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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Sandiganbayan Jurisdiction in Plunder Cases Salary Grade Threshold Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court clarifies Sandiganbayan jurisdiction over plunder cases involving salary grade thresholds and public officers.
Management Prerogative in Reorganization: Upholding Business Needs in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when demotions during corporate reorganization are valid and when they constitute illegal dismissal under Philippine labor law.
Shareholder Rights vs Corporate Discretion: Mandamus and Stock Transfer Recording
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a corporate secretary must record stock transfers, SEC jurisdiction, and shareholder rights.
Redemption by Heirs After Tax Sale: Tondo Foreshore Lot Case
When a co-owner repurchases property after a tax sale, the redemption may benefit all heirs. Learn the rules from this Philippine Supreme Court case.
Supreme Court Upholds Conviction for Online Psychological Abuse Under VAWC
The Supreme Court affirms that abusive Facebook posts can constitute psychological violence under RA 9262, with higher penalties for ICT use.
The Weight of Testimony: Understanding Witness Credibility in Philippine Murder Cases
How Philippine courts assess witness credibility in murder cases, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Alo.
Conspiracy in Estafa: How Mere Presence Can Lead to Fraud Conviction in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how conspiracy in estafa can be proven by acts showing unity of purpose, even without direct participation in every detail.
GOCC vs. Private Corporation: Labor Jurisdiction and the Philippine National Red Cross Case
Learn how the Supreme Court's charter test determines whether an employer is a GOCC and which tribunal—CSC or NLRC—has jurisdiction over labor disputes.
Treachery in Transit: When a Failed Reconciliation Leads to a Fatal Jeepney Attack
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden attack inside a moving jeepney constitutes treachery, even after an amicable settlement.
Leasehold Improvements in the Philippines: Rights of Lessors and Lessees
Learn how Philippine law treats leasehold improvements, when Article 1678 applies, and why contract stipulations usually prevail over default rules.
Rape of a Mentally Disabled Victim: How Courts Assess Force and Intimidation
The Supreme Court explains how force and intimidation in rape are measured when the victim is mentally disabled, citing the Dumanon case.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction Projects
Learn when construction workers are project employees and their rights on termination before project completion, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
When Force Is Relative: Rape of a Mentally Disabled Victim in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how force and intimidation in rape are measured against a mentally disabled victim's condition.
Novation and Suretyship: Understanding Debt Substitution in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when debt substitution is novation versus suretyship, and why accommodation parties remain liable.
Protecting Children: Understanding Qualified Rape and Parental Liability in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a father who raped his daughter, clarifying qualified rape and accomplice liability.
Airport Security Checks and Your Rights: The Johnson Case Explained
Understand your rights during airport security frisks in the Philippines, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Johnson.
Police Abuse of Power: Understanding Robbery by Intimidation in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when police officers commit robbery by intimidation and how abuse of public position affects the penalty.
Campus Press Freedom vs School Authority: Balancing Student Rights and Institutional Discipline in Philippine
How the Supreme Court balanced campus press freedom under RA 7079 with a school's disciplinary authority in Miriam College v. Court of Appeals.
No License, No Case: Understanding Illegal Recruitment Convictions in the Philippines
The Supreme Court acquits a recruiter for lack of POEA certification, clarifying the prosecution's burden in illegal recruitment cases.
When a Lawyer's Negligence Can Void a Judgment: Extrinsic Fraud in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when lawyer negligence amounts to extrinsic fraud that can annul a judgment, and when it does not.
Limits of Judicial Authority: Understanding Preliminary Investigations in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that judges conducting preliminary investigations cannot reclassify crimes—that power belongs to the prosecutor.
Safeguarding Your Appeal: Due Process and Lawyer Negligence in Philippine Courts
When a lawyer's mistakes cost a client her case, can the judgment be annulled? The Supreme Court explains the limits of extrinsic fraud and counsel negligence.
Safeguarding Due Process: Understanding Indirect Contempt in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court reminds the IBP that formal investigation is mandatory in lawyer discipline cases, ensuring due process before any penalty.
When Silence Isnt Golden Understanding Conspiracy AND Liability IN Murder Cases Under Philippine LAW
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between conspiracy and mere accomplice liability in a murder case where one brother struck the victim and the other delivered the fatal stab.