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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Witness Identification and Conspiracy in Philippine Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court weighed witness credibility, conspiracy, and qualifying circumstances in a murder conviction.
Defense of Strangers: When Can You Legally Protect Someone Else in the Philippines
Philippine law allows defending strangers, but only under strict conditions. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Trial in Absentia and Due Process: Lessons from Parada vs. Judge Veneracion
When can trial proceed without the accused? The Supreme Court clarifies the constitutional requirements for trial in absentia in the Philippines.
Squatting Rights: When Tolerance Does Not Mean Consent in Philippine Property Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that sharing harvests or tolerating possession does not create ownership rights or consent to squatting.
When Court Errors Are Not Misconduct: The Tallado v. Racoma Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when a judge's error is a judicial matter, not administrative misconduct, and warns against harassment suits.
Partnership Disputes: When a Deed of Sale Is Simulated and Fiduciary Duties Endure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated deeds of sale in partnership disputes, fiduciary duties, and bad faith withholding of funds.
Constructive Trusts Protecting Beneficiaries From Abuse OF Confidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on constructive trusts, fiduciary duty, and remedies for abuse of confidence in property relations.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Sequestration of Assets Survives Technical Defects
The Supreme Court clarifies when sequestered corporations must be impleaded and whether a single PCGG commissioner can validly issue a sequestration order.
Proving Employer-Employee Relationship in Philippine Labor Law
Understand the four-fold test for employer-employee relationship in the Philippines, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in Progress Homes v. NLRC.
Recall Elections: Understanding the 25% Voter Requirement in the Philippines
Philippine law requires at least 25% of registered voters to initiate a recall petition. The Supreme Court explains why one person cannot start it.
Conspiracy and Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Group Liability
Learn how Philippine courts apply conspiracy and treachery when multiple persons attack a victim, and what this means for criminal liability.
Redeemable Preferred Shares: When Can a Corporation Refuse Redemption? Philippine Law Explained
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a corporation may refuse to redeem preferred shares, and why stockholders cannot compel redemption.
Perfecting Labor Appeals: Can a Real Estate Bond Substitute for Cash or Surety?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether a real estate bond can perfect an employer's appeal to the NLRC under Article 223 of the Labor Code.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: When Can You Skip It
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts may excuse failure to exhaust administrative remedies, and why premature court actions get dismissed.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Force and Consent Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains why a "sweethearts" defense does not negate force in rape, and how resistance is measured.
Anti-Graft Law: Delay in Official Action and Extortion Under RA 3019
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on delay of official action and extortion under the Anti-Graft Law, Section 3(f) of RA 3019.
Extended Leases Balancing Equity AND Contractual Obligations IN Property LAW
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on extending lease terms beyond contract expiry, balancing equity and contractual freedom in property law.
Paid-Up Capital Meaning in Philippine Corporations and Wage Order Exemptions
Learn how the Supreme Court defined paid-up capital in MSCI v. NWPC, affecting distressed employer wage order exemptions.
Judicial Ethics: When a Judge's Actions Lead to Forfeiture of Retirement Benefits
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when a judge's misconduct can result in losing all retirement benefits, even after retirement.
Ejectment of Possessors by Tolerance: Guardians, Wills, and Unlawful Detainer
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a guardian may eject possessors by tolerance, and why an unprobated will does not defeat an unlawful detainer suit.
Ejectment Suits: When Can a Landowner Reclaim Property From Someone Living There
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a landowner can eject occupants by tolerance, and the legal limits of guardians' authority.
Retroactive Application of Penalties: When Can Criminal Sentences Be Reduced
Philippine Supreme Court explains when reduced criminal penalties apply retroactively, using a drug case as an example.
Rape Conviction Upheld: The Power of Intimidation and Victim Testimony
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape convictions based on credible victim testimony, intimidation by scythe, and rejection of alibi defenses.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Intimidation and the Weight of Positive Identification
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape convictions despite lack of struggle or medical certificate, ruling intimidation and positive identification suffice.