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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Enforcing Court Orders: Why Sheriffs and Judicial Restraint Matter in Philippine Cases
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lease rescission, execution pending appeal, and the limits of a sheriff's power to enforce court orders.
Protecting the Vulnerable: How Philippine Courts Validate Testimony in Rape Cases Involving Mental Disability
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction where the victim has a mental disability, explaining how courts assess such testimony and evidence.
Upholding Procedural Rules: The Duty to Monitor Appeal Status and Retroactivity of Court Rules
The Supreme Court affirms that procedural rules apply retroactively and that counsel must monitor appeal status, even under old rules.
Incestuous Rape: Why the Victim's Testimony Alone Can Convict a Father
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction based on the victim's credible testimony, explaining why medical findings and resistance are not required in incestuous rape cases.
Buy-Bust Operations in the Philippines: Rights, Realities, and What the Supreme Court Says
A look at how Philippine courts treat buy-bust operations in drug cases, the elements prosecutors must prove, and why the defense of frame-up rarely succeeds.
Missed Deadlines Dismissed Appeals Understanding Docket Fees AND Counsels Duty IN Philippine Courts
Learn how unpaid docket fees and counsel's negligence can get an appeal dismissed, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Good Faith and Falsification: When Honest Belief Defeats Criminal Intent in Public Documents
The Supreme Court in Layug v. Sandiganbayan ruled that good faith and absence of damage can defeat a falsification charge.
Mental Capacity and Witness Testimony: Protecting Vulnerable Victims in Philippine Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on mental retardates as credible witnesses in rape cases, with practical guidance for prosecutors and defenders.
Are Tips Guaranteed Income? Understanding Employee Compensation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when tips are part of an employee's compensation and when they are not, using a seafarer's case.
Security of Tenure in the Philippines: When Reassignment Becomes Constructive Removal
Philippine law protects civil servants from indefinite reassignments that violate security of tenure. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court case.
Security of Tenure in Philippine Civil Service: When Reassignment Becomes Illegal Removal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a government employee's indefinite reassignment violates security of tenure and constitutes constructive removal.
Credibility of Child Witnesses in Statutory Rape Cases: People v. Arco
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction, clarifying how courts assess the credibility of a child witness's testimony.
Reasonable Doubt and Due Process in Criminal Cases: The Arco Acquittal
A look at how the Supreme Court’s ruling in People v. Arco underscores the presumption of innocence and the prosecution’s burden in criminal cases.
Lawyer Suspended for Deceit in Client Property Dealings: A Lesson in Professional Trust
A Supreme Court ruling suspends a lawyer for one year for gross misconduct in handling a client's property, underscoring fiduciary duties.
Navigating Buy-Bust Operations in the Philippines: A Supreme Court Guide
A Supreme Court guide to buy-bust operations in the Philippines, covering legality, procedure, and evidentiary rules for drug cases.
Upholding Legal Ethics When Lawyer Neglect Leads to Suspension in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a lawyer's failure to file a brief and obey court orders led to suspension for violating legal ethics.
Defining Kidnapping When Taking A Child Becomes A Crime IN THE Philippines
When does taking a child become kidnapping? The Supreme Court explains the elements of serious illegal detention under the Revised Penal Code.
Proving Residency and Citizenship for Candidacy: Lessons from Valles v. COMELEC
How the Supreme Court clarified citizenship, dual allegiance, and disqualification rules for elective office in the Philippines.
Protecting Your Property From Fraudulent Land Titles: Key Lessons From Arriola vs. Mahilum
Learn how the Supreme Court nullified fraudulent land titles in Arriola vs. Mahilum and what property owners must know to protect their rights.
Dual Citizenship and Election in the Philippines: Clarifying Qualifications for Public Office
The Supreme Court clarifies when dual citizenship disqualifies a candidate and how filing a certificate of candidacy can cure it.
Positive Identification in Philippine Courts: Why Eyewitness Testimony Matters in Criminal Convictions
The Supreme Court explains why positive identification by a credible witness outweighs alibi and denial in Philippine criminal cases.
Workplace Sexual Harassment in the Philippines: Substantial Evidence and Employee Rights
Understand how the Supreme Court protects employees in sexual harassment cases, applying substantial evidence in administrative proceedings.
National vs Local Amusement Tax: Who Taxes PBA Games in the Philippines
Supreme Court ruling clarifies that amusement tax on PBA games is a national tax, not a local one. Learn the legal basis.
Online Psychological Abuse Under RA 9262: When Facebook Posts Lead to Higher Penalties
The Supreme Court clarifies how social media posts can prove psychological abuse under RA 9262 and why using Facebook raises the penalty.