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.
Trafficking Conviction Upheld Despite Acquittal on Child Prostitution Charges
Supreme Court affirms trafficking conviction even where child prostitution charges fail for lack of proof of minority, clarifying key evidentiary rules.
Proving Filiation for Inheritance: Delayed Birth Registration in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how delayed birth registrations and other evidence establish filiation for inheritance claims in the Philippines.
Understanding Qualified Trafficking in Persons: Insights from a 2023 Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court affirms a conviction for qualified trafficking in persons, explaining the elements of the crime and how courts prove them.
Proving Legitimate Filiation: Key to Winning Philippine Inheritance Claims
Learn how the Supreme Court's ruling in Bernardo v. Fernando clarifies what evidence proves legitimate filiation for inheritance claims.
Civil Registry Corrections: Why Impleading All Interested Parties Matters
The Supreme Court explains why correcting a birth record requires impleading all affected parties, not just publication.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Baptismal Certificates and Filiation: Proving Legal Parentage in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that baptismal and marriage certificates alone cannot prove filiation for inheritance claims, citing Family Code rules.
Curfew Laws and Minors' Rights: Balancing State Protection and Individual Freedoms
The Supreme Court upholds juvenile curfew ordinances in Quezon City, Manila, and Navotas, balancing state protection with minors' rights.
Correcting Birth Certificate Entries: When to File with the Civil Registrar or the Court
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when birth certificate corrections need administrative filing under RA 9048 versus judicial action under Rule 108.
Indispensable Parties: Why Government Agencies Must Be Included in Correction of Public Record Cases
The Supreme Court nullified a correction of birth date ruling because government agencies were not impleaded as indispensable parties. Learn the rules.
Age of Criminal Responsibility: Testimonial Evidence and Protecting Juvenile Offenders
How testimonial evidence can prove a juvenile offender's age for exemption from criminal liability under RA 9344.
Moral Turpitude and Attorney Discipline: Upholding Ethical Standards in Personal Conduct
A lawyer's illicit affair and failure to support his child led to a six-month suspension, reaffirming that personal morality matters in the legal profession.
Proving Victim’s Age in Rape Cases: When Death Penalty Fails
In People v. Virrey, the Supreme Court ruled that minority must be proven beyond reasonable doubt before the death penalty can be imposed in rape cases.
People v. Laguerta: Why Clear Victim Testimony Matters in Philippine Rape Cases
In People v. Laguerta, the Supreme Court acquitted a rape convict due to inconsistent victim testimony, convicting him instead of acts of lasciviousness.
Proving Marriage and Filiation in the Philippines When Documents Are Missing
How Philippine courts allow proof of marriage and filiation through witnesses, baptismal certificates, and other evidence when official records are lost.