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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From Project to Permanent: When Continuous Work Creates Regular Employment in the Film Industry
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when film crew members become regular employees despite project-based hiring, explained in plain language.
In-Court Identification in Rape Cases: People v. Pacistol (G.R. 119074-75)
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how a victim's credible in-court identification can secure a rape conviction despite flawed police line-up procedures.
Statutory Rape in the Philippines: Protecting Children and Understanding Consent
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction, explaining how the law protects children and how consent is treated in such cases.
Airline Liability for Lost Baggage: Understanding the Limits and Exceptions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on airline liability limits for lost baggage under the Warsaw Convention, and when willful misconduct removes those caps.
Conspiracy and Criminal Liability: Understanding Complex Crimes in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies conspiracy, treachery, and evident premeditation in murder cases, emphasizing proof beyond reasonable doubt for aggravating circumstances.
Conspiracy and Criminal Liability: Understanding Intent and Participation in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when circumstantial evidence proves conspiracy and guilt beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: How Alevosia Qualifies a Killing to Murder
In People v. Villamor, the Supreme Court explains how treachery qualifies a killing as murder and how damages must be proven with evidence.
Circumstantial Evidence in Philippine Criminal Cases: When Is It Enough to Convict?
Philippine Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence is enough to convict, and when it fails the test of moral certainty.
Eyewitness Testimony Overcoming Delay AND Establishing Credibility IN Philippine Courts
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how delayed eyewitness testimony can still be credible and how damages are computed in murder cases.
Possession vs Intent: Understanding Illegal Firearm Charges in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on double jeopardy in illegal firearm cases, and why a prosecutor's authority matters in criminal charges.
Rape by a Parent: Moral Ascendancy as Substitute for Violence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling that a father's moral ascendancy over his daughter substitutes for force in rape, affirming death penalty.
Validity of Court Decisions: Judge Incumbency and Jurisdiction Explained
When is a judge's decision valid after transfer? The Supreme Court explains jurisdiction, incumbency, and ratification in ABC Davao Auto Supply.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Misconduct Requires Solid Evidence in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Buhisan v. NLRC: dismissal for misconduct needs substantial evidence, not mere suspicion or affidavits.
When Can a Judge Recall a Warrant of Arrest: Understanding Abuse of Discretion
A Supreme Court ruling explains the three-day notice rule for motions and when a judge commits abuse of discretion in recalling warrants.
Clerk of Court Misconduct: When Repentance Can Mitigate Dismissal
Supreme Court explains when sincere repentance, full restitution, and reformation can spare a clerk of court from dismissal.
Ballot Authentication: How Missing BEI Signatures Affect Election Validity in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether unsigned ballots are spurious, and how voter intent prevails over technical omissions.
Judicial Impropriety and Ethical Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary: Lessons from People v. Santos
A 1997 ruling on inadmissible confessions, witness credibility, and kidnapping elements under Philippine law.
Grave Coercion vs Kidnapping: Understanding Deprivation of Liberty in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between kidnapping and grave coercion, emphasizing that actual detention or "locking up" is essential for a kidnapping conviction.
Tax Sale Notice: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Tax Delinquency Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tax sale notice requirements, protecting registered owners' property rights in delinquent real property auctions.
Prosecutorial Discretion vs Court Authority: Navigating Criminal Case Dismissals in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the balance between prosecutorial discretion and judicial authority in dismissing criminal cases after information is filed.
Election Protests Ensuring Fair Canvassing AND Valid Proclamations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on election protests, canvassing irregularities, and the validity of proclamations in electoral disputes.
When Is a Principal Liable for an Agent's Debt? Lessons from Bordador v. Luz
The Supreme Court explains when a principal is liable for an agent's debt, and why apparent authority must be proven.
When a Successor Company Inherits Illegal Dismissal Liability: The Alfante Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when a successor corporation can be held liable for the illegal dismissal acts of its predecessor, and how backwages are computed.
Strikes in the Philippines: Legal Requirements and Consequences for Labor Disputes
Understand the legal framework for strikes in the Philippines, including requirements, prohibited acts, and consequences for illegal strikes under Philippine labor law.