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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Upholding State Ownership When Public Land Claims Collide With the Regalian Doctrine
The Supreme Court clarifies that public lands belong to the State unless proven alienable, applying the Regalian doctrine in a school site dispute.
Land Registration: Proving Alienable and Disposable Land Under the Regalian Doctrine
The Supreme Court clarifies that possession alone cannot justify land registration; applicants must prove the land is alienable and disposable.
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.
When the Government Must Prove Its Case: Reversion, Free Patents, and the Regalian Doctrine
A Supreme Court ruling on when the government can cancel a free patent and revert land to the public domain.
Regalian Doctrine and Watershed Reservations: Collado v. Court of Appeals
Explaining why land inside a watershed reservation cannot be registered, even with long possession, under the Regalian Doctrine.
Regalian Doctrine vs Indigenous Rights: The IPRA Landmark Case
The Supreme Court's 7-7 split in Cruz v. DENR left the IPRA intact, shaping how ancestral domains and the Regalian doctrine interact today.
Regalian Doctrine vs Indigenous Rights: The IPRA Constitutionality Ruling
The Supreme Court's equally divided vote in Cruz v. DENR left the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act intact, shaping Philippine land law.