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.
Habitual Tardiness and Loafing at Work: Legal Consequences for Philippine Employees
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on habitual tardiness and loafing: employee responsibilities, penalties, and lessons from Orfila v. Quiroz.
Limits of Judicial Review: When Courts Can Question Tax Laws
Explore the limits of judicial review in tax cases through a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on procedural rules and evidence.
Illegal Dismissal of Ship Captain: When Refusing an Unsafe Order Is Not Incompetence
The Supreme Court ruled that a ship captain's refusal to tow a barge with worn-out ropes was not incompetence but sound professional judgment, making his dismissal illegal.
Default Judgments Understanding Due Process and Timely Responses in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts treat default judgments and why timely responses matter, based on a Supreme Court ruling on judicial delay.
Illegal Dismissal Jurisdiction: Government Corporations Without Original Charters
Supreme Court clarifies which government-owned corporations fall under Labor Code jurisdiction versus Civil Service rules in illegal dismissal cases.
Navigating Barangay Governance: The Powers and Limits of Local Leagues
The Supreme Court clarifies that the Liga ng mga Barangay may create additional officer positions beyond those listed in the Local Government Code.
Defining Confidential Employees: Union Membership and Collective Bargaining Rights in the Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies who qualifies as a confidential employee barred from union membership, and how bargaining units are determined.
Who May Challenge an Execution Sale: The Real Party in Interest Rule
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on who may question an execution sale and the real party in interest doctrine in civil procedure.
Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale: What the Supreme Court Says About Your Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court defines illegal recruitment in large scale, what victims must prove, and the penalties recruiters face.
Navigating Land Title Reconstitution: Due Diligence and Jurisdictional Requirements in the Philippines
A guide to the strict jurisdictional rules for land title reconstitution in the Philippines, drawn from the Supreme Court's ruling in Ortigas & Co. v. Velasco.
Treachery and the Aswang Defense: Understanding Murder Convictions in the Philippines
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling explains how treachery qualifies killings as murder, even when superstition—the (folkloric evil creatures).
Dying Declarations and Homicide: When a Victim's Last Words Can Convict
The Supreme Court explains when a dying declaration suffices to convict and why the accused was held for homicide, not murder.
Intent Matters Distinguishing Robbery With Homicide From Separate Crimes
A look at how Philippine courts determine intent in robbery with homicide cases, using a 1997 Supreme Court ruling as guide.
Robbery With Homicide: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Law
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling explains how Philippine courts establish guilt for robbery with homicide and why alibi fails against positive identification.
Confessions and Constitutional Rights: Navigating Custodial Investigations in the Philippines
Philippine law on confessions and custodial investigation rights explained through People v. Fabro, a 1997 Supreme Court ruling.
Interpreting Retrenchment Programs Doubts Favor THE Worker
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how retrenchment program separation benefits should be interpreted in favor of workers.
Gross Ignorance of the Law: When Judges Overstep Their Authority
A Supreme Court ruling on when a judge's sentencing errors become gross ignorance of the law warranting administrative sanctions.
Pre-Proclamation Controversies: Limits of COMELEC Jurisdiction After Proclamation
The Supreme Court explains when a pre-proclamation controversy before COMELEC remains viable after a candidate has been proclaimed and assumed office.
Due Process in Philippine Administrative Investigations: The Casuela Case and the Five-Day Bar Rule
The Supreme Court affirms that administrative investigations must respect the five-day bar rule before hearing, ensuring due process for respondents.
Acquisitive Prescription: How Long Does It Take to Claim Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how long you must possess land to claim ownership through acquisitive prescription in the Philippines, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Attempted Murder vs Murder: Proving Intent and Causation in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies how intent to kill and causation distinguish attempted murder from murder, with practical guidance.
Statutory Rape in the Philippines: When Consent and Penetration Are Not Required
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling clarifies that in statutory rape, penetration need only be slight and the victim's consent is immaterial.
Solidary Liability of Recruitment Agencies: Protecting Overseas Filipino Workers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on joint and solidary liability of recruitment agencies and foreign employers for overseas workers' claims.
Lumber VS Timber Navigating Illegal Possession Charges IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that illegal possession of lumber falls under Section 68 of PD 705, the Forestry Reform Code.