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.
Voiding Land Sales Under Free Patent: The Five-Year Restriction on Alienation
When can a sale of free patent land be void? The Supreme Court explains the five-year ban and its consequences.
Protecting Public Land: The Nullity of Sales Within the Five-Year Prohibitory Period
A sale of free patent land within five years is void ab initio, imprescriptible, and cannot be cured by laches.
Redemption Rights Clarifying Repurchase Price After Foreclosure Of Public Land
Supreme Court clarifies the repurchase price for foreclosed free patent land under Section 119 of the Public Land Act.
Private Land Rights Prevail Over Free Patent Applications Understanding Land Ownership Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled that private land cannot be subjected to free patent applications, settling a decades-long ownership dispute.
Perfecting Land Titles: Open, Continuous, and Adverse Possession Since June 12, 1945
Learn how the Supreme Court applied the June 12, 1945 possession rule in land registration, citing Republic v. Consunji.
Public Land vs Private Claim: Military Reservations and the Limits of Land Acquisition in the Philippines
The Supreme Court voids a title over land inside Fort Bonifacio, ruling military reservations are inalienable public land.
Reversion of Land When Imperfect Titles Threaten Public Domain
Supreme Court explains when the government can seek reversion of land registered under imperfect titles, and the limits of that remedy.