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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Defamation and Public Interest: Balancing Freedom of the Press and Protection of Reputation
Philippine law balances press freedom and reputation protection. Learn the rules on defamation and public interest.
Press Freedom VS Public Safety Balancing Rights During Crisis
Protecting Press Freedom: Actual Malice and Libel in Public Interest Reporting
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on actual malice, qualified privilege, and libel in reporting on public officials' conduct.
Balancing Free Press and Confidentiality When Attorney Discipline Becomes a Public Matter
The Supreme Court clarifies when media reports on confidential lawyer disciplinary cases are protected by press freedom.
Balancing Press Freedom and Confidentiality in Disbarment Cases: Fortun v. Quinsayas
The Supreme Court clarifies when media may report disbarment complaints and when confidentiality rules prevail, penalizing a lawyer for leaking.
Live Media Coverage of Trials in the Philippines: The Maguindanao Massacre Precedent
The Supreme Court's landmark 2011 ruling allowing live broadcast of the Maguindanao Massacre trial, balancing press freedom with fair trial rights.
Protecting Press Freedom Understanding Libel and Fair Reporting in Philippine Media Law
Explore the boundaries of libel and fair reporting in Philippine media law through the Supreme Court's ruling in Angeles v. Gaite.
Silencing the Airwaves: When Local Regulations Infringe on Press Freedom
The Supreme Court ruled that local governments cannot use permit requirements to silence broadcast media, reaffirming strict scrutiny for content-based restraints on press freedom.
Press Freedom vs. Fair Comment: The Limits of Libel Law in Tulfo v. People
The Supreme Court in Tulfo v. People clarifies when press freedom ends and criminal libel begins, applying the actual malice standard to defamatory columns.
Press Freedom vs Judicial Independence: Balancing Criticism and Contempt in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court's 2008 ruling on columnist Amado Macasaet clarifies the line between fair press criticism and indirect contempt of court.
Safeguarding Free Speech: The Imperative of Stating a Cause of Action in Libel Cases
Philippine Daily Inquirer v. Alameda clarifies that libel complaints must allege specific facts, protecting press freedom from vague claims.
Balancing Free Speech and Reputation: Defining Libel in Philippine Journalism
A look at how the Supreme Court defined the line between press freedom and libel in a landmark 2006 case.
Defamation vs. Press Freedom: Balancing Rights in Philippine Law
Philippine Journalists v. Thoenen clarifies when media cannot claim privilege for defamatory reports about private individuals.
Venue vs Jurisdiction in Libel Cases: Protecting Press Freedom
Explaining the difference between venue and jurisdiction in Philippine libel cases and how the rules protect freedom of the press.
Campus Press Freedom vs School Authority: Balancing Student Rights and Institutional Discipline in Philippine
How the Supreme Court balanced campus press freedom under RA 7079 with a school's disciplinary authority in Miriam College v. Court of Appeals.
Exit Polls and Free Speech: The ABS-CBN v. Comelec Ruling
The Supreme Court struck down Comelec's total ban on exit polls, affirming that free speech and press freedoms protect election-day surveys.