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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Rape Conviction Upheld: Consent, Force, and Victim Testimony in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms rape and sexual assault convictions, clarifying consent, force, and the weight of a child victim's testimony.
Avoiding Pactum Commissorium: Protecting Borrowers in Philippine Loan Agreements
Learn how the Supreme Court protects borrowers from pactum commissorium—automatic property appropriation in loan agreements—under Philippine law.
Verbal Promises and Real Property: Why Oral Land Donations Fail in the Philippines
Oral donations of land are void under Philippine law. Learn why verbal promises cannot transfer real property ownership.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: Why Fair Procedure Matters Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why employers must follow procedural due process in termination cases, not just have valid grounds.
When Can a Lawyer Buy a Client's Property? Philippine Law on Attorney-Client Deals
Philippine law restricts lawyers from buying property in litigation they handle, but not all client-property sales are barred. This case explains the limits.
Rape and Unconsciousness: Understanding Consent and Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Philippine law on rape and unconsciousness: when consent is impossible and how courts treat statutory rape and sexual assault cases.
Intent Is Key: Distinguishing Robbery With Homicide From Separate Crimes in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that robbery with homicide requires proof of intent to rob before the killing, not merely taking property afterward.
Kidnapping for Ransom with Murder: The Special Complex Crime Explained
Philippine law treats kidnapping for ransom that ends in death as one special complex crime. Learn the rule from People v. Ramos.
Homicide vs Murder: Why Proving Qualifying Circumstances Matters in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains why proving treachery and evident premeditation raises a killing from homicide to murder in Philippine law.
Lascivious Conduct Under RA 7610: What People v. Larin Teaches About Child Protection
Understand lascivious conduct under RA 7610 through People v. Larin, and how Philippine law protects children from sexual abuse.
Due Process and Rape Convictions: Why Precise Charge Wording Matters in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape conviction, force and intimidation, sweetheart defense, and due process in criminal cases.
Parental Consent in Philippine Adoption: Upholding Natural Parents' Rights
Supreme Court ruling on when a natural parent's consent is required for adoption and what abandonment truly means under Philippine law.
Bouncing Checks in Business Partnerships: Avoiding Criminal Liability Under Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a bouncing check in a partnership dissolution is not a crime under the Bouncing Checks Law.
When Self-Defense Fails: Treachery and Criminal Liability in Philippine Law
A look at People v. Ebrada, where the Supreme Court rejected self-defense and upheld treachery in a fatal stabbing.
Unlicensed Firearm in Homicide: How Philippine Law Treats Illegal Gun Use in Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court explains how R.A. 8294 changed the treatment of unlicensed firearms used in murder cases.
Self Defense in the Philippines: When Can You Justifiably Use Force
Philippine law allows force only against unlawful aggression. Learn the limits from the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Sabalones.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of Persons With Mental Disability in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that rape of a mental retardate requires less force, and explains why conviction stands.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Employer's Burden of Proof and Due Process — The RDS Trucking Case
Learn from the RDS Trucking case how Philippine law protects employees from illegal dismissal and what employers must prove to justify termination.
Habeas Corpus and Premature Release: Why Appeals Matter in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on why a convicted person cannot use habeas corpus to secure release while an appeal is still pending.
Loss of Confidence and Illegal Dismissal: Philippine Law on Breach of Trust in Employment
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when loss of confidence justifies dismissal and when it does not, protecting employee tenure rights.
Employee Status in Outsourcing: Key Lessons from the Supreme Court on Separation Pay
Learn when a resigning employee may claim separation pay under Philippine law, based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling on company practice.
Robbery vs. Highway Robbery in the Philippines: Key Distinctions Explained
Philippine law distinguishes simple robbery from highway robbery under P.D. 532. Learn how the Supreme Court clarified this crucial difference.
Protecting Children: Why Age Matters in Rape Cases Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies how a minor victim's age affects credibility, evidence, and penalties in rape cases under Philippine law.
Public Land vs Private Ownership in the Philippines: Land Classification and Acquisition
Understand how Philippine law distinguishes public land from private property, and the rules on classification and acquisition.