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.
Judicial Accountability: Why Courts Must Follow Procedure in Capital Cases
Philippine Supreme Court annuls death sentence in rape case, reminding trial courts that guilty pleas in capital offenses require full evidentiary proof.
The Alibi Defense Proving Physical Impossibility in Philippine Criminal Law
Learn how Philippine courts test alibi defenses through physical impossibility, using the 1996 Bautista case as a guide.
Understanding Complex Crime When ONE ACT Leads TO Multiple Felonies IN The Philippines
Learn how Philippine law treats a single act causing multiple felonies, using the robbery-with-homicide ruling in People v. Silan.
Highway Robbery vs Robbery with Homicide: Key Distinctions Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when a hold-up on a Philippine highway is highway robbery under P.D. 532 or robbery with homicide under the Revised Penal Code.
Treachery in Philippine Law: When Does an Attack Qualify as Murder
The Supreme Court explains when a killing is treachery-qualified murder and when it remains only homicide, with practical guidance.
Hearsay Exceptions: When Can a Third-Party Confession Clear Your Name?
A third-party confession can be hearsay evidence—but only admissible if the declarant is unavailable and trustworthy. Learn the rules.
Contempt of Court: Navigating the Boundaries of Respect and Legal Advocacy in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a motion for judicial inhibition crosses the line into direct contempt, and what lawyers and litigants should avoid.
Illegal Dismissal vs Valid Retirement: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations in the Philippines
When is forced retirement illegal dismissal? Learn the rules on just causes, medical certification, and separation pay in the Philippines.
When Self-Defense Fails: Proving Unlawful Aggression in Philippine Criminal Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why bare claims of self-defense fail without credible witnesses, and when treachery and evident premeditation do not qualify a killing.
Warrantless Arrests and Drug Evidence: What Buy-Bust Operations Mean for Your Rights
Learn when warrantless arrests and drug evidence are valid in buy-bust operations, and how Philippine courts handle frame-up defenses.
Judicial Delay Consequences for Judges and the Right to a Speedy Trial in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on judge liability for trial delays and the constitutional right to speedy trial in the Philippines.
Reclusion Perpetua: The Unchanged Penalty for Murder Despite Constitutional Shifts
The Supreme Court clarifies that the 1987 Constitution's death penalty abolition does not alter the penalty periods for murder under the Revised Penal Code.
Understanding Intent in Murder Cases: When Can a Killing Be Reduced to a Lesser Crime
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on intent, treachery, and penalty computation in murder cases under the Revised Penal Code.
Positive Identification Over Alibi Upholding Conviction in Murder and Frustrated Murder Case
Supreme Court affirms murder and frustrated murder conviction, ruling positive identification prevails over alibi and denial.