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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Limits of Employer Discipline: Union Office Rules and Employee Rights
Supreme Court ruling on when an employee's violation of company rules may still not justify dismissal, balancing management authority and union rights.
Speedy Disposition of Cases: Balancing Rights and Reasonableness in Preliminary Investigations
When does delay in preliminary investigation violate the right to speedy disposition? The Supreme Court explains the balancing test in Guiani v. Sandiganbayan.
Betrayal of Trust: Incestuous Rape and the Upholding of Victim Testimony in Philippine Courts
A stepgrandfather's rape conviction upheld on appeal, but the death penalty was reduced to reclusion perpetua for lack of minority allegation.
Perfecting Appeals and Court Jurisdiction: What Rape Convictions Teach About Proper Allegations
Learn how the Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua because the information failed to allege the victim's minority.
Simple vs Qualified Rape: Why Allegations in the Information Matter
The Supreme Court explains why the death penalty for qualified rape requires both minority and relationship to be alleged in the information.
Rape Conviction Upheld: The Unreliability of Recantations in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court affirms death penalty for incestuous rape, explaining why delayed reporting and retractions do not destroy a victim's credible testimony.
Back Wages and Illegal Dismissal: What Salas v. PAGCOR Means for Employees
The Supreme Court clarifies that illegally dismissed employees are entitled to back wages even if later found guilty of separate administrative charges.
Accidental Shooting Police Officers Duty AND Criminal Liability IN THE Philippines
When a police officer's gun discharges during an arrest, is it an accident or a crime? The Supreme Court explains the rules on accidental shooting and criminal liability.
Judicial Integrity Clerks OF Court Held TO Strict Standards OF Honesty AND Uprightness
Defining Jurisdiction When Specific Performance Claims Outweigh Monetary Demands In Contract Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies RTC jurisdiction over breach of contract cases where specific performance is the main action, not the monetary claim.
Prescription in Insurance Claims: When Does the Clock Really Start Ticking
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when the prescriptive period for insurance claims begins, protecting policyholders from delayed denial.
Citizenship and Residency: Defining Electoral Eligibility in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies how citizenship and residency requirements apply to candidates for local elective office in the Philippines.
Upholding Integrity: Dishonesty and Misconduct in Public Service
A judge's side business as a real estate broker leads to administrative liability, reaffirming that judicial integrity must be beyond reproach.
Timeliness Matters: A Judge's Duty to Promptly Resolve Cases Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction while reminding judges of their duty to decide cases promptly, exploring the importance of timely justice.
Confessions and Constitutional Rights: Safeguarding Justice in Custodial Investigations
The Supreme Court acquits an accused in a rape-homicide case, ruling that confessions obtained without counsel and circumstantial evidence are insufficient for conviction.
When Rape Precedes Robbery: Distinguishing Theft from Robbery with Rape
The Supreme Court clarifies when taking property after rape constitutes theft, not robbery with rape, in People v. Tamayo.
Defining Agricultural Tenancy: Personal Cultivation and Harvest Sharing in Land Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a civil lease becomes agricultural tenancy, requiring personal cultivation and harvest sharing.
Electoral Justice Imperiled When Judges Overstep In Voter Inclusion Cases
When a judge grants voter inclusion petitions without hearing, the integrity of elections and judiciary suffers. A Supreme Court ruling explains why.
Probationary Employment: Defining the Boundaries of Employer Discretion in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies probationary employment rules, six-month period computation, and abandonment of work in CALS Poultry v. Roco.
Fleeing Justice: How Absence Can Imply Guilt in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when flight from arrest signals guilt, and why absence alone cannot prove conspiracy or treachery.
Seafarers' Employment Status: Contractual, Not Regular, Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers are contractual employees, not regular employees under Article 280 of the Labor Code.
Limits to Free Speech: Protecting Judicial Independence From Public Pressure
The Supreme Court held that statements pressuring justices to rule a certain way are not protected free speech but indirect contempt of court.
Seafarers Are Contractual Employees: The Millares Ruling on Fixed-Term Overseas Work
The Supreme Court clarifies that Filipino seafarers are contractual, not regular, employees under Philippine law, and explains the limits of Article 280.
Debt Default by Public Servants: Upholding Ethical Standards in Government Employment
Court rules on public servants' willful failure to pay just debts, clarifying administrative liability under civil service rules.