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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The Limits of Injunctive Relief When Enrollment Rights Meet School Policies
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts may issue injunctions in school enrollment disputes, requiring clear legal rights and urgent necessity.
Payment Deadlines: Insurers Can't Deny Coverage After Granting Credit
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when insurers cannot deny coverage if they granted credit terms for premium payments.
Trademark Infringement: How the Dominancy Test Protects Brand Recognition
The Supreme Court explains why the dominancy test, not the holistic test, governs confusing similarity in trademark infringement cases.
Academic Freedom vs Civil Service Rules: UP Wins Faculty Retention Case
Supreme Court rules UP's academic freedom lets it retain a professor despite AWOL, overriding CSC's automatic separation directive.
Treachery and Intent: Differentiating Murder and Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder and when it remains homicide, in People v. Lucena.
Presidential Immunity vs Accountability: Limits of Power After Leaving Office
The Supreme Court clarifies that presidential immunity shields sitting presidents from suit, but accountability resumes once they leave office.
Habeas Corpus Cannot Free Undocumented Alien with Tampered Passport
Supreme Court rules habeas corpus cannot be issued when BID has validly ordered deportation of an alien found using a tampered, cancelled passport.
Deportation and Habeas Corpus: The Limits of Judicial Intervention in Immigration Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may issue the writ of habeas corpus in deportation cases involving undocumented aliens.
When Identification Fails: The Teves Parricide Acquittal and the Limits of Circumstantial Evidence
The Supreme Court acquits a parricide convict, showing how suggestive identification and weak circumstantial evidence cannot support a conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
Conditional Donations: Upholding Intent Despite Technicalities in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court ruled that substantial compliance with donation formalities and the donor's intent prevail over technical defects in accepting conditional donations.
Habeas Corpus and Deportation: What Tung Chin Hui v. Rodriguez Means for Aliens in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when habeas corpus is available to aliens facing deportation orders from the Bureau of Immigration.
Rape and Consent: The Threshold of Penetration in Philippine Law
A soft penis can still consummate rape. The Supreme Court explains why the slightest penetration of the labia is enough, and why consent defenses often fail.
Amending Informations After Arraignment: Rights of the Accused vs. Prosecutorial Efficiency
When can the prosecution amend an Information after arraignment? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on substantial vs. formal amendments.
Party Representation Prevails in Filling Sanggunian Vacancies Under Local Government Code
Supreme Court clarifies how permanent vacancies in the Sanggunian are filled, emphasizing party representation under the Local Government Code.
Banking Negligence Claims: Depositors Must Prove Unauthorized Transactions
Supreme Court ruling clarifies that depositors claiming unauthorized withdrawals must prove forgery or fraud, not just allege bank negligence.
Can One Spouse Sign for Both? Certifying Compliance in Philippine Legal Proceedings
A Supreme Court ruling shows why the certificate of non-forum shopping must be signed by the parties themselves, and what happens when a spouse signs for both.
Distinguishing Civil Law Lease From Agricultural Tenancy Security of Tenure in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a fishpond lease is a civil contract, not an agricultural tenancy with security of tenure.
Accion Pauliana: When the Four-Year Clock Starts on Fraudulent Transfers
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when the four-year prescriptive period for accion pauliana begins, protecting creditors from fraudulent conveyances by debtors.
Speedy Trial Rights: Government Delay Leads to Dismissal of Falsification Charges
Supreme Court rules Sandiganbayan must dismiss falsification cases after Ombudsman's decade-long delay violated petitioner's constitutional right to speedy disposition.
UP vs Rosario: The Imperative of Valid Land Survey Approval in Property Registration
Why a missing survey approval can void a land title, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in UP v. Rosario.
Dishonesty in the Workplace: Falsification of Time Records as Grounds for Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employee dismissal for falsifying daily time records, and the legal basis under the Labor Code.
Judicial Overreach: When Regular Courts Overstep Labor Disputes
Supreme Court ruling on when regional trial courts overstep jurisdiction by issuing TROs in labor cases, explained for lay readers.
Due Process and Audit Reports: Fair Hearings in Financial Disputes
When courts appoint commissioners to audit financial records, due process requires formal hearings—not just interviews. The Supreme Court explains why.
Certiorari's Reach When Appellate Courts Overstep in Injunction Cases
Learn how certiorari limits appellate courts from issuing injunctions in labor cases, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.