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.
Real Actions and Jurisdiction: Why Assessed Value Determines the Correct Philippine Court
In real actions, the property's assessed value determines which court has jurisdiction. Omitting it can doom the case.
Quieting Title vs. Annulment of Title: Key Lessons from Guntalilib v. Dela Cruz
The Supreme Court clarifies when a quieting-of-title action is actually an annulment of title, and why substance prevails over form.
Relocation Surveys in Land Disputes: Why Precise Boundaries Matter
When land titles conflict, courts order relocation surveys to settle boundary disputes. Learn the rules and practical lessons.
Quieting Title Over Public Land: Why Ownership Rights Are Required
The Supreme Court clarifies that an action to quiet title fails without legal or equitable ownership, especially over public land.
Quieting Title and Due Process: Notice of Raffle and Voluntary Submission to Jurisdiction
Learn how notice of raffle and voluntary appearance affect jurisdiction in quieting title cases, based on a 2006 Supreme Court ruling.
Proving Land Ownership in the Philippines: Tax Declarations and Cadastral Surveys in Quieting Title Cases
Learn how tax declarations, cadastral surveys, and possession determine ownership in Philippine land disputes, based on a Supreme Court ruling.