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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Broken Chains: Safeguarding Drug Evidence and Protecting Rights in Philippine Law
When police fail to mark seized drugs immediately and prove custody, the accused may be acquitted. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling.
Just Compensation in Expropriation: When the Government Takes Property Without Filing a Case
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on just compensation, consequential damages, and attorney's fees when government takes private property without expropriation proceedings.
When Heated Words Lead to Illegal Strikes: Balancing Free Speech and Order in Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on gross negligence, serious misconduct, and due process in employee dismissal cases under the Labor Code.
Court Personnel Extortion: Proving Guilt in Administrative Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on extortion by court personnel, explaining how guilt is proven in administrative cases and penalties.
Guardianship and Competency: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals From Exploitation
Supreme Court ruling on guardianship for persons of weak mind, protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by relatives.
Court Personnel and Immoral Conduct: When Private Acts Become Administrative Liability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how court employees' private immoral conduct can lead to administrative sanctions and suspension.
Final Judgments Bar Refiled Claims: Navarro v. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company
A Supreme Court ruling on how a final dismissal based on laches bars a refiled case, even when the new suit seeks different relief.
Double Taxation and Local Business Tax: Clarifying Exemptions for Manila Businesses
Supreme Court ruling on double taxation under Manila's tax ordinance, clarifying exemptions for businesses already paying local business tax.
Protecting Property Rights: The Validity of Sales by Thumbprint in Philippine Law
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that a thumbmark on a deed of sale is valid consent, and the duty of buyers to verify ownership.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Retention Rights Under Agrarian Reform: Landowner's Duty of Full Disclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agrarian retention rights, emphasizing a landowner's duty of full disclosure in retention applications.
Perfecting an Appeal: Timely Payment of Appeal Fees Is Jurisdictional
Understand why paying appeal fees on time is a strict jurisdictional requirement in Philippine courts, based on a 2009 Supreme Court ruling.
Voluntary Appearance and Motion to Dismiss: When Filing Confers Jurisdiction in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when filing a motion to dismiss without raising lack of jurisdiction constitutes voluntary appearance.
Death and Legal Representation: How Estate Claims Proceed in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on estate claims, probate jurisdiction, and why the value of the decedent's estate determines which court hears the case.
Illegal Dismissal vs AWOL: When a Security Guard's Absence Is Not Abandonment
Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a worker's absence is illegal dismissal, not AWOL or abandonment, and the rules on off-detail status.
Mining Rights and Corporate Authorization: The Crucial Role of Proper Board Authority in Legal Actions
A Supreme Court ruling on why corporations must secure proper board authorization for legal certifications, and the strict rules on mining disputes.
Prescription and Land Ownership: Protecting the Rights of Long-Term Land Possessors
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how the right to repurchase land works, when acceptance of a contract benefit is valid, and why builders on their own land need no protection.
When Retirement Moots a Disapproved Appointment: CSC vs. Tahanlangit
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that optional retirement during the appeal period renders a CSC appointment disapproval moot.
Retirement Rights Prevail Resolving Appointment Disputes IN Philippine Civil Service
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how retirement moots appointment disputes in civil service reorganization cases.
Spousal Consent in Real Estate Sales: When a Sale Without It Is Void
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why selling conjugal property without the wife's consent makes the sale void, explained in plain language.
Civil Liability Survives Acquittal: Negligence by Preponderance of Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: an acquittal in a criminal case does not automatically erase civil liability if negligence is proven by preponderance of evidence.
Philippine Red Cross Private Status and Constitutional Limits on Lawmakers
Supreme Court ruling on whether the Philippine Red Cross is a government corporation and the constitutional ban on lawmakers holding public office.
Standing to Sue: Who Can Challenge a Property Sale in the Philippines
Learn who has legal standing to challenge a property sale in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling on agrarian reform land.
Probationary Employment: Employers Must Inform Workers of Regularization Standards
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on probationary employment: employers must inform workers of regularization standards at the start of engagement.