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.
Feb 27, 2007criminal-lawrape-with-homicideplea-of-guiltcapital-offensesupreme-courtrevised-penal-code
Improvident Plea of Guilt in Philippine Rape Cases: Supreme Court Clarifies Safeguards
The Supreme Court explains when a guilty plea in capital cases is improvident and how convictions can still stand on independent evidence.
Aug 15, 2001criminal-lawmitigating-circumstancesgross-ignorancejudgesrevised-penal-codeplea-of-guilty
Ignorance of the Law Excuses No One: Erroneous Application of Mitigating Circumstances
A judge's error in appreciating mitigating circumstances leads to a fine for gross ignorance of the law, explaining the rules on plea of guilty and voluntary surrender.