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.
Quo Warranto in the Philippines: Challenging an Official's Right to Hold Office
Learn how quo warranto actions challenge an elected official's qualifications in the Philippines, including deadlines, venues, and key Supreme Court rulings.
COMELEC vs HRET: When Can a Party-List Registration Be Cancelled?
The Supreme Court clarifies when COMELEC can cancel a party-list registration, even if it affects a sitting member of Congress.
Land Registration in the Philippines: Understanding Alienable and Disposable Land
Learn how RA 11573 changed proof requirements for registering alienable and disposable land in the Philippines, explained through a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Land Registration Reopened: New Evidence and RA 11573 Can Overcome Res Judicata
The Supreme Court allows previously denied land registration applications to proceed under RA 11573, easing proof requirements and overcoming res judicata.
Boundary Disputes in the Philippines: Resolving Territorial Conflicts Between LGUs
The Supreme Court settles the Makati-Taguig territorial dispute, explaining how boundary conflicts between local governments are resolved.
When Can the State Reclaim Private Land? The Rule on Reversion Proceedings
The Supreme Court clarifies the heavy burden the State must overcome to revert titled private land to public domain.
Navigating Land Reversion: Who Can Legally Challenge Property Titles in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who may file reversion cases to cancel titles over public lands, and why government agencies cannot act alone.
Property Rights vs. Military Reservations: The Balmaceda Case on Void Titles
A landmark Supreme Court ruling on why titles tracing back to cancelled certificates cannot defeat the government's claim over military reservations.
Suffrage Safeguards: Upholding Election Integrity Through Specificity and Evidence in Electoral Protests
The PET dismissed Marcos Jr.'s 2016 VP election protest, affirming Robredo's victory and underscoring the strict rules on specificity and evidence in election contests.
Land Registration: Proving Land Is Alienable and Disposable Under Philippine Law
Learn the strict proof required to register land in the Philippines, including DENR certifications, and why possession alone is not enough.
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.
Regalian Doctrine and Land Registration: Proving Alienable and Disposable Land
Learn how the Regalian doctrine affects land registration in the Philippines, and why applicants must prove land is alienable and disposable.
Unlawful Detainer vs Accion Publiciana: When Ejectment Cases Fail
Understand when an ejectment case fails and why accion publiciana is the proper remedy for recovering possession of property.
Unlawful Detainer vs. Accion Publiciana: Key Distinctions in Philippine Ejectment Cases
Learn the key differences between unlawful detainer and accion publiciana, and why filing the wrong action can get your case dismissed.
Perpetual Disqualification and Material Misrepresentation in Election Candidacy
The Supreme Court ruled that filing a Certificate of Candidacy while under perpetual disqualification is material misrepresentation, voiding the CoC and making votes stray.
Land Registration: Proving Alienable and Disposable Status and Continuous Possession
When can long possession overcome the lack of a DENR certification in land registration cases? The Supreme Court explains.
Unlawful Detainer When Initial Objection Voids A Claim OF Tolerance
Supreme Court ruling on unlawful detainer, lease renewal options, and binding successors-in-interest in property law.
When a Disqualified Candidate Wins: Second-Placer Rule and Void Certificates of Candidacy
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on void certificates of candidacy, second-placers, and who truly wins when a candidate is disqualified.
Demolition Orders and Due Process: Key Lessons from the Alangdeo Case
The Supreme Court invalidated a demolition order in Alangdeo v. City Mayor of Baguio, reinforcing due process and legal safeguards for property owners.
Land Registration Under Section 14(2): The Patrimonial Property Requirement
The Supreme Court clarifies when alienable public land becomes private property subject to acquisition by prescription under PD 1529.
Electoral Tribunal Jurisdiction: Proclamation Is the Decisive Factor in Election Contests
The Supreme Court clarifies that once a congressional candidate is proclaimed, the HRET, not the COMELEC, has sole jurisdiction over election contests.
Publication Requirement Prevails: Unpublished Handwritten Addendum Has No Legal Effect
Supreme Court rules unpublished handwritten addendum to a presidential proclamation has no force of law, reaffirming the indispensable publication requirement.
When Can Courts Dismiss a Case for Failure to Prosecute? A Land Registration Lesson
The Supreme Court clarifies the limited grounds for dismissing a case for failure to prosecute, using a land registration dispute as the backdrop.
Accretion vs. Dried Riverbeds: Who Owns the Land in the Philippines?
The Supreme Court clarifies that land formed by a dried-up riverbed belongs to the State, not adjacent owners. Learn the rules on accretion and land registration.