.
The High Cost of Homicide: Establishing Liability in Robbery With Homicide Cases
A look at how Philippine courts convict in robbery with homicide, from proving intent to the price of damages.
Limits on Allowances When Public Funds Demand Strict Interpretation
The Supreme Court upheld COA's disallowance of PhilHealth board allowances, ruling that public funds demand strict interpretation of what the law allows.
Testimony After Trauma: Res Gestae and Proving Guilt in Rape Cases
When a rape victim dies before trial, can her words still convict? The Supreme Court explains the res gestae exception to hearsay.
Upholding Contractual Freedom: Injunctive Relief and the Limits of Exclusivity in Lottery Operations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when injunctive relief fails absent a clear legal right, using the PCSO-PGMC lottery lease dispute.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Individual Liability for Corporate Fraud
When can directors be personally liable for corporate fraud? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on piercing the corporate veil.
Regular Employment and Labor-Only Contracting: Lingat v. Coca-Cola Bottlers
Supreme Court clarifies when agency-hired workers are regular employees of the principal employer, and the limits of labor contracting.
Regular Employee Status: Distinguishing Independent Contractors From Labor-Only Contracting
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when workers are regular employees despite agency transfers, distinguishing independent contractors from labor-only contracting.
Taming Unconscionable Interest: Reassessing Loan Obligations and Attorney's Fees in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies how courts temper unconscionable loan interest rates and when attorney's fees may be awarded in foreclosure cases.
Entrapment vs Instigation: Defining the Boundaries of Drug Law Enforcement in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between entrapment and instigation in drug cases, upholding a buy-bust conviction under RA 9165.
Aider and Abettor Establishing Criminal Liability in Rape Cases Through Conspiracy
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a person who aids a rape by holding the victim's legs is equally guilty through conspiracy.
Seafarers Disability: The 240-Day Rule and the Right to Full Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's disability is deemed permanent and total under the 240-day rule, and why a timely company-doctor assessment matters.
Plagiarism in Academia: Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal of UE Professors for Misrepresentation
Supreme Court upholds dismissal of professors for plagiarism, misrepresentation, and breach of trust, clarifying stare decisis and waiver rules.
Accountability Prevails: Principals Liable for Homicide During Robbery Regardless of Direct Participation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that all participants in a robbery are liable for robbery with homicide even if they did not personally kill.
Possession Is Prima Facie Evidence: Understanding Fencing Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains how mere possession of stolen goods can convict a person of fencing under PD 1612, and clarifies the proper penalty.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conspiracy in Homicide Cases: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How Philippine courts use circumstantial evidence and conspiracy to establish guilt in homicide cases beyond reasonable doubt.
Supreme Court on Land Registration Decree Re-Issuance: No Prescription for Old Titles
The Supreme Court clarifies that land registration decrees do not prescribe, allowing re-issuance of old decrees and issuance of OCTs even decades later.
Contractor Relationships and the Test for Employer Liability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the control test for employer liability in contractor relationships, and the duties of lawyers and notaries.
Bank's Failure to Release Loan Funds Nullifies Foreclosure of Mortgage
Philippine Supreme Court rules a bank's breach of a credit agreement bars foreclosure, explaining borrower's reciprocal obligation to pay only arises after full release of loan proceeds.