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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Petition for Relief and Extrinsic Fraud: Jurisdiction Limits in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts handle petitions for relief from judgments, the role of extrinsic fraud, and jurisdictional limits under Rule 38.
Untangling Time: When Does the Clock Start Ticking for Relief from Judgment?
Explaining the 60-day and 6-month periods for filing a petition for relief from judgment under Rule 38, as clarified by the Supreme Court in Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Court of Tax Appeals an
Relief From Judgment Not Available in the Supreme Court: Purcon v. MRM Philippines
The Supreme Court explains why a petition for relief from judgment under Rule 38 cannot be filed in the High Court.
Service of Summons on Corporate Employees: What Aboitiz v. PCIC Teaches About Jurisdiction
The Supreme Court clarifies when service of summons on a corporate employee is valid and why a Rule 38 petition for relief is not a substitute for appeal.
Mistake of Law vs Mistake of Fact: Grounds for Relief from Judgment in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that only mistakes of fact, not errors of law, justify relief from judgment under Rule 38.
Relief From Judgment Confined to Trial Courts, Not Extended to Court of Appeals
Supreme Court clarifies that relief from judgment under Rule 38 applies only to trial courts, not the Court of Appeals.
Relief From Judgment: When Can You Reopen a Closed Case in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a final judgment may be reopened through relief from judgment under Rule 38, and when it cannot.