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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Circumstantial Evidence Sufficient for Conviction in Robbery With Homicide Case
Supreme Court affirms robbery with homicide convictions based on circumstantial evidence, explaining when such evidence suffices for guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Void Marriages and Inheritance Rights: Determining Legal Heirs in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void marriages, death benefits, and who qualifies as legal heirs under the Family Code.
Public Land vs Private Claim: Proving Alienable Classification Before Ownership
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why long possession of public land cannot ripen into private ownership without proof of alienable classification.
Bouncing Checks and Debt Settlement: When a Check's Purpose Doesn't Excuse the Funds
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on BP 22: the purpose of a check doesn't matter—issuing a bouncing check is punishable, even if meant as a guarantee.
Retroactive Application of Procedural Rules: Timely Filing of Certiorari Petitions in Labor Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court applied A.M. No. 00-2-03-SC retroactively, allowing a late certiorari petition in a labor case to proceed.
Rape and the Requisite Allegations: Protecting Due Process in Criminal Prosecutions
The Supreme Court clarifies that special qualifying circumstances like relationship must be alleged in the information to justify the death penalty for rape.
Upholding Property Rights: Reconveyance and Damages for Unlawful Possession
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void reconstitution of title, laches, and property recovery explained in plain language.
When a Co-Owner Sells a Definite Portion: Rights of Buyers and the Limits of Torrens Titles
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on co-ownership sales, partial partition by long possession, and reconveyance despite Torrens title.
Upholding Torrens Titles Ownership Rights Prevail Over Claims Of Prior Possession
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Torrens titles, reconstitution requirements, and laches in land ownership disputes.
Rape and Parental Relations: Clarifying Special Qualifying Circumstances in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when rape qualifies for the death penalty and why allegations of relationship must appear in the information.
Circumstantial Evidence and Treachery in Murder Convictions Without Direct Witnesses
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conviction for murder based on eyewitness identification, treachery, and the weakness of alibi defense.
Premature Legal Challenges: The Necessity of Actual Injury in Ancestral Land Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that courts require an actual injury before resolving ancestral land claim disputes, dismissing premature petitions.
Seafarers' Rights: Who Is the Company-Designated Physician in Disability Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a company-designated physician need not be POEA-accredited for seafarer disability claims.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Circumstantial Evidence and the Limits of Inference in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court acquits in People v. Solis, showing when circumstantial evidence fails and why inferences cannot be stacked.
Company-Designated Physician and Seafarer Disability Claims: Key Lessons from German Marine Agencies v. NLRC
Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a company-designated physician need not be POEA-accredited for a seafarer's disability claim to prosper.
Treachery in Criminal Law: When Unexpected Attacks Constitute Murder
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden, unexpected attack constitutes treachery and qualifies a killing as murder under Philippine law.
When Flight Equals Guilt Examining Evidence AND Treachery IN Philippine Murder Cases
The Supreme Court affirms murder convictions, clarifying flight, treachery, and evidence rules in criminal cases.
Service of Resolutions When DOJ Rules Prevail Over the Rules of Court
When do DOJ rules on service of resolutions override the Rules of Court? The Supreme Court clarifies in Tam Wing Tak v. Makasiar.
Check Fraud and Bank Liability: Lessons from Ford Philippines vs. Citibank and PCIBank
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on bank liability for fraudulently negotiated checks, crossing, due diligence, and comparative negligence.
The Perils of Verbal Land Deals: Why Written Authority Is Non-Negotiable in Philippine Real Estate
Learn how the Supreme Court protects small property owners from expropriation and why written authority is crucial in Philippine land deals.
Self Defense and Credibility: Redefining Homicide Conviction in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains Philippine rules on self-defense, defense of a relative, and witness credibility in affirming a homicide conviction.
Attorney Suspended for Representing Conflicting Interests in Corporate Dispute
The Supreme Court suspended a lawyer for six months after finding she acted for conflicting interests in a corporation she helped organize and later led as president.
Novation by Implied Consent: When a Creditor's Silence Speaks Volumes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a creditor's failure to object to a debtor substitution can constitute implied consent to novation.
Jurisdictional Boundaries: Appealing Customs Decisions and Exhausting Administrative Remedies in Importation D
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why importers must appeal customs abandonment decisions to the Commissioner and CTA, not RTC.