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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Competency of Witnesses With Intellectual Disabilities: Safeguarding Justice in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms that intellectual disability alone does not disqualify a witness, provided they can perceive and communicate their perceptions.
Child Witness with Cerebral Palsy: Competency in Rape and Homicide Cases
Explore how the Supreme Court ruled that a child with cerebral palsy can be a competent witness in rape and homicide cases.
Child Witness With Cerebral Palsy: Competency and the Pursuit of Justice
The Supreme Court affirms that a child with cerebral palsy can be a competent witness, provided she can perceive and communicate her perceptions.
Child Witness Testimony and Competency in Philippine Rape Cases
How the Supreme Court affirmed a rape conviction based on a four-year-old child's testimony, clarifying competency and hearsay rules.
Authority to Represent: Clarifying Witness Competency in Land Registration Cases
Supreme Court clarifies that witnesses need no special authorization to testify, reversing dismissal of land registration case.
Guardianship and Competency: Defining the Boundaries of Legal Protection
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a person is legally This requires proof of actual incapacity, not mere difficulty or poor judgment.
Guardianship and Competency: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals From Exploitation
Supreme Court ruling on guardianship for persons of weak mind, protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by relatives.
Child Witness Testimony and Statutory Rape: Competency in Philippine Courts
How Philippine courts assess a minor rape victim's testimony, and why proper plea inquiry and qualifying circumstances matter in capital cases.
Competency of Witnesses: Testimony of Persons with Mental Retardation in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms that a person with mental retardation can be a competent witness in rape cases if able to perceive and relate facts.
Mental Capacity and Criminal Liability: Understanding the Estrada Insanity Test
The Supreme Court explains when insanity exempts from criminal liability and clarifies the Estrada test for mental competency.
When Mental Illness Raises Doubt: The Estrada Case on Competency to Stand Trial
Philippine Supreme Court nullifies a murder conviction where the trial court ignored evidence of the accused's mental illness and denied a mental examination.
Positive Identification and Witness Competency in Rape with Homicide Cases
How the Supreme Court affirmed that a witness with hearing and intellectual impairments can provide credible testimony in rape with homicide prosecutions.
Credibility of Mentally Retarded Rape Victims: Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on credible testimony of a mentally retarded victim, clarifying competency rules.
Child Witness Testimony in Philippine Courts: Competency and Credibility Standards
Philippine courts evaluate child witness competency case-by-case. Learn the standards from People v. Mendoza and practical takeaways.