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.
When Rape Charges Are Not Qualified: The Importance of Specific Allegations in the Information
A Supreme Court ruling shows why qualifying circumstances in rape must be specifically alleged in the information to warrant the death penalty.
Rape Conviction Modified: When Qualifying Circumstances Must Be Alleged
The Supreme Court modifies a rape conviction, acquitting the accused on three counts for insufficient evidence and ruling on the necessity of alleging qualifying circumstances.
Accountability for Group Violence: Assessing Liability and Intent in Philippine Law
How Philippine courts assign criminal liability when multiple persons conspire to commit murder, and when aggravating circumstances apply.
Mental Capacity and Rape in Philippine Law: The Hamto Case
How Philippine courts treat mentally retarded rape victims' testimony, and why mental age matters in proving rape.
Treachery Defined: Justice for Victims Attacked While Defenseless
The Supreme Court explains treachery in murder cases, ruling that attacking a sleeping victim qualifies, ensuring justice for defenseless victims.
Incestuous Rape Conviction Affirmed But Death Penalty Reduced for Lack of Age Proof
SC affirms incestuous rape conviction but reduces death penalty to reclusion perpetua where victim's minority was alleged but not proven.
Vindication and Unlicensed Firearms: When Personal Offense Mitigates Murder
The Supreme Court clarifies how a grave personal offense can mitigate murder and how unlicensed firearms affect sentencing.
Unlawful Search and Seizure: Protecting Individual Rights Against Government Intrusion
The Supreme Court acquits a barangay captain of drug charges after police conducted a warrantless search of his home, reaffirming constitutional protections.
Finality Prevails: Reopening a BP 22 Case After Judgment
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a final BP 22 conviction cannot be reopened through a belated new trial motion or petition for relief.
Treachery and Conspiracy in Group Violence: Robbery With Homicide Liability
How Philippine courts establish liability for robbery with homicide in group attacks, explained through a landmark Supreme Court case.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape Conviction Upheld for Child Victim
Supreme Court affirms death penalty for rape of a five-year-old, ruling the child's testimony and medical evidence proved consummated rape.
Robbery With Homicide Conviction Upheld: Positive Identification Beats Alibi
Supreme Court affirms robbery with homicide conviction, ruling positive eyewitness identification prevails over alibi and denial defenses.
Incestuous Rape: Upholding the Sanctity of Filial Trust and the Severity of Betrayal
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a father for four counts of rape against his daughter, underscoring the gravity of incestuous abuse.
Liability in Highway Robbery: Conspiracy and Identifying Perpetrators
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy in highway robbery, eyewitness identification, and liability of accused under PD 532.
Parental Incest Establishing Minority of the Victim Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Rape Cases
How Philippine courts prove a rape victim's minority for the death penalty, using parental incest as the key example.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: The Imperative of Evidence in Criminal Convictions
The Supreme Court acquits Jesus Patriarca of murder, underscoring that circumstantial evidence must form an unbroken chain proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
When an Unlicensed Firearm Used in Robbery With Homicide Is Not a Separate Crime
The Supreme Court explains when the use of an unlicensed firearm in a killing is merely an aggravating circumstance, not a separate offense.
Treachery Defined: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sudden Attack in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when a sudden, unexpected attack qualifies as treachery, raising a killing to murder under Philippine law.
Date Discrepancies and Fair Notice in Rape Cases: Protecting the Accused's Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how vague dates in rape informations violate the accused's constitutional right to fair notice and defense.
Conspiracy and Credibility: Examining Witness Testimony in Philippine Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court weighed positive identification, delayed reporting, and conspiracy in affirming murder convictions.
Incestuous Rape and Belated Confessions: When a Guilty Plea Cannot Mitigate Death
In People v. Palermo, the Supreme Court ruled that a confession made after the prosecution rests cannot mitigate the death penalty for qualified rape.
Credible Testimony in Rape Cases: Lessons from People v. Buenaflor
The Supreme Court acquitted a rape accused due to inconsistent, improbable testimony. Credibility is key.
The Power of a Child's Testimony in Sustaining Rape Convictions Based on Credible Accounts
How a seven-year-old's clear and consistent testimony can sustain a rape conviction, even without a broken hymen.
Custodial Rape: Consent and Trust Betrayed in Step-Grandfather's Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction of step-grandfather, ruling that a child victim's credible testimony suffices even without a ruptured hymen.