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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When Copies Count: Admissibility of Duplicate Evidence in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when photocopies and duplicates are admissible as evidence under the 2019 Revised Rules on Evidence.
When a Surety Can Escape Liability: Overcoming the Presumption of Regularity
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when sureties can overcome the presumption of regularity attached to notarized continuing suretyship agreements.
Vicarious Liability of Schools: When Teachers Answer for Student Negligence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when school principals and teachers are vicariously liable for student acts causing injury to third persons.
Lease Improvements and Builder in Good Faith: What Philippine Lessees Must Know
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who owns lease improvements and why "builder in good faith" rarely applies to lessees.
When Can a Bank Apply Your Payment to Another Debt? Supreme Court Rules
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may apply loan payments to other debts, protecting borrowers from unfair payment application.
When Eyewitness Identification Is Not Enough to Convict: A Philippine Supreme Court Analysis
The Supreme Court acquits a homicide convict, ruling that a suggestive out-of-court identification through a cartographic sketch is unreliable evidence.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Land Rights After Incomplete Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on expropriation, just compensation, and landowner rights when government fails to pay.
When Generosity Becomes Misconduct: Ethical Boundaries for Philippine Lawyers
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when public officers face liability for procurement irregularities, and how good faith affects ethical responsibility.
Foreclosure Prescription: When Does a Bank's Right to Foreclose Expire?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that extrajudicial foreclosure filings do not stop the 10-year prescription period for mortgage actions under Article 1142.
Consortium Requirement in Subtransmission Asset Acquisition: A Philippine Power Industry Guide
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies mandatory consortium requirement under EPIRA Section 8 for subtransmission asset acquisition by distribution utilities.
Speedy Trial Rights When Prolonged Detention Justifies A Writ Of Habeas Corpus IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when prolonged detention violates speedy trial rights and justifies a writ of habeas corpus.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Medical Assessment and Timelines Matter
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when seafarers may claim total permanent disability benefits and why medical assessment timelines are critical.
When Personal Misconduct Impacts Public Trust Philippine Supreme Court Ruling ON Employee Behavior
The Supreme Court clarifies liability rules when government officials receive disallowed benefits, distinguishing approving officers from mere recipients.
GSIS Housing Loan Death Claims: When Insurance Lapses but Equity Survives
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on GSIS housing loans, Sales Redemption Insurance coverage, and heirs' right to restructure after a borrower's death.
Tax Assessment Time Limits: How a Missed Deadline Can Save You Millions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tax assessment prescription periods, false returns, and why the BIR's missed deadlines can invalidate deficiency assessments.
Dishonesty and Insubordination in the Workplace: A Philippine Supreme Court Case Analysis
The Supreme Court rules on serious dishonesty and gross insubordination by a court employee who tampered with her daily time record.
Dismissal for Dishonesty When Court Employees Cross the Line in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies dismissal for dishonesty against court employees and the importance of integrity in the judiciary.
Construction Arbitration: When Non-Signatories Are Bound by Arbitration Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court rules on when non-signatories to a construction contract can be bound by its arbitration clause, clarifying CIAC jurisdiction.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Work-Related Illness and Employer Liability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the disputable presumption of work-relatedness for seafarer death benefits under the POEA-SEC, shifting the burden of proof to employers.
When Tax Assessments Are Not Required: Civil Liability in Philippine Tax Evasion Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a formal BIR tax assessment is not required to hold taxpayers civilly liable in criminal tax evasion cases.
Rape and Mental Capacity: Philippine Supreme Court Ruling on Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rape liability involving mental retardation, distinguishing statutory rape from rape of a person deprived of reason.
Double Jeopardy in Attorney Disbarment: When Is a Lawyer Ineligible for Judicial Clemency
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies double jeopardy in disbarment cases and the strict standards for judicial clemency for disbarred lawyers.
Understanding Rape Conviction in the Philippines: Consent Evidence and the Role of Co-Conspirators
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rape conviction standards, consent evidence rules, and co-conspirator liability in criminal cases.
Corporate Rehabilitation in the Philippines: Navigating Stay Orders and Foreign Judgments
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how a rehabilitation stay order suspends enforcement of foreign judgments against a distressed corporation.