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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Ancestral Land Rights: Proving Fraud and Due Process in Land Title Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when ancestral land titles can be cancelled for fraud and what claimants must prove to assert vested rights over ancestral lands.
Ancestral Land Rights: Confirming Titles of Indigenous Communities Under the Public Land Act
The Supreme Court affirms that indigenous cultural communities may secure free patents over ancestral lands, even if within forest reservations, under Section 48(c) of the Public Land Act.
Land Disputes: RTC Jurisdiction Over Reversion Cases Involving Indigenous Titles
The Supreme Court clarifies that reversion and cancellation of titles over ancestral lands fall under RTC jurisdiction, not the NCIP.
Land Disputes and Indigenous Rights: Reasserting RTC Jurisdiction in Reversion Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that the RTC, not the NCIP, has jurisdiction over reversion and cancellation of title cases involving ancestral lands.
Ancestral Land Rights Prevail: Registration Allowed Despite Forest Reserve Status
Supreme Court rules ancestral lands occupied since time immemorial may be registered even if located inside a forest reserve, applying IPRA Law.
Foreshore Land vs Private Property: Clarifying Ownership Rights in Coastal Areas
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on possession, prescription, and jurisdiction in disputes over untitled coastal and ancestral lands.
Voiding Contracts With Indigenous Peoples Prior Approval IS Mandatory
Supreme Court clarifies that contracts with indigenous peoples require prior government approval or they are void, protecting ancestral lands.