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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Is Your Promotion a Demotion? Understanding Constructive Dismissal in the Philippines
When does a promotion become a constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on involuntary resignation and demotion.
Missed Deadlines: Why Proof of Notice Is Crucial in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employer notice requirements, closure of business, and separation pay under Article 283 of the Labor Code.
Simulated Co-Ownership and Legal Redemption: Understanding Implied Trusts in Philippine Property Law
When a deed of sale is simulated, no co-ownership arises, and the right of legal redemption does not apply. The Supreme Court explains implied trusts and their effect on property titles.
Injunction Bonds and Due Process: What Philippine Sureties Must Know
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when injunction bond sureties are liable and what due process requires before damages are awarded against them.
Statutory Rape vs Qualified Rape in the Philippines: Why Proper Legal Charges Matter
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between statutory rape and qualified rape, emphasizing the critical importance of proper legal charges.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Parent Companies Face Liability for Subsidiary Labor Claims
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate fiction and hold related companies liable for labor violations.
Administrative Power vs Supreme Court Rulings: Understanding Labor Law in the Philippines
This case clarifies when the Secretary of Labor's rules can supersede prior Supreme Court rulings on union registration requirements.
Navigating Res Judicata in Property Disputes: When Prior Judgments Bind Future Claims
Learn how res judicata bars relitigation of property disputes, with insights from a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on jurisdiction.
When Is a Frontal Attack Treacherous? Understanding Alevosia in Philippine Criminal Law
A frontal shooting can still be treachery if sudden and unexpected, explains the Supreme Court in People v. Quiboyen.
Navigating Homeowner Disputes: Understanding the Limits of HIGC Jurisdiction in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court defined HIGC's limited jurisdiction over homeowner disputes in United BF Homeowner's Association v. BF Homes.
Judicial Accountability in the Philippines: When Can a Judge Be Sanctioned for Incompetence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when judges face sanctions for incompetence versus mere judicial error, citing De Vera v. Judge Dames II.
Fair Trial for the Deaf and Mute: Ensuring Due Process in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court vacated a death sentence because the deaf-mute accused was tried without a sign language interpreter, violating due process.
Burden of Proof in Conspiracy: When Family Ties Aren't Enough for a Homicide Conviction in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy, family ties, and the burden of proof in homicide cases—what the prosecution must establish.
Valid Service of Summons on Corporations in the Philippines: What Talsan v. Baliwag Transit Teaches
Learn when service of summons on a corporation is valid in the Philippines, from the Supreme Court's ruling in Talsan Enterprises v. Baliwag Transit.
Conspiracy in Philippine Criminal Law: How Group Actions Lead to Collective Liability for Carnapping and Murde
The Supreme Court explains how conspiracy makes each member of a group equally liable for crimes committed during a joint criminal enterprise.
When Shadows Speak: Circumstantial Evidence in Philippine Rape-Homicide Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a rape-homicide conviction based on circumstantial evidence in People v. Mangat, and what this means for criminal cases.
Objections to Election Returns Must Be in Writing: Lessons from Cordero v. Comelec
The Supreme Court explains why written objections and evidence are mandatory in pre-proclamation controversies under RA 7166.
Unmasking Justice: How Circumstantial Evidence Convicts in Philippine Murder Cases
A 1999 Supreme Court ruling shows how circumstantial evidence, not eyewitness identification, can prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt in murder cases.
Forum Shopping in the Philippines: Why Dismissing One Case Doesn't Always Mean Dismissing All
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies forum shopping requires two pending cases; a dismissed appeal doesn't automatically trigger the rule.
Credible Testimony in Rape Cases: How Philippine Law Protects Vulnerable Victims
In People v. Dizon, the Supreme Court upheld rape convictions based on the victims' credible testimony, reinforcing protections for minors and persons with mental disabilities.
Eyewitness Testimony and Alibi in Philippine Kidnapping Cases: People v. Ramos
Supreme Court affirms kidnapping conviction, ruling credible eyewitness identification prevails over alibi in People v. Ramos.
Accion Publiciana: Recovering Possession of Real Property in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts resolve accion publiciana cases—recovery of real property possession—through this Supreme Court ruling on prior possession vs. occupancy permits.
Invalid Tax Assessment: Why an Affidavit for Criminal Complaint Does Not Count
The Supreme Court clarifies that a revenue officer's affidavit attached to a criminal complaint for tax evasion is not a formal assessment that can be appealed to the Court of Tax Appeals.
Credibility of Rape Victim Testimony: Supreme Court Upholds Conviction Despite Delay in Reporting
Philippine Supreme Court affirms incestuous rape conviction, ruling that delay in reporting and lack of resistance do not undermine victim credibility.