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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Abandonment in Employment: The Imperative of Intent and the Employer’s Duty to Notify
Explore the Supreme Court ruling on abandonment of work, focusing on the employee's intent and the employer's responsibility to issue notices.
Understanding Reasonable Doubt and Guilty Pleas in Philippine Criminal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on guilty pleas, territorial jurisdiction, and conviction based on evidence rather than plea alone.
Bail Pending Appeal After Conviction: Why Discretion Is Not Automatic
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling in Leviste v. Court of Appeals on bail pending appeal, judicial discretion, and the limits of certiorari.
Superior Registered Title Prevails Protecting Prior Land Rights Despite Subsequent Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an earlier registered title beats later buyers, even innocent purchasers for value.
Right of First Refusal Protects Lessees Over Third-Party Buyers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how a lessee's right of first refusal can override a sale to a third party, even a government entity.
Right of First Refusal in Lease Agreements: What Lessees Should Know
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that right of first refusal in lease contracts survives expiration and binds the lessor to offer the property first.
Free Speech vs Child Protection: MTRCB's Power to Suspend TV Programs
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that allowed MTRCB to suspend a TV program for violating its G-rating with vulgar language, balancing free speech and child protection.
Jurisdictional Estoppel When Participation Waives Objections in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how active participation in trial can bar a party from later questioning the court's jurisdiction in property cases.
Deception and Deployment: Understanding Illegal Recruitment and Estafa in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how illegal recruitment in large scale differs from estafa, and why both can apply to the same fraudulent scheme.
Due Process in Election Protests: The Importance of Timely Evidence Presentation
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that due process in election protests means a reasonable opportunity to be heard—not unlimited time to present evidence.
Fixed Price Contracts NO Extra PAY Without Written Approval FOR Construction Changes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on fixed price contracts: no extra pay for construction changes without written approval. Learn the rules.
Fixed Price Contracts: No Recovery for Unapproved Additional Costs
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on fixed lump-sum contracts: contractors cannot recover additional costs without written approval under Article 1724.
Protecting Children: Upholding the Credibility of Child Victims in Parental Abuse Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a child victim's testimony is given full weight in incestuous rape cases, and why an intact hymen does not disprove rape.
Illegal Dismissal and Serious Misconduct as Just Cause for Termination
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when misconduct justifies dismissal, why the penalty must fit the offense, and how employers must prove a valid termination.
Withdrawal of Application Can Overcome Misrepresentation Claims in Overseas Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a worker's withdrawal of application defeats claims of misrepresentation and non-issuance of receipts against recruitment agencies.
Sharia Courts and Property Disputes: Concurrent Jurisdiction in Muslim Mindanao
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that Sharia District Courts share jurisdiction with regular courts over real property cases involving Muslims.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: Why Courts Defer to Agency Expertise
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why parties must exhaust administrative remedies and file motions for reconsideration before seeking court relief.
Default Orders and Due Process: Protecting Contractors' Rights in Construction Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on default orders, due process, and corporate officer liability in construction payment disputes.
Seafarers Disability: Work-Related Aggravation and Employer Liability
Supreme Court ruling on seafarer's colon cancer compensability, work-related aggravation, and employer liability for total disability benefits.
Disbarment for Attorney Misconduct: Court Personnel Extortion and Abuse of Authority
Court personnel extorting litigants face severe penalties. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling on gross misconduct, bribery, and abuse of authority.
Jurisdiction vs Finality: Balancing Labor Rights and Procedural Rules
A Supreme Court ruling on when alleged lack of jurisdiction can—and cannot—be raised to overturn a final labor order.
Smoking Ban Enforcement: When Rules Fail to Designate Smoking Areas
A Supreme Court ruling on smoking in stairwells shows why workplace smoking bans must designate where employees can legally smoke.
Buy-Bust Operations: Proving Illegal Drug Sale and Possession Beyond Reasonable Doubt
A Supreme Court ruling affirms that buy-bust operations can establish both illegal drug sale and possession, and explains what evidence courts require for conviction.
Confessions to Media and Circumstantial Evidence in Robbery With Homicide Cases
Supreme Court ruling on when media confessions and circumstantial evidence suffice to convict in robbery with homicide cases.