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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Self-Defense, Conspiracy, and Murder: Lessons from People v. Enfectana
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails, how conspiracy is proven, and what makes a killing treacherous murder.
The Testimony of the Victim and the Crime of Rape: Assessing Credibility and Impact on Conviction
A look at how the Supreme Court weighs a rape victim's testimony against alibi and denial, affirming conviction based on credibility.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Unforeseen Attacks
When can treachery qualify a killing as murder? The Supreme Court explains the strict proof required for this aggravating circumstance.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Father Figure's Moral Ascendancy Equals Force and Intimidation
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that a father figure's moral ascendancy over a minor victim substitutes for force and intimidation.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent and Lack of Opportunity for Self-Defense
The Supreme Court explains how treachery qualifies a killing as murder, focusing on the victim's inability to defend and the attacker's deliberate method.
Clerks of Court Limits on Ministerial Duty and the Scope of Executory Writs
A clerk of court's duty to issue writs is ministerial, not judicial. Learn the limits from a 2002 Supreme Court ruling.
Circumstantial Evidence in Homicide: How Philippine Courts Establish Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
In People v. Umayam, the Supreme Court convicted a man of homicide using circumstantial evidence alone, showing how an unbroken chain of facts can prove guilt.
Clerks of Court Cannot Expand Execution Orders: Limits on Ministerial Duty
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a clerk of court exceeds ministerial duty by issuing an amended writ that varies a judgment.
Credibility IN Rape Cases Upholding THE Victims Testimony Despite Minor Inconsistencies
Due Process and Proper Notice in Government Appointments: The Monserate Case
The Supreme Court ruled that a government employee cannot be demoted without due process, including proper notice and hearing.
Rape and a Defective Information: How the Court Protected the Accused's Rights
In People v. Desuyo, the Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua after the prosecution failed to prove the victim's age and filiation beyond reasonable doubt.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Does a Corporation Assume Another's Debt
The Supreme Court clarifies when a corporation may be held liable for another company's debts, and when the corporate veil cannot be pierced.
Preserving the Status Quo: Limits on Preliminary Injunctions and Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies that preliminary injunctions must preserve the status quo, not create new obligations or transfer property rights.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Credibility of Victim's Testimony Paramount in Rape Cases
In People v. Pagurayan, the Supreme Court affirmed a rape conviction, ruling that a lone credible victim testimony can sustain a guilty verdict.
Kidnapping for Ransom: When Taking a Child Even Briefly Is a Capital Crime
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for kidnapping for ransom, clarifying that even brief detention of a minor for ransom constitutes the capital offense.
Boundaries of Multiple Rape Charges: Clarity and Proof in Incestuous Assault Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when multiple rape charges stand, why exact dates aren't essential, and how age and relationship must be proven for qualified rape.
Credibility in Rape Cases: The Weight of Victim Testimony in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why a rape victim's credible testimony alone can sustain a conviction, explained in plain language.
Rape and Defective Information: The Importance of Timely Objections and Evidentiary Standards in Qualified Rap
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on qualified rape, defective informations, timely objections, and evidentiary standards in child rape cases.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Parent Companies Are Liable for Subsidiary Debts
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate personality and hold parent companies liable for subsidiary debts.
Reconstitution of Land Titles: Strict Compliance and Jurisdictional Requirements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reconstitution of land titles, emphasizing strict compliance with jurisdictional requirements under RA 26.
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.
The Unforgiving Reach of the Law: Protecting Children From Familial Abuse
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, holding that a credible victim's testimony alone suffices to convict, even without physical injuries.
Kidnapping for Ransom: The State's Duty to Protect Children and Punish Abductors
In People v. Suriaga, the Supreme Court affirmed a death sentence for kidnapping a two-year-old for ransom, stressing that child victims trigger the harshest penalty.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Bank Isn't Liable for a Foreclosed Firm's Debts
PNB acquired PASUMIL's foreclosed assets but wasn't liable for its debts. The Supreme Court explains when corporate veil piercing applies.