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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Balancing Free Press and Fair Trial: The Estrada Case and Media Coverage of Criminal Proceedings
The Supreme Court upheld its ban on live radio-TV coverage of criminal trials, prioritizing the accused's right to due process over media access.
Conspiracy and Credibility: How Positive Identification Establishes Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Ca
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how positive identification, conspiracy, and credibility establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt in murder cases.
Partnership Dissolution and Asset Determination When Accounting Records Are Unavailable
When partnership books are lost, courts can still determine a partner's share using secondary evidence. Learn the rules from this Philippine Supreme Court case.
Civil Service Confidentiality: Defining the Scope of Non-Career Positions
The Supreme Court upheld CSC's power to classify private secretary positions as primarily confidential and non-career, clarifying the limits of such classifications.
Certification of Non-Forum Shopping: When a Philippine Agency Can Sign for Its Foreign Principal
The Supreme Court held that a local recruitment agency may sign the certification of non-forum shopping for its foreign principal, but strict rules still apply to service of pleadings.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Protecting Landowner Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when just compensation is due, how it is valued, and what landowners should know about expropriation.
Incestuous Rape and Belated Confessions: When a Guilty Plea Cannot Mitigate Death
In People v. Palermo, the Supreme Court ruled that a confession made after the prosecution rests cannot mitigate the death penalty for qualified rape.
Proper Procedure and Due Diligence in Judicial Issuance of Warrants of Arrest
A judge's duty to independently determine probable cause before issuing warrants, explained through a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Forum Shopping Certification Rules in Labor Appeals: MC Engineering v. NLRC
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on forum shopping certifications and service rules in labor case appeals under MC Engineering v. NLRC.
Distinguishing Complex Crimes From Multiple Offenses: The Importance of Individual Acts in Criminal Liability
When several distinct acts cause multiple deaths, separate crimes arise, not a complex crime. The Supreme Court clarifies in People v. Latupan.
Lawyer Suspended Two Years for Misappropriating Client Funds and Ignoring Court Orders
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a lawyer's failure to file pleadings and misuse of client money led to a two-year suspension.
When Final Judgments Go Unenforced: Sheriffs' Duty to Execute Writs
A Supreme Court ruling on sheriffs' ministerial duty to execute final judgments, and the consequences of delay.
Conspiracy and Credibility: Examining Witness Testimony in Philippine Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court weighed positive identification, delayed reporting, and conspiracy in affirming murder convictions.
Gross Discourtesy in the Judiciary: When a Sheriff's Derogatory Remarks Lead to Suspension
A deputy sheriff's drunken shouts of "kalbo" at a judge led to a one-year suspension. The Supreme Court explains why courtesy and dignity are non-negotiable for court employees.
Credible Testimony in Rape Cases: Lessons from People v. Buenaflor
The Supreme Court acquitted a rape accused due to inconsistent, improbable testimony. Credibility is key.
Eyewitness Testimony and Proving Robbery With Homicide: People v. Torres
The Supreme Court affirms a robbery with homicide conviction, explaining how eyewitness identification and circumstantial evidence establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Custodial Rape: Consent and Trust Betrayed in Step-Grandfather's Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction of step-grandfather, ruling that a child victim's credible testimony suffices even without a ruptured hymen.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Intact Hymen Do Not Negate Rape
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible victim testimony; intact hymen does not negate rape, and full penetration is not required.
State Witness Credibility and Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Rape Cases
When can a single witness's testimony justify a rape conviction? The Supreme Court explains credibility rules and the burden of proof.
State Witness Credibility: The Imperative of Unbiased Testimony in Graft Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on witness credibility, bias, and the weight of testimony in criminal cases.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails in Drug Possession Case: People v. Mariano
The Supreme Court acquits a drug possession accused where prosecution evidence fails to prove possession beyond reasonable doubt.
PAGCOR v. Rilloraza: When Is an Employee Dismissal for Misconduct Valid?
Supreme Court explains when workplace misconduct justifies dismissal and when it is only simple neglect of duty, with security of tenure protected.
Redemption Rights in Foreclosure: Failure to Assert Nullifies Opportunity
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how failing to assert redemption rights during the statutory period forfeits the mortgagor's opportunity to reclaim foreclosed property.
Voluntariness and Comprehension in Guilty Pleas: Protecting the Accused in Capital Offenses
The Supreme Court clarifies what a "searching inquiry" requires when an accused pleads guilty to a capital offense, using a rape case as the backdrop.