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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Writ of Possession Is Ministerial After Foreclosure Consolidation
The Supreme Court explains why a writ of possession is a ministerial duty of courts once a foreclosed property's title is consolidated.
Illegal Dismissal and Quitclaims: Employee Rights in Retrenchment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retrenchment, quitclaims, and illegal dismissal — what employees and employers must know.
Why Exhausting Administrative Remedies Matters in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling why skipping administrative appeals before going to court can be fatal to a property case.
Judicial Impartiality: When a Judge's Conduct Crosses the Line
A judge's private meeting with a litigant to discuss a pending case violates the Code of Judicial Conduct and erodes public trust.
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Supreme Court on Lost Appeals: Certiorari Cannot Replace a Missed Appeal
The Supreme Court rules that a petition for certiorari cannot substitute for a lost appeal, affirming dismissal of a case for procedural lapses.
Extrinsic Fraud in Probate: Protecting Inheritance Rights in the Philippines
When an administrator's omission in a Philippine probate case amounts to extrinsic fraud, final orders can be annulled. Learn the rules.
Judicial Overreach Defining IN Relation TO Office IN Sexual Harassment Cases
COA Audit Power and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim Construction v. COA
The Court upholds COA's power to determine overpayments under quantum meruit, and clarifies procedural bars to belated jurisdictional challenges.
Falsification of Documents: When Can an Employee Be Disciplined?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when an employee's DTR irregularities amount to falsification or merely conduct prejudicial to the service.
Court Employee Misconduct Upholding Integrity IN THE Philippine Judiciary
Tuition Fee Hikes and Teacher Pay: Can Universities Deduct CBA Benefits from the 70% Share?
Supreme Court ruling on whether universities may deduct CBA-integrated benefits from the 70% incremental tuition fee share under RA 6728.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Dismissal for Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct, and Breach of Public Trust in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court affirms the dismissal of a court employee for dishonesty, grave misconduct, and breach of public trust, underscoring the strict standards of conduct required of judiciary personnel.
Illegal Dismissal and Retirement Pay: Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran
The Supreme Court ruled on illegal dismissal, CBA benefits for managers, tax disputes, and retirement pay in Ondevilla v. Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Unconscionable Interest Rates When Courts Intervene in Surety Bond Disputes
Philippine courts can reduce stipulated interest rates that balloon beyond the principal debt. Learn the rule from a 2006 surety bond case.
Forum Shopping in International Arbitration: Lessons from Transfield v. Luzon Hydro
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when parallel court actions and arbitration proceedings constitute forum shopping, and when they do not.
Interest on Maritime Liens in the Philippines: When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when legal interest on a maritime lien begins to accrue—from extrajudicial demand, not from foreclosure sale.
Judge Dismissed for Gross Immorality: Extramarital Affair and Child Bar Judicial Office
Supreme Court dismisses a judge for gross immorality over an extramarital affair and child, and suspends him from law practice for three years.
Administrative Offenses Do Not Prescribe: The Standard of Proof in Title Reconstitution
A 2026 Supreme Court ruling clarifies how lost land titles may be reconstituted when registry records are destroyed, and what evidence courts must require.
Exhausting Administrative Remedies with the COA: A Prerequisite for Money Claims Against Government Agencies
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that money claims against government agencies must first be filed with the COA before going to court.
Constructive Dismissal and OFWs: What the Supreme Court Says About Quitting
The Supreme Court explains when an OFW's resignation is constructive dismissal and how quitclaims affect claims for unpaid wages.