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.
Absolute Privilege in Quasi-Judicial Proceedings: The Arquiza Libel Ruling
The Supreme Court acquits a party-list nominee of libel, extending absolute privilege to statements in COMELEC quasi-judicial petitions.
SEC Quasi-Legislative Power: When Courts Can Review Agency Regulations
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may review SEC regulations and why injunctions against the agency were improper in the PSE voting rights case.
Motion to Withdraw Information: When Courts Must Assess Evidence Before Dismissal
Courts must independently assess evidence before granting a motion to withdraw information. Learn the rules from a recent Sandiganbayan case.
Succession Rights and DAR Secretary's Authority in Agrarian Beneficiary Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies DAR Secretary's exclusive jurisdiction over successor designation in agrarian reform beneficiary disputes, reversing CA ruling.
Indispensable Parties in Labor Cases: Lessons from TESDA v. Abragar
Learn why impleading all indispensable parties is critical in labor disputes, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in TESDA v. Abragar.
Foreign Investment and Unfair Competition: Key Insights from a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court Case
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the limits of judicial review over Board of Investments registration decisions and the meaning of unfair competition claims.
Balancing Confrontation Rights and Due Process in Transnational Crime Investigations
Supreme Court clarifies when courts may interfere with preliminary investigations and how constitutional rights apply in fact-finding probes.
Prolonged Preliminary Investigation and Speedy Disposition: What the Supreme Court Said
A dismissed criminal case for failure to prosecute raises the question: when does delay violate the right to speedy disposition of cases?
Co-Ownership Disputes: How Inheritance and Sales Affect Land Rights in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when administrative orders on land disputes become final and how co-ownership, inheritance, and sales affect property rights.
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.
NTC Primary Jurisdiction Over Access Charges in Interconnection Agreements
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that the NTC has primary jurisdiction over access charges in interconnection agreements, and why courts must defer.
Mining Rights vs. Indigenous Peoples: Exhaustion of Remedies and Grave Abuse of Discretion
The Supreme Court in Alecha v. Atienza underscores the exhaustion doctrine and limits of grave abuse of discretion in mining disputes.
Falsification of Public Documents: Balancing Expert Testimony and Due Process
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how NBI expert reports and due process rights interact in falsification preliminary investigations.
Double Jeopardy in Philippine Courts: When a Case Dismissal Is Not Final
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Cerezo v. People on double jeopardy, valid case dismissals, and when courts may reopen criminal cases.
Courts Cannot Second-Guess Executive Road Project Choices: Torrecampo vs MWSS
Supreme Court clarifies courts cannot enjoin government infrastructure projects based on policy disagreements, only on grave abuse of discretion.
Just Compensation Under CARP: Courts Must Follow DAR Valuation Formula
Supreme Court clarifies that courts determining just compensation under CARP must strictly apply the DAR valuation formula, not substitute their own methods.
When Final Judgments Clash: Upholding the Anti-Graft Law and Defining Usurpation of Judicial Functions in the
A provincial adjudicator ignored a final Court of Appeals ruling, leading to a landmark conviction under the Anti-Graft Law and a clarifying ruling on usurpation of judicial functions.
When Public Officials Face Personal Liability for Official Acts
Supreme Court clarifies when school officials may be personally sued for damages and why exhaustion of administrative remedies does not apply.
Contempt of the COMELEC: The Scope of Its Quasi-Judicial Power Explained
The Supreme Court affirms COMELEC's power to cite for contempt even when acting through fact-finding task forces, clarifying the scope of its quasi-judicial authority.
Deportation and Drug Convictions: Broadening the Scope of Philippine Immigration Law
The Supreme Court rules that foreign drug convictions justify deportation under Philippine immigration law, rejecting a narrow reading of Section 37(a)(4).
When Mootness Ends a Case: The ZTE-NBN Project Dispute Before the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court dismissed the consolidated petitions against the ZTE-NBN project as moot after the government abandoned the deal, explaining key limits on judicial power.
SEC Authority Validating Stock and Transfer Books Over Intra-Corporate Disputes
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that the SEC has regulatory jurisdiction to validate and cancel stock and transfer books.
Overcoming Laches Establishing Ownership Despite Delays In Contested Land Titles
Explore how laches can bar registered owners from recovering land despite delays, and why failing to implead indispensable parties is fatal.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Why Courts—Not Agencies—Fix Fair Value
Supreme Court clarifies that RTCs, not DAR adjudicators, have original jurisdiction over just compensation in agrarian expropriation cases.