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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Upholding Attorney Integrity: Dismissal of Disbarment Complaint Requires Substantial Evidence of Malice
Disbarment requires substantial evidence of malice, not mere speculation. The Supreme Court clarifies the standard in Santiago v. Santiago.
Disbarment Case Dismissed: Lawyers' Official Acts Not Deceit Without Malice
When do lawyers in government face disbarment for official acts? The Court clarifies the need for clear evidence of malice.
Breach of Trust, Competing Business Interests, and Employee Dismissal: Key Lessons from Malcaba v. ProHealth P
When can an employer validly dismiss for loss of trust? When is dismissal illegal? The Supreme Court clarifies in Malcaba v. ProHealth Pharma.
Neglect of Duty: Court Personnel Accountability in Safekeeping Evidence
A clerk of court was fined P20,000 for losing a firearm exhibit under his custody. The Supreme Court clarifies accountability for court personnel.
Breach of Notarial Duty and Disrespect for Court Orders: Grounds for Disbarment
A lawyer's notarial violations and disrespect for court orders can result in disbarment. This article explains the Supreme Court's ruling.
Upholding Attorneys Duty Demand Letters AND Ethical Boundaries IN Legal Representation
Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer's demand letter is legitimate advocacy versus unethical extortion, dismissing disbarment case against Atty. Freddie Feir.
Fairness in Farmlands: How Courts Determine Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts compute just compensation for agrarian reform lands and when legal interest applies.
When Lawyers Behave Badly: The Supreme Court on Suspension, Reputation, and Evidence
A 2017 Supreme Court ruling shows why disbarment complaints need solid evidence, and why lawyers must stay mindful of how their conduct appears to the public.
Attorney Disbarred for Gross Misconduct and Willful Disobedience to Court Orders
A lawyer's unauthorized use of a client's property for bail bonds, plus defiance of court orders, leads to disbarment.
Injunction Relief in Property Disputes: Establishing Clear Rights and Irreparable Harm
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may grant preliminary injunctions in property disputes, requiring actual existing rights and urgent necessity.
Accidental Shooting or Intentional Harm: Distinguishing Homicide From Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains when a fatal shooting is homicide, not murder, and why the information must allege treachery as a fact.
Suicide and Seafarers' Death Benefits: Proving Intentional Self-Harm in Maritime Claims
When can a shipping company deny death benefits by proving a seafarer committed suicide? The Supreme Court explains the evidentiary standard.
Clerk of Court Liable for Simple Neglect of Duty Over Lost Firearm Exhibits
The Supreme Court holds a clerk of court guilty of simple neglect for losing firearm exhibits kept beyond case termination, explaining duties under Rule 136.
Neglect of Duty in Court Clerks' Responsibility for Safekeeping Exhibits
Court clerks must safely keep exhibits in custodia legis. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling on simple neglect of duty for lost firearms.
Warrantless Arrest for Illegal Firearm Possession: Rights and Public Safety
The Supreme Court upholds a warrantless arrest for illegal firearm possession, clarifying the balance between constitutional rights and public safety.
Disbarment for Deceit and Unauthorized Notarization: Ethical Standards for Lawyers
Supreme Court affirms suspension and notarial disqualification for a lawyer who used falsified documents and notarized outside his jurisdiction.
Supreme Court Fines Disbarred Lawyer for Neglect of Client Duties
The Supreme Court fined a disbarred lawyer P40,000 for neglecting clients after accepting P350,000 in fees, ruling no double disbarment applies.
Dismissal of Falsification Charges in Disbarment Case Highlights Burden of Proof for Lawyers
Supreme Court dismisses disbarment charges against Atty. Bigay for lack of preponderant evidence, but reprimands notary Atty. Siapno for negligence.
Ethical Boundaries: When a Lawyer's Zeal Violates Due Process and Procedural Fairness
A lawyer's zeal for a client cannot justify violating procedural rules and depriving the opposing party of due process, as this disbarment case shows.
Falsifying MCLE Compliance and Disbarment: What Lawyers Risk
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a lawyer's false MCLE compliance number in pleadings led to disbarment for deceit.
Disbarment Complaint Dismissed for Insufficient Evidence: The Burden of Proof in Administrative Cases
The Supreme Court dismissed a disbarment complaint against Atty. Johan Tabuzo, ruling that complainants must present substantial evidence, not just self-serving affidavits.
HMO VAT Assessments Void Without Letter of Authority: Medicard Case
Supreme Court voids HMO VAT assessment without Letter of Authority; only service fees, not earmarked medical funds, are taxable gross receipts.
Farmlot Reclassification Does NOT Exempt Land From Agrarian Reform
The Supreme Court ruled that reclassifying agricultural land as a farmlot subdivision does not remove it from agrarian reform coverage under RA 6657.
Agrarian Reform Reclassification As Farmlot Subdivision Does NOT Exempt Land From CARP Coverage
Supreme Court rules that reclassifying agricultural land as a farmlot subdivision before CARP does not exempt it from agrarian reform coverage.