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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Delivery in Sales Contracts: Ownership vs Possession and Prescription Periods
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that mere possession transfer isn't?
Tax Evasion vs Deficiency: When Criminal Charges Can Proceed Without Prior Assessment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when the BIR can file criminal tax evasion charges without a prior formal assessment, distinguishing deficiency assessments from criminal prosecution.
Actual Malice and Media Responsibility in Reporting on Public Figures
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that public figures must prove actual malice to claim damages for false news reports.
Novation Must Be Clear: Restructuring Agreements Do Not Automatically Extinguish Prior Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when debt restructuring novates an obligation and when it merely modifies the original agreement.
Safeguarding Rights Illegal Drug Conviction Overturned Due to Evidence Chain Break
Philippine Supreme Court acquits drug suspect when police break chain of custody, reinforcing that evidence integrity is vital to conviction.
Intersection Collisions and Driver Negligence: Who Has the Right of Way in the Philippines?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies right of way rules, driver negligence, and fault in intersection collisions under RA 4136.
Stevedores and the Duty of Care: When Cargo Damage Is Not Negligence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that stevedores owe ordinary diligence, not the higher standard of common carriers, in loading and stowing cargo.
Sellers Obligation Delivering Titles Despite Encumbrances IN Philippine Property LAW
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on subdivision sellers' duty to deliver clean titles despite encumbrances, and buyer remedies.
Double Sale: Good Faith Registration Prevails Over Prior Knowledge in Land Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies double sale rule: bad faith registration confers no right, even if registered first.
Protecting the Vulnerable: The Credibility of Child Witnesses in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on a six-year-old's testimony, explaining why minor inconsistencies do not destroy a child witness's credibility.
Just Cause vs Due Process: What Bacolod-Talisay Realty Teaches About Employee Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on dismissal with just cause but defective procedure, explaining nominal damages for employees.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer Bears Burden of Proving Just Cause and Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer's burden to prove just cause and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
CIAC Jurisdiction Prevails Over Contractual Conditions Precedent in Construction Arbitration
Philippine Supreme Court rules CIAC retains jurisdiction over construction disputes even when parties fail to comply with contractual conditions precedent like DAB referral.
Reconstitution of Title: Why Primary Evidence Matters in Land Registration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why reconstitution of a lost title requires primary evidence, not mere certifications.
Lost Appeals When Negligence Bars Justice in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court affirms dismissal of an appeal for failure to file brief on time, stressing that the right to appeal is a mere statutory privilege.
Tolerance in Unlawful Detainer: When Permission Becomes a Possession Dispute
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when tolerated possession becomes unlawful detainer and how courts resolve ownership questions in ejectment cases.
Seafarers Disability Claims: Weighing Company Doctor vs Independent Medical Opinion
Philippine Supreme Court rules on seafarer disability claims when company physicians and independent doctors disagree, favoring the worker's evidence.
Voluntary Resignation Bars Seafarers Claims Understanding Contractual Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how voluntary resignation affects seafarers' claims for sickness allowance and disability benefits under POEA contracts.
Shared Intent, Shared Liability: Understanding Conspiracy in Philippine Murder Cases
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on murder, treachery, and voluntary surrender shows how intent and circumstance shape criminal liability and damages.
Fraudulent Assurances in Easement Contracts: Upholding Freedom From Misrepresentation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on pleading fraud with particularity in easement contracts and the requirements for a valid cause of action.
Challenging Buy-Bust Operations: Supreme Court Upholds Drug Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction, rejecting frame-up defense and clarifying warrantless arrest rules in buy-bust operations.
Accretion Rights and Innocent Purchasers: Resolving Land Ownership Disputes in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on accretion rights, reconveyance actions, and the protection of innocent purchasers for value in land disputes.
Sweetheart Defense Fails: Rape Conviction Upheld Without Proof of Consent
Philippine Supreme Court rejects the "sweetheart theory" in rape cases, affirming that love affairs do not justify sexual violence without consent.
Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Cigarette Tax Classification and Uniformity
The Court upholds the constitutionality of the cigarette excise tax classification system under RA 9334, rejecting equal protection, uniformity, and unfair competition challenges.