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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Rape vs. Sexual Abuse: When Force and Lack of Consent Elevates a Crime
A recent Supreme Court ruling clarifies when sexual acts with a minor constitute rape under the Revised Penal Code rather than sexual abuse under R.A. 7610.
Lascivious Conduct vs Rape: When Penis Placement on the Vagina Falls Under R.A. 7610
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Talisay v. People on when placing the penis outside the vagina constitutes lascivious conduct, not rape.
Understanding Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation Laws in the Philippines: Protecting Our Youth
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between lascivious conduct and child abuse under R.A. 7610 in a teacher's conviction.
Child Abuse Under Philippine Law: Masturbation in a Minor's Presence
The Supreme Court rules that masturbating in front of a minor is child abuse under R.A. 7610, not just unjust vexation.
Protecting Minors: Lascivious Conduct and the Scope of R.A. 7610 in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when acts of lasciviousness against minors fall under R.A. 7610, and the proper penalties.
Protecting Children Under R.A. 7610: Lascivious Conduct vs. Sexual Assault
A father's conviction for sexual assault was modified to lascivious conduct under R.A. 7610, clarifying the proper charge and penalty for child victims.
Protecting Children: Identifying and Punishing Sexual Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies when child sexual abuse falls under Section 5(b) rather than Section 10(a) of R.A. 7610, and the proper penalties.
Protecting Children: Defining Cruelty Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies what constitutes child cruelty under R.A. 7610, affirming a guardian's conviction for burning a 9-year-old.
Upholding Child Protection: Parental Discipline vs. Child Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between parental discipline and child abuse under R.A. 7610 in a case involving a guardian who burned a child with a flat iron.
Protecting Children: Defining Child Abuse and Criminal Intent Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a physical assault on a child is child abuse under R.A. 7610, and how criminal intent is established.
Protecting Children Upholding Stiffer Penalties for Child Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court affirms a conviction for child abuse under R.A. 7610, clarifying that physical abuse of a child is penalized more heavily than ordinary physical injuries.
Consensual Sex With a Minor: Differentiating Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Under R.A. 7610
The Supreme Court clarifies when consensual sex with a minor is "other sexual abuse" under R.A. 7610, not mere child abuse under Section 10(a).
Parental Authority and Child Abuse: Upholding Protection of Children Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that a father's moral ascendancy cannot excuse acts of lasciviousness against his child under R.A. 7610.