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.
Defective Information in Rape Cases: Waiver and Amendment Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court rules on defective information in rape cases, waiver by failure to quash, and amendment of indefinite dates.
Illegal Recruitment in the Philippines: Employer Duties and Employee Rights
Understand illegal recruitment in the Philippines, employer responsibilities, and employee rights based on a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Project vs Regular Employee: What Brahm Industries Teaches About Valid Dismissal
The Supreme Court clarifies the difference between project and regular employees, and the due process required for lawful dismissal in the Philippines.
Illegal Dismissal: Proving Regular Employment and Due Process in Termination
Learn how the Supreme Court protects employees from illegal dismissal when employers fail to prove just cause and observe due process.
Overriding Commissions After Retirement: Employee Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether employees can claim commissions earned before retirement but paid after. Learn the rules.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Security of Tenure Under Philippine Labor Law
Learn how the Supreme Court distinguishes project from regular employees and protects workers' security of tenure under Article 280 of the Labor Code.
Conditional vs. Absolute Sale: How Philippine Courts Determine True Property Ownership
Philippine courts look beyond contract labels to determine if a sale is absolute or conditional. Learn the key rules from a landmark Supreme Court case.
Stop-and-Frisk Doctrine: Balancing Public Safety and Individual Rights in Drug Cases
Explaining the stop-and-frisk exception to warrantless searches in Philippine drug cases, and how courts balance public safety with constitutional rights.
Bottle Ownership and Trademark Rights: Navigating Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on who owns liquor bottles after sale and the limits of trademark protection under R.A. 623.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Understanding Unexpected Attacks
The Supreme Court explains treachery (alevosia) in murder cases, using People v. Reboltiado to show how sudden, planned attacks qualify.
Judicial Accountability: Independent Assessment of Justice Secretary's Resolutions in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on trial courts' duty to independently assess Justice Secretary's resolutions in withdrawal of criminal informations.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: What Philippine Law Requires
Philippine law requires both just cause and due process for valid dismissal. Learn the rules from Aquinas School v. Magnaye.
The Clerk’s Duty: Accurate Case Reporting and the Efficient Administration of Justice in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk fined for issuing a subpoena to a life-term prisoner without authority, underscoring diligence in court duties.
Docket Fees and Venue: When Payment Must Be Made Anew on Refiling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that refiling a case in the proper venue requires new docket fees; prior payments do not transfer.
Docket Fees and Jurisdiction: Re-Filing a Case After Dismissal for Improper Venue
When a case is dismissed for improper venue, must new docket fees be paid upon re-filing? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule.
Attempted Kidnapping: When Does Intent Fall Short of Completion
Philippine law distinguishes attempted from frustrated kidnapping. This article explains the legal tests courts use to determine criminal liability.
Solidary Liability of Recruitment Agencies: Protecting Overseas Filipino Workers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on joint and solidary liability of recruitment agencies and foreign employers for overseas workers' claims.
The Weight of Words: Child Witness Testimony in Philippine Parricide Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a parricide conviction based on an 8-year-old eyewitness's testimony, and what this means for child witnesses in Philippine courts.
Void Sales and Repurchase Agreements: Property Rights in the Philippines
When a seller has no title, the sale is void—and so is any right to repurchase. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court case.
Criminal Conspiracy and Exempting Circumstances: Duress and Mental Capacity in Philippine Law
A look at how the Supreme Court defined conspiracy, duress, and imbecility defenses in a kidnapping and homicide case.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Just Cause and Observing Due Process in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on employee dismissal: employers must prove just cause with substantial evidence and observe due process.
Sheriff’s Sales in the Philippines: Notice Rules and What Torres v. Cabling Teaches
Learn the notice and payment rules for sheriff’s sales in the Philippines, explained through the landmark case of Torres v. Cabling.
Self-Defense and Voluntary Surrender: Key Lessons from a Philippine Murder Case
A Philippine Supreme Court case clarifies when self-defense fails and voluntary surrender mitigates murder liability. Learn the rules.
Overlapping Land Titles in the Philippines: Resolving Ownership Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts resolve ownership disputes involving overlapping land titles, foreclosure, and tenant rights under agrarian reform laws.