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.
Independent Counsel Requirement in Custodial Investigation: The Velarde Case
A mayor acting as counsel during custodial investigation is not independent, making confessions inadmissible and leading to acquittal.
Robbery With Homicide: Proving Conspiracy and the Limits of Band Aggravation
The Supreme Court explains when conspiracy makes co-accused liable for robbery with homicide, and why "band" aggravates only when three or more armed men are proven.
Private Searches and Constitutional Rights: When Is Evidence Admissible
The Supreme Court clarifies that constitutional protection against unreasonable searches applies only against government action, not private individuals.
Eyewitness Testimony and Positive Identification in Criminal Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on eyewitness identification, circumstantial evidence, and penalties in carnapping and homicide cases.
Rape and Consent: Examining Force and Intimidation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a death sentence for statutory rape of a six-year-old, clarifying that force is presumed when the victim is under twelve.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails Safeguarding Individual Rights In Criminal Prosecution
The presumption of innocence and the prosecution's burden to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt are fundamental safeguards in Philippine criminal law.
The Sanity Presumption Determining Criminal Liability in the Philippines
Philippine law presumes every person sane. This case explains when insanity can exempt an accused from criminal liability.
Rape and Consent: The Indelible Requirement of Free Will in Sexual Assault Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape, consent, and unconscious victims. Learn the legal standards and practical takeaways.
Deceptive Recruitment Establishing Guilt In Illegal Recruitment AND Estafa Cases
How false promises of overseas jobs led to convictions for illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa.
Rape Conviction Hinges on Specificity: Charges Define the Crime
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why specific allegations in rape informations matter, and how penetration is proven in statutory rape cases.
Reasonable Doubt and the Limits of Sole Identification in Rape Convictions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on alibi, positive identification, and the elements of robbery with rape under Article 294.
Conspiracy and Abuse of Superior Strength in Murder: Lessons from People v. Sumibcay
The Supreme Court explains how treachery, not conspiracy or abuse of superior strength, qualified killing to murder in People v. Sumibcay.
When Mental Capacity at Arraignment Matters: A Landmark Drug and Criminal Case Remand
The Supreme Court vacated a death penalty conviction because the trial court failed to assess the accused's mental fitness before arraignment.
Eyewitness Testimony and Credibility in Murder Cases: The Noel Lee Case
How Philippine courts weigh eyewitness credibility, alibi, and treachery in murder convictions, explained through the Noel Lee case.
Forcible Abduction: Consent, Lewd Designs, and the Limits of the Sweetheart Defense
The Supreme Court clarifies forcible abduction under Article 342, when consent matters, and why failed rape evidence still proves lewd designs.
When Sexual Assault Is Acts of Lasciviousness, Not Attempted Rape: Perez v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between attempted rape and acts of lasciviousness in a case with no eyewitnesses.
Voluntary Surrender as a Mitigating Circumstance: When Murder Is Reduced to Homicide
The Supreme Court explains when voluntary surrender mitigates a killing and why a heated argument negates treachery, reducing murder to homicide.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Witness Testimony Enough Despite Victim's Mental State
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on eyewitness testimony, ruling a victim's mental incapacity does not weaken prosecution evidence.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Intimidation With a Weapon Constitutes Force in Sexual Assault
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that threatening a victim with a bolo constitutes the force or intimidation required by law.
Improvident Plea and Admissibility of Extrajudicial Confession in Rape with Homicide Cases
When a guilty plea is improvident, conviction may still stand on other evidence—here, a valid extrajudicial confession and circumstantial proof.
Incestuous Rape: The Gravity of Offenses and Improvident Guilty Pleas in Philippine Law
A father's guilty plea to raping his daughter tests the rules on capital offenses, searching inquiry, and penalties under Philippine law.
Homicide or Murder: Proving Intent and the Weight of Dying Declarations
The Supreme Court clarifies when a killing is homicide, not murder, and how dying declarations identify an assailant.
Homicide vs Murder: The Fine Line in Criminal Intent Under Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a killing is homicide, not murder, by examining treachery and evident premeditation.
Credibility of Witness Testimony in Rape Cases: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How Philippine courts assess witness credibility in rape cases, explained through People v. Lopez, where a child victim's testimony prevailed over alibi.