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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Just Compensation for Expropriated Improvements: The Replacement Cost Standard
Learn how Philippine courts value improvements in expropriation cases and why the Supreme Court remanded this case for proper evidence.
Pre-Trial Orders Prevail: Limiting Evidence to Ensure Fair and Efficient Litigation
Explore how Philippine courts treat pre-trial orders that limit evidence, ensuring fair and efficient litigation while preventing trial by ambush.
Voluntary Appearance and Proper Service of Summons in Philippine Courts
Learn when a defendant's voluntary appearance cures defective summons and why improper service alone does not warrant dismissal.
Enforcing Arbitration Agreements: How Philippine Courts Handle Multi-Party Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that courts must refer arbitration-bound parties to arbitration even when other parties in the same case are not covered.
Venue Stipulations in Contracts: When "Exclusive" Means Exclusive in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when contractual venue stipulations are binding and enforceable, and when courts must dismiss cases filed elsewhere.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi in Child Rape Cases Under Philippine Law
How Philippine courts weigh a victim's positive identification against an alibi defense in child rape cases under RA 7610.
Eminent Domain: How Courts Fix Just Compensation and Interest in Expropriation
Learn how Philippine courts determine just compensation and legal interest in expropriation cases, based on a 2017 Supreme Court ruling.
Granting Extensions in Appeals: Balancing Justice and Procedural Rules in Philippine Courts
When can Philippine courts grant extensions to file appeals? The Supreme Court clarifies Rule 42 rules and the importance of substantial justice.
Contractual Venue Stipulations: Enforceability and Waiver in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when exclusive venue clauses in contracts bind parties and when they are waived.
Malicious Prosecution: Proving Malice and Bad Faith in Filing Administrative Complaints
Filing an administrative complaint is not automatically malicious prosecution. Learn what Philippine courts require to prove malice and bad faith.
Entrapment vs Instigation: How Philippine Courts Treat Buy-Bust Operations
A Supreme Court ruling in a Cebu buy-bust case explains why presenting the police informant is not required and how chain of custody is weighed in drug cases.
Credit Card Debt Collection: Proving the Basis of Claims in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on credit card collection cases: creditors must prove the basis of claims, not just submit a statement of account.
Breach of Contract vs. Damages: How Philippine Courts Determine Jurisdiction
Philippine courts determine jurisdiction by the primary relief sought, not the complaint's label. Learn how the Supreme Court clarified this in a landmark ruling.
Execution Pending Appeal: Balancing Justice and Judicial Discretion in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of execution pending appeal and the requirements for claiming injunction bonds in Abenion v. Pilipinas Shell.
Unconscionable Interest: The Limits of Contractual Freedom in Philippine Loans
Philippine courts can strike down unconscionable interest rates in loan agreements. Learn the rules on excessive interest and how borrowers are protected.
Insanity as a Defense: Establishing Mental Incapacity in Criminal Proceedings
Understanding how Philippine courts assess insanity as a defense and what evidence is needed to establish mental incapacity in criminal cases.
Treaty Obligations vs Domestic Law: Enforceability of UN Human Rights Committee Views in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court rules that UN Human Rights Committee views are recommendatory, not enforceable through mandamus in Philippine courts.
Accountability Under the Law: Determining Guilt in Kidnapping for Ransom With Homicide
How Philippine courts convict accused persons of kidnapping for ransom with homicide, explained through a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Masked Intent Identifying Perpetrators In Robbery With Homicide Cases
How Philippine courts convict masked robbers through familiarity with build, voice, and mannerism, not just facial identification.
Civil Indemnity for Death: How Philippine Courts Determine Damages
The Supreme Court explains how civil indemnity, moral damages, and other awards are computed when a crime causes death, using Lim v. Tan as a guide.
Compulsory vs. Permissive Counterclaims: What Philippine Litigants Must Know
Learn the difference between compulsory and permissive counterclaims in Philippine courts, including docket fees, forum shopping, and the Alba v. Malapajo ruling.
Proving Loss of Earning Capacity: Admissibility of Evidence in Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts prove loss of earning capacity, and why unobjected documentary evidence can establish damages for a deceased's unrealized income.
Work-Related Illness and Causation in Seafarer Disability Claims: Key Lessons
Learn how Philippine courts decide seafarer disability claims, focusing on work-related illness, causation, and the POEA standard of proof.
Possession of Illegal Drugs: How Philippine Courts Prove Intent Beyond Reasonable Doubt
In Luy v. People, the Supreme Court explains how intent to possess illegal drugs is proved, and why mere denial rarely defeats a charge under R.A. 9165.