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.
Public Hearing Imperative Invalidating Ordinances Without Community Input
A municipal ordinance imposing goodwill fees without a valid prior public hearing is void, the Supreme Court rules.
Arbitration Prevails: Upholding Agreements Amid Contractual Disputes
The Supreme Court affirms that arbitration clauses survive main contract disputes, reinforcing the doctrine of separability in Philippine law.
Prescription in Reconveyance: Clarifying the Four-Year Rule for Actions Based on Threat and Intimidation
The Supreme Court clarifies when the four-year prescriptive period runs in reconveyance actions based on threat and intimidation, not fraud.
Buy-Bust Operations: Entrapment vs Instigation in Illegal Drug Sales
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish entrapment from instigation in buy-bust operations, and why the distinction determines the validity of drug arrests.
Protecting the Innocent: The Vital Role of Testimony and Medical Evidence in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a qualified rape conviction, explaining how a child victim's credible testimony and medical findings secure justice.
Defective Summons and Jurisdictional Limits: How Improper Service Affects Court Authority
Learn how defective summons and improper service affect court jurisdiction, using the Ibasco v. PDCP case as a guide.
Demolition Notices vs Due Process: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
Philippine law requires demolition notices to comply with due process. Learn the rules that protect property owners and occupants.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Acquittal in Rape Case Built on Circumstantial Evidence
Supreme Court acquits rape accused where prosecution evidence failed to overcome reasonable doubt, emphasizing rigorous scrutiny of complainant's testimony.
Compromised Evidence Acquittal in Drug Cases Due to Procedural Lapses in Chain of Custody
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect after police failed to follow the chain of custody rule under RA 9165.
Gender Equality in Retirement: Challenging Discriminatory Collective Bargaining Agreements
When can a flight attendant challenge a discriminatory retirement age in court? The Supreme Court clarifies jurisdiction over CBA provisions.
Reasonable Doubt and Rape Allegations: Lessons from People v. Bacus on Circumstantial Evidence
When can physical impossibility and medical findings overcome a rape accusation? The Supreme Court's acquittal in People v. Bacus explains.
Annulment of Judgment in Criminal Cases: Llamas v. Court of Appeals
When can a criminal conviction be annulled? The Supreme Court clarifies Rule 47 applies only to civil cases, not criminal ones.
Compromise Agreements Enforceability Hinges on Fulfilled Conditions
When a court-approved compromise agreement's conditions remain unfulfilled, the original obligation revives and execution may proceed.
Jurisdiction in Swindling Cases: How Penalties Determine the Proper Court
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how penalties and fines determine which court hears swindling cases under the Revised Penal Code.
Finality of Judgment in Disbarment Cases: Lessons from Bihag v. Era
A disbarred lawyer's belated bid to reopen his case fails; the Court enforces finality, cites contempt, and orders execution.
Silence Is Not Acquiescence: Delayed Reporting in Philippine Rape Cases
Why a rape victim's delayed report and vague words like "ginalaw" do not weaken a conviction, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Forgery Undermines Real Estate Sale: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains how forged deeds transfer no rights, and why good faith buyers can still be protected under Philippine property law.
Resignation vs Retrenchment: When Are Retirement Benefits Required?
Supreme Court clarifies when resigned employees can claim retirement benefits, distinguishing voluntary resignation from retrenchment in Kimberly-Clark case.
Good Faith Prevails When Public Officials ACT Without Malice IN Granting Benefits
Supreme Court ruling on good faith as a defense in graft cases under RA 3019, Section 3(e), for public officials relying on agency issuances.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies in CLOA Cancellation Cases: A Property Law Primer
Learn why a landowner's direct appeal to the Court of Appeals failed in a CLOA cancellation case, and the importance of exhausting administrative remedies.
When Silence Isn't Golden: Affirming Murder Conviction Despite Self-Defense Claim
The Supreme Court affirms a murder conviction, rejecting self-defense where the accused admitted killing but failed to prove unlawful aggression.
Credit Card Interest Rates: Balancing Lender Rights and Borrower Protection in the Philippines
The Supreme Court limits credit card interest and penalty rates to 2% monthly, balancing lender rights with borrower protection.
Residency vs. Domicile in Philippine Elections: The Pundaodaya Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies that voter registration and property ownership do not prove election residency, which legally means domicile.
Entrapment vs Predisposition: How Philippine Courts View Drug Buy-Bust Operations
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a buy-bust operation is valid entrapment rather than instigation, and how courts weigh police procedures in drug cases.