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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Double Jeopardy and Parental Rape: What the Supreme Court Clarified in G.R. No. 262846
The Supreme Court clarifies double jeopardy in criminal appeals and affirms a father's rape conviction in G.R. No. 262846.
Rape and Adoption: When Retroactive Laws Cannot Elevate a Conviction
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies why a 2012 rape involving an adopted child could not be elevated to qualified rape under a later law.
Conspiracy and Ignominy in Rape Cases: Understanding Criminal Liability
How conspiracy and ignominy widen criminal liability in rape cases under Philippine law, explained through a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Qualified Rape and Due Process: When "Niece" in the Information Suffices
The Supreme Court clarifies that naming a victim as an During trial, AAA positively identified her maternal uncle as the perpetrator, narrating that he dragged her to a hut, undressed her, and inserte
Circumstantial Evidence in Philippine Criminal Law: When Is It Enough to Convict?
The Supreme Court acquits a rape-with-homicide accused, clarifying when circumstantial evidence falls short of moral certainty.
Protecting Children: Understanding Sexual Assault Laws in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between rape by sexual assault and sexual assault under RA 7610, protecting child victims.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Justice in Cases of Qualified Rape of a Minor
The Supreme Court affirms a father's conviction for three counts of qualified rape of his minor daughter, clarifying the proper crime designation and increasing damages.
Qualified Rape of a Minor: Supreme Court Clarifies Proper Designation and Damages
The Supreme Court clarifies the proper designation of rape of a minor and increases damages in a father's conviction for three counts of qualified rape.
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.
Court Employee's Rape Charge Leads to Administrative Liability Despite Acquittal
Supreme Court rules criminal acquittal does not bar administrative liability; court employee fined P400,000 for conduct tainting judiciary.
Child Trafficking and Sexual Abuse: Philippine Law and Victim Protection
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies qualified trafficking in persons and rape, and the strong legal protections for minor victims in the Philippines.
Moral Ascendancy in Rape Cases: Why Silence Can Prove the Crime
Philippine law recognizes moral ascendancy as a substitute for force in rape cases. Learn what this means for victims and legal strategy.
Qualified Rape vs. Statutory Rape: Supreme Court Clarifies Child Sexual Abuse Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the proper legal designation for child sexual abuse cases, distinguishing qualified rape from statutory rape under Philippine law.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Credible Testimony and Medical Evidence in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, explaining how credible victim testimony and medical evidence establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Rape Convictions and the Burden of Proving Qualifying Circumstances in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that qualifying circumstances like relationship must be alleged and proven beyond reasonable doubt in rape cases.
Statutory Rape in the Philippines: Understanding Consent and the Role of Minority
The Supreme Court clarifies when rape becomes qualified and how minority and relationship must be alleged and proven in Philippine criminal cases.
Qualified Rape and Moral Ascendancy: When Trust Becomes a Weapon
How moral ascendancy can substitute for force in rape cases, and why abusing a position of trust over a minor leads to qualified rape.
Rape and Mental Capacity: Philippine Supreme Court Ruling on Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rape liability involving mental retardation, distinguishing statutory rape from rape of a person deprived of reason.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Force, Consent, and Credibility in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, clarifying force, consent, credibility, and penalties under the Anti-Rape Law.
Understanding Rape Conviction in the Philippines: Consent Evidence and the Role of Co-Conspirators
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies rape conviction standards, consent evidence rules, and co-conspirator liability in criminal cases.
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.
When "Or" Creates Uncertainty: The Perils of Imprecise Language in Qualified Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that an Information charging qualified rape must precisely allege the qualifying relationship—not state it in the alternative using raped a 16-year-old victim.
Reasonable Doubt and Identification: Protecting the Accused in Philippine Rape Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a rape accused when flawed identification and danger signals create reasonable doubt, reinforcing the presumption of innocence.
Protecting Children: Statutory Rape and Sexual Assault Convictions Clarified
The Supreme Court clarifies when an accused can be convicted of both statutory rape and sexual assault arising from a single incident against a child.