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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Equitable Mortgage vs Pacto de Retro: Protecting Borrowers From Unfair Loan Agreements
When is a "sale with right to repurchase" really a loan? The Supreme Court explains equitable mortgage and pactum commissorium.
Pactum Commissorium: When Mortgage Agreements Unfairly Benefit Lenders
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on mortgage validity, unconscionable interest rates, and when borrowers cannot escape contractual obligations.
Forged Signatures and Void Contracts: Protecting Property Rights in the Philippines
When is a deed of sale actually a mortgage? The Supreme Court explains equitable mortgage, forged signatures, and pactum commissorium.
Pactum Commissorium Protecting Debtors From Unfair Foreclosure
The Supreme Court voided a dacion en pago that let a creditor automatically take mortgaged land, reaffirming the Philippine ban on pactum commissorium.
Pactum Commissorium: Why Automatic Property Grab in Loan Agreements Is Illegal in the Philippines
Philippine law bans pactum commissorium—automatic property forfeiture in loans. Learn the rule, the Marino v. Salcedo case, and your rights.
Avoiding Pactum Commissorium: Protecting Borrowers in Philippine Loan Agreements
Learn how the Supreme Court protects borrowers from pactum commissorium—automatic property appropriation in loan agreements—under Philippine law.