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.
Positive Identification in Philippine Criminal Law: Overcoming Doubts and Alibis
How Philippine courts weigh positive identification against alibis and dying declarations, explained through a landmark murder case.
Ejectment Case Immediate Execution and Tenant Rights in the Philippines
Learn how prescription and proper summons affect ejectment cases in the Philippines, and what tenants and owners should know.
The Perils of Delayed Disclosure: Eyewitness Testimony and Credibility in Philippine Criminal Law
How Philippine courts weigh eyewitness identification, voice recognition, and alibi in criminal cases, explained through a 1997 Supreme Court ruling.
Shared Guilt Establishing Conspiracy in Robbery With Homicide Under Philippine Law
When does a getaway accomplice become liable for murder? Philippine law on conspiracy in robbery with homicide explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Affidavits of Desistance and Witness Recantations: Their Limited Impact on Philippine Criminal Cases
Philippine courts view affidavits of desistance and witness recantations with disfavor. Learn why from People v. Ballabare.
Circumstantial Evidence and the Right Against Self-Incrimination in Philippine Criminal Law
The Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence suffices for conviction and why the right against self-incrimination does not cover physical evidence.
Understanding Conspiracy and Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: A Case Study
How the Supreme Court applied conspiracy and treachery in a murder case, explained in plain language for everyday readers.
The Credibility of Child Witnesses: Upholding Justice Beyond Tender Years
How the Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction based on the positive identification of a ten-year-old eyewitness, and the rules on child testimony, treachery, and alibi.
Rape and Incest: Understanding Consent and Familial Abuse in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction but acquits him of a second count where the victim could not identify her attacker.
When Circumstantial Evidence Suffices: Rape with Homicide and the Limits of Alibi
The Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence can convict, why alibi rarely works, and the difference between reclusion perpetua and life imprisonment.
Circumstantial Evidence in Rape Cases: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
How the Supreme Court upheld a rape-homicide conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence, and what this means for Philippine criminal prosecutions.
Alibi Defense in Philippine Criminal Law: Requirements and Limitations
Understand when alibi works as a defense in Philippine criminal cases, its legal requirements, and why courts view it with suspicion.
When Witness Testimony Determines Guilt: Credibility in Philippine Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts assess eyewitness credibility in murder cases, from the 1996 People v. Pano ruling on positive identification versus alibi.
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.
Circumstantial Evidence Proving Guilt Beyond A Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Courts
How Philippine courts use circumstantial evidence to convict beyond reasonable doubt, explained through People v. Danao.