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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Appeals From Ombudsman Decisions: Understanding Jurisdictional Boundaries
Learn how the Supreme Court clarifies jurisdictional boundaries in appeals from Ombudsman decisions and related ill-gotten wealth cases.
Credibility of Rape Victim's Testimony: The Requisite Standard for Conviction
In rape cases, the victim's credible testimony alone can sustain a conviction. The Supreme Court explains the standard.
The Perils of Superior Strength: How Conspiracy Elevates Homicide to Murder
A Supreme Court ruling shows how conspiracy and abuse of superior strength can raise a killing from homicide to murder.
Treachery and Witness Credibility: Examining Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Murder Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when abuse of superior strength qualifies murder, and why credible witnesses outweigh bare denials in Philippine criminal cases.
Meralco v. Quisumbing: CBA Retroactivity and Balancing Labor Rights with Management Prerogatives
The Supreme Court clarifies when arbitral CBA awards retroact and how wage increases balance labor rights with management prerogatives.
Tenancy Rights: Landowner Consent Is Paramount in Agricultural Leases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that tenancy requires landowner consent; possession and cultivation alone do not create agricultural leasehold rights.
Falsified Overtime Slips: Why Acquittal Does Not Overturn a Dismissal
An employee acquitted of falsifying overtime slips still lost her job. The Supreme Court explains why labor dismissal needs only substantial evidence, not proof beyond reasonable doubt.
State Witness Discharge and Justice in Philippine Robbery With Homicide Cases
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on discharging an accused as state witness in robbery with homicide, and the limits of that discharge.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder, emphasizing that sudden attacks from a heated argument may only constitute homicide.
Rape Conviction and Death Penalty: The Mendiona Case on Aggravating Circumstances
Philippine Supreme Court affirms death penalty for rape with deadly weapon and aggravating circumstances, clarifying civil indemnity rules under Article 335.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Deadly Weapon and Aggravating Circumstances Justify Death Penalty
Supreme Court affirms death penalty for rape committed with a deadly weapon and two aggravating circumstances, clarifying civil indemnity rules.
Protecting the Defenseless: Upholding Conviction for Child Rape Despite Claims of Unreliable Testimony
The Supreme Court affirms that a child of tender years can be a credible witness, upholding a conviction for acts of lasciviousness against a minor.
Circumstantial Evidence and Eyewitness Testimony in Rape of a Minor: People v. Torejos
The Supreme Court affirms a death sentence for rape of a three-year-old, clarifying evidentiary rules on witness credibility and circumstantial proof.
When RTCs Overstep Jurisdiction in Barangay Election Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies that only the COMELEC, not the RTC, may hear certiorari cases arising from barangay election protests.
Probable Cause and Warrants of Arrest: Ensuring Judicial Independence
The Supreme Court clarifies probable cause standards for warrants, reinforcing judicial independence in determining probable cause for arrests.
Child Witnesses and Acts of Lasciviousness: The Dulla Case Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when a child can testify and how acts of lasciviousness differ from rape in this 2000 ruling.
Agrarian Reform Landowners Retention Rights Prevail Over Tenant Emancipation Patents
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how landowner retention rights under agrarian reform interact with tenant emancipation patents.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conviction: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Homicide Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence, explaining the rules on conspiracy, treachery, and damages.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conspiracy: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence and conspiracy, explaining the rules for proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Attorney Neglect, Due Process, and Accountability in Philippine Legal Representation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on attorney negligence, due process, and accountability in legal representation under the Rules of Court.
Finality of Judgment vs Insolvency Proceedings: Protecting Creditors' Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a final and executory judgment prevails over insolvency stay orders, and the proper remedy for assignees.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi: Upholding Murder Conviction
When a credible eyewitness positively identifies an accused, a weak alibi cannot prevail. Learn the rules from this Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Agrarian Reform Landowners Retention Rights Prevail Despite Prior Land Transfer
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on landowner retention rights under RA 6657 and PD 27, even after land transfer.
Reliance on Official Advice as Good Faith Defense in Anti-Graft Cases
Supreme Court holds that public officers who rely on prevailing BIR opinions act in good faith and cannot be liable under Section 3(e) of RA 3019.