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.
Conspiracy and Intent: How Philippine Courts Establish Criminal Liability
A Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy and evident premeditation in murder, explaining how joint purpose and intent establish liability.
Bouncing Checks and Insufficient Notice: Protecting Individuals From Unjust Convictions
The Supreme Court acquits a check issuer because the prosecution failed to prove receipt of notice of dishonor, a key element under BP 22.
License to Possess: When Technicalities Cannot Overshadow Substantive Rights in Firearm Cases
Supreme Court acquits firearm owner whose license was valid but expired, ruling technical defects cannot override substantive rights.
When Military Status Impacts Criminal Liability: Arbitrary Detention Explained
Understand how CAFGU membership affects criminal liability and why the Court acquitted in People v. Flores.
Hired Guns and Silent Inducements: Criminal Liability in Contract Killings Under Philippine Law
A look at how Philippine courts treat hired killers and those who induce them, based on a landmark 2001 murder case.
Rape Conviction Upheld: The Duty to Protect Children From Abuse Within the Family
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a stepfather who raped his 9-year-old stepdaughter, underscoring the duty to protect children from abuse within the family.
Rape With Deadly Weapon: Victim's Testimony Stands Despite Lack of Physical Evidence
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction with scythe, holding victim's credible testimony sufficient despite absence of weapon or physical evidence.
When Silence Isn't Golden: Criminal Conspiracy and the Duty to Disclose Knowledge of a Crime
The Supreme Court clarifies when silence about a crime becomes criminal conspiracy, and the limits of the duty to report.
Presence vs Participation: When Mere Presence Creates Criminal Liability in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when mere presence at a crime scene constitutes conspiracy versus innocent observation, using a rape case as example.
Rape Conviction Overturned: The Critical Need for Explicitly Stating Aggravating Circumstances in Criminal Inf
Why the Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua when aggravating circumstances weren't alleged in the Information.
Search Warrant Validity and Plain View Doctrine in Drug Possession Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on search warrant requirements, plain view doctrine, and inadmissible evidence in drug possession cases.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent in Sudden Attacks
The Supreme Court explains how sudden, unexpected attacks establish treachery in murder cases, even when attacker and victim exchange words first.
Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Attempted Rape: Credibility of Witnesses Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on attempted rape, witness credibility, and proof beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
Attempted Rape Conviction Affirmed: Court Explains Elements and Penalties
The Supreme Court affirms an attempted rape conviction, clarifying the elements, evidentiary standards, and penalties under Philippine law.
When Identification Fails: The Teves Parricide Acquittal and the Limits of Circumstantial Evidence
The Supreme Court acquits a parricide convict, showing how suggestive identification and weak circumstantial evidence cannot support a conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
Beyond Reasonable Doubt: Rebutting the Presumption of Malversation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that the presumption of malversation is rebuttable, and mere failure to produce funds does not prove conversion beyond reasonable doubt.
Stepfather's Rape Conviction Upheld on Credible Victim Testimony
SC affirms stepfather's rape conviction, ruling a credible child victim's testimony alone suffices for conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
The Weight of a Witness Conviction Based on Uncorroborated Testimony in Philippine Rape Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a single, credible victim testimony suffices to convict in rape cases, and why corroboration is not always required.
Breach of Trust Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Lack of Witnesses
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible victim testimony, even without eyewitnesses or medical examination.
Conviction for Incestuous Rape: When Multiple Counts Arise from One Information
A father's conviction for six counts of incestuous rape shows how credible victim testimony and proof of minority determine the penalty.
When Domestic Disputes Turn Deadly: Understanding Parricide in Philippine Law
A look at parricide under Philippine law through the Supreme Court's ruling in People v. Cabug, explaining the crime, penalties, and evidentiary rules.
Treachery and Witness Credibility: When Conspiracy Fails in Philippine Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when presence at a crime scene does not prove conspiracy in murder, and the importance of witness credibility.
Positive Identification Over Alibi: The Weight of Eyewitness Testimony in Murder Convictions
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on eyewitness identification, rejecting the defenses of alibi and alleged due process violations.
Retraction of Testimony in Rape Cases: Credibility and the Quest for Justice
How Philippine courts weigh a rape victim's credibility and a guilty plea, and why proof of age matters for the death penalty.