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.
When Archiving Criminal Cases Becomes Gross Ignorance of the Law: Ricablanca v. Barillo
A judge's duty to transmit preliminary investigation records to prosecutors, explained through the Supreme Court's ruling in Ricablanca v. Barillo.
Judicial Accountability When Archiving Cases Constitutes Gross Ignorance of the Law
A judge who archived criminal cases instead of forwarding them to the prosecutor was fined P30,000 for gross ignorance of the law.
When an Unlicensed Firearm Used in Robbery With Homicide Is Not a Separate Crime
The Supreme Court explains when the use of an unlicensed firearm in a killing is merely an aggravating circumstance, not a separate offense.
Robbery With Homicide: When Theft Leads to Killing, Philippine Law Clarifies the Charge
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when separate robbery and murder charges should be a single special complex crime of robbery with homicide.
Witness Credibility Is Key in Robbery With Homicide Convictions in the Philippines
How Philippine courts weigh witness credibility in robbery with homicide cases, and why alibi rarely prevails when eyewitnesses positively identify the accused.
Robbery vs. Highway Robbery in the Philippines: Key Distinctions Explained
Philippine law distinguishes simple robbery from highway robbery under P.D. 532. Learn how the Supreme Court clarified this crucial difference.
When One Witness Is Enough: Positive Identification in Philippine Criminal Law
A single credible witness can sustain a conviction in the Philippines. This article explains the rules on positive identification and alibi.