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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GSIS Housing Loans and Insurance: Protecting Heirs' Rights After a Borrower's Death
A Supreme Court ruling on GSIS housing loans clarifies when Sales Redemption Insurance applies and how heirs can save a deceased borrower's property from cancellation.
Void Contracts When Signatures Are Forged and Owners Are Deceased
A contract signed by deceased owners is void. Learn the rules on forged signatures, imprescriptible actions, and title cancellation.
Notifying Indispensable Parties in Property Restriction Cancellation Cases
Why courts void orders canceling property restrictions when indispensable parties like homeowners' associations are not notified and impleaded.
LIVE'S vs LEVI'S: Supreme Court Rules on Trademark Confusion and Cancellation
The Supreme Court cancelled the LIVE'S trademark registration, ruling it confusingly similar to LEVI'S under the Dominancy Test.
Levi Strauss v. Sevilla: Confusing Similarity and Trademark Cancellation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court cancels the LIVE'S trademark for confusing similarity with LEVI'S, clarifying trademark tests and res judicata rules.
Trademark Cancellation: When Registration Does Not Guarantee Ownership
The Supreme Court explains when a trademark registration can be cancelled despite the prima facie presumption of ownership it grants.
Navigating the Jurisdictional Maze: The DAR Secretary's Role in Cancellation of Land Ownership Awards
Learn when the DAR Secretary—not the DARAB—has jurisdiction over CLOA cancellation cases, based on a 2020 Supreme Court ruling.
Unlawful Detainer and Contract Cancellation: The R.A. 6552 Requirement
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a seller cannot eject an installment buyer without first complying with R.A. 6552's cancellation rules.
Understanding Unlawful Detainer When Tolerance Isn't Enough to Evict
When a contract to sell governs possession, a seller cannot evict via unlawful detainer without first complying with RA 6552's cancellation rules.
Property Title Cancellation and Reconveyance: Insights from a Philippine Landmark Case
Learn when private individuals can sue to cancel a free patent title and what distinguishes reversion from reconveyance in Philippine property law.
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.
DAR Secretary Has Exclusive Jurisdiction Over Title Cancellations
The Supreme Court clarifies that the DAR Secretary exclusively handles cancellation of registered emancipation patents and agrarian titles.
Contract to Sell vs. Sale: When Cancellation Is Valid Without Maceda Law
Supreme Court clarifies contract to sell rules, default judgments, and when Maceda Law does not apply to commercial property buyers.
CLOA Cancellation and Indefeasibility of Titles in Agrarian Reform Cases
When can a Certificate of Land Ownership Award be cancelled? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of DAR jurisdiction and the indefeasibility of agrarian titles.
Reversion of Land Jurisdiction Lies Where the Title Is Challenged, Not the Judgment Itself
When a land title is attacked as spurious, the reversion case in court bars administrative cancellation of a leasehold agreement over the same property.
Land Ownership Disputes: Court vs. DAR Jurisdiction Over CLOA Cancellation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts lack jurisdiction over land disputes involving CLOAs and agrarian reform titles.
When Courts Cannot Decide Land Ownership Disputes Involving Agrarian Reform Awards
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that cancellation of CLOAs falls under DAR Secretary's jurisdiction, not regular courts.
Faulty Notarization Foils Contract Cancellation: Buyer Entitled to Refund Under Maceda Law
When a developer's notice of cancellation fails notarial requirements, the contract remains valid and the buyer may claim refunds under the Maceda Law.
Union Registration Misrepresentation Claims and the Limits of Cancellation Under the Labor Code
The Supreme Court clarifies that only grounds listed in Article 247 of the Labor Code justify cancellation of union registration, not lack of mutuality of interests.
Agrarian Reform Adjudication: When DARAB Has No Jurisdiction Over CLOA Cancellation
The Supreme Court clarifies that DARAB has no jurisdiction over CLOA cancellation cases when no tenancy relationship exists between the parties.
Agrarian Reform and Jurisdictional Boundaries: Understanding DARAB's Role in CLOA Cancellation
The Supreme Court clarifies when DARAB can cancel CLOAs and when the DAR Secretary holds jurisdiction, in Union Bank v. DAR officers.
Upholding Land Title Integrity: State Authority Over Public Domain Prevails
Supreme Court remands land title cancellation case, ruling procedural lapses by the OSG should not bar the State from recovering allegedly fraudulent titles.
DARAB Jurisdiction Over Annulment of Land Sales Without DAR Clearance
The Supreme Court clarifies when the DARAB, not regular courts, has jurisdiction over annulment of land sales and title cancellation in agrarian reform cases.