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.
Zealous Advocacy Has Limits: Lawyers Reprimanded for Offensive Court Pleadings
Philippine Supreme Court reprimands lawyers for abusive language in pleadings, clarifying the limits of zealous advocacy and privileged communication.
Sale and Leaseback as Disguised Loan: When Financial Leasing Is an Equitable Mortgage
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a sale and leaseback is a disguised loan secured by chattel mortgage, not a true financial lease.
Compromise Agreements Upholding Obligations AND Equitable Relief IN Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on sale-leaseback arrangements, equitable mortgages, and deed of assignment effects on debtor obligations.
Tax Exemptions for Government Corporations: The Philippine Ports Authority Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when government-owned corporations like the PPA must pay local taxes, and when they cannot change legal theories on appeal.
Judicial Overreach Approving Bail Outside Jurisdictional Boundaries 2
Supreme Court clarifies venue, exhaustion of administrative remedies, and limits on injunctions in environmental cases.
Easement by Prescription: Why Permissive Use Never Ripens Into a Right-of-Way
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why tolerated use of land cannot create an easement by prescription, and when prescriptive periods for compensation begin.
Compulsory vs Permissive Counterclaims: When Court Fees Are Not Required in Loan Disputes
Learn when a counterclaim in a loan dispute is compulsory and exempt from docket fees, based on a 2003 Supreme Court ruling.
Service of Court Decisions: When Notice to a Party Trumps Notice to Counsel
Philippine Commercial International Bank v. Court of Appeals clarifies when service of a CIAC decision on a party, not counsel, starts the appeal period.
When Can a Corporate President Bind the Corporation? Lessons from Inter-Asia v. Asia Industries
A corporate president can bind the corporation even without board authority under apparent authority. Learn the rules from this Supreme Court case.
Corporate Officers' Apparent Authority and Breach of Warranties in Stock Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on corporate president's apparent authority to bind company and breach of warranty claims in stock purchase agreements.
Reclaimed Lands and the Constitution: Limits on Government Transfers to Private Corporations
The Supreme Court voids a land reclamation deal transferring public lands to a private corporation, reaffirming constitutional limits on alienable lands.
Deposit Insurance Coverage and the Usual Course of Business Rule in Bank Transactions
Supreme Court ruling on PDIC coverage for deposits made before a bank's closure, defining "usual course of business."
Trust Receipts Law Liability: When Agents Face Estafa Charges
Learn when corporate agents can face criminal liability for estafa under the Trust Receipts Law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Ong v. Court of Appeals.
Agrarian Reform and Due Process: When Land Acquisition Fails for Lack of Notice
A landowner's right to due process in agrarian reform acquisition explained through the DAR vs. Apex case.
Defining Common Carriers When A Limited Clientele Doesnt Equal Private Carriage
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a shipping firm with a limited clientele can still be a common carrier under the Civil Code.
The Perils of Second Pre-Trials: Safeguarding Due Process in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a second pre-trial without proper notice violates due process, and explains the proper appeal route for COSLAP decisions.
Writ of Possession in Foreclosure: Bank Rights Prevail Over Third-Party Claims
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that a writ of possession in extrajudicial foreclosure is ministerial, and third-party claimants must use proper remedies.
Writ of Possession in Foreclosure: What Third-Party Claimants Must Know
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on writs of possession in foreclosure sales and what third-party claimants must do to protect their rights.
Mortgage Foreclosure Estoppel Prevents Claimants From Denying Prior Actions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how estoppel bars property claimants from questioning a mortgage foreclosure after prior inconsistent acts.
Optional Retirement Rights and Labor Tribunals' Limits in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Supreme Court clarifies optional retirement requires explicit employee consent, and labor tribunals lack jurisdiction over tax refund claims.
Contractual Obligations Prevail: Bank's Right to Offset Debts Despite Trustee-Beneficiary Claims
Supreme Court ruling on when a bank may validly apply a borrower's funds to settle debts, even amid trustee-beneficiary claims.
Union Registration Validity and Challenges in Philippine Labor Context
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a registered union's legal personality cannot be collaterally attacked in certification election cases.
False Credentials Lost Promotion Integrity IN Public Service
Supreme Court dismisses court employee for falsifying educational credentials in Personal Data Sheet, affirming public office as a public trust.
Substantial Compliance Prevails When Procedural Rules Meet Substantive Justice
Supreme Court ruling on substantial compliance with non-forum shopping certification requirements in corporate cases.