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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Prescription Prevails: Acquiring Ownership Despite Shared Inheritance
When a co-heir openly claims inherited land as their own for decades, prescription can defeat the right to partition.
Prescription of Claims in Maritime Employment: Time Limits and Legal Recourse
When POEA contracts expire, seafarers may fall under Labor Code rules. Learn how Delos Santos v. Jebsen Maritime clarifies rights.
Mortgage Foreclosure and Prescription: The 10-Year Limit on Debt Recovery
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the 10-year prescription period for mortgage foreclosure actions and strict appeal deadlines.
Tax Collection Deadlines: Prescription in Philippine Tax Law Explained
Learn how the BPI v. CIR case clarifies the three-year prescription period for tax collection and when it may be suspended.
When Does the Clock Start? Prescription Periods for Hidden Contract Breaches in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when the prescriptive period begins for hidden breaches of contract, protecting buyers who rely on seller representations.
Prescription Period for Reconveyance Actions Based on Implied Trusts
Learn when a reconveyance action based on implied trust prescribes—10 years from title issuance, not 4 years from fraud discovery.
Prescription and Reconveyance: Property Rights and Time Limits in the Philippines
Understand when actions for reconveyance prescribe in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling on property rights and time limits.
Agrarian Reform Succession and Prescription: De Tumol v. Esguerra
The Supreme Court ruled that a daughter's claim to succeed her father's farmholding was barred by prescription and laches, upholding the DAR order favoring her brother.
Accrual of Action: Demand as the Starting Point for Prescription in Debt Recovery
When does the prescriptive period for collecting a debt begin? The Supreme Court clarifies that demand, not maturity, starts the clock.
Untangling Land Titles, Prescription, and the Rights of Heirs in Property Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs can recover property sold without their consent, and how prescription applies to constructive trusts.
Prescription of Penalties: Imprisonment Must Begin Before Evasion Can Trigger Prescriptive Period
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prescription of penalties under Article 93 RPC only runs when a convict escapes during actual imprisonment, not while at large.
When Does Prescription of Penalties Begin? The Doctrine of Evasion of Sentence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prescription of penalties under Article 93 RPC only runs when a convict escapes while serving imprisonment.
Tax Assessment Validity: Strict Requirements for Waivers of the Statute of Limitations
Philippine Journalists, Inc. v. CIR clarifies that waivers of the tax prescription period must strictly comply with BIR regulations to be valid.
Prescription in Graft Cases: When Does the Clock Really Start Ticking
Learn how Philippine courts determine when the prescriptive period for graft cases begins, based on recent Supreme Court rulings.
Recovering Ill-Gotten Wealth: The State's Right to Sue Public Officials' Heirs
The Supreme Court affirms the State's right to recover ill-gotten wealth from the heirs of public officials, free from prescription, laches, or estoppel.
When Bank Receivership Does Not Stop Prescription on Mortgage Foreclosure
A bank's receivership does not automatically suspend the prescriptive period for foreclosing a mortgage, the Supreme Court ruled.
Forcible Entry Prescription AND Jurisdictional Timelines IN Land Disputes
Establishing Land Ownership The Critical Role of Property Identification in Acquisitive Prescription
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why identifying the exact property is essential before claiming ownership through acquisitive prescription.
Challenging Anti-Graft Law: Balancing Due Process and Public Accountability
The Supreme Court upholds Section 5 of RA 3019 against vagueness challenges, clarifying rules on repetitive motions, prescription, and immunity.
Prescription Does Not Bar State Reversion of Public Land Illegally Acquired
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prescription and laches do not bar the State from reverting public land fraudulently titled, even after many years.
Prescription and Co-Ownership: When Long Possession Extinguishes Partition Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a co-owner's long, exclusive possession can extinguish the right to demand partition through prescription.
Enforcement Delayed: Prescription and Revival of Judgments in Philippine Property Disputes
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains the five-year and ten-year deadlines for enforcing judgments, and the consequences of delay.
Timeliness of Labor Claims: Understanding Prescription Periods for Employees' Rights
Learn how prescription periods apply to money claims and illegal dismissal cases under Philippine labor law, explained through the Texon Manufacturing case.
How Long Can Someone Occupy Land Before It's Legally Theirs in the Philippines?
Philippine law has no "squatter's rights" that grant ownership by mere occupation. Learn the real rules on prescription and land ownership.