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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Conspiracy and Criminal Liability: Understanding Intent and Participation in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when circumstantial evidence proves conspiracy and guilt beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
Double Jeopardy in the Philippines: When Protection Against Repeated Prosecution Applies
Understand when double jeopardy protects an accused in the Philippines, and when it does not, based on Cudia v. Court of Appeals.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: How Alevosia Qualifies a Killing to Murder
In People v. Villamor, the Supreme Court explains how treachery qualifies a killing as murder and how damages must be proven with evidence.
Possession vs Intent: Understanding Illegal Firearm Charges in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on double jeopardy in illegal firearm cases, and why a prosecutor's authority matters in criminal charges.
Validity of Court Decisions: Judge Incumbency and Jurisdiction Explained
When is a judge's decision valid after transfer? The Supreme Court explains jurisdiction, incumbency, and ratification in ABC Davao Auto Supply.
Circumstantial Evidence in Philippine Criminal Cases: When Is It Enough to Convict?
Philippine Supreme Court explains when circumstantial evidence is enough to convict, and when it fails the test of moral certainty.
Eyewitness Testimony Overcoming Delay AND Establishing Credibility IN Philippine Courts
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how delayed eyewitness testimony can still be credible and how damages are computed in murder cases.
Employee Dismissal: Proving Misconduct Requires Solid Evidence in Philippine Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Buhisan v. NLRC: dismissal for misconduct needs substantial evidence, not mere suspicion or affidavits.
When Can a Judge Recall a Warrant of Arrest: Understanding Abuse of Discretion
A Supreme Court ruling explains the three-day notice rule for motions and when a judge commits abuse of discretion in recalling warrants.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Due Process in Philippine Labor Law
Understanding when failure to report for work is abandonment or illegal dismissal, and what due process requires in termination cases.
Clerk of Court Misconduct: When Repentance Can Mitigate Dismissal
Supreme Court explains when sincere repentance, full restitution, and reformation can spare a clerk of court from dismissal.
Election Protests Understanding Timelines AND Grounds FOR Recounts IN THE Philippines
Ballot Authentication: How Missing BEI Signatures Affect Election Validity in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether unsigned ballots are spurious, and how voter intent prevails over technical omissions.
Tax Sale Notice: Protecting Property Rights in Philippine Tax Delinquency Sales
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tax sale notice requirements, protecting registered owners' property rights in delinquent real property auctions.
Judicial Impropriety and Ethical Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary: Lessons from People v. Santos
A 1997 ruling on inadmissible confessions, witness credibility, and kidnapping elements under Philippine law.
Prosecutorial Discretion vs Court Authority: Navigating Criminal Case Dismissals in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the balance between prosecutorial discretion and judicial authority in dismissing criminal cases after information is filed.
Deposit Insurance Claims When Banks Fail Are Your Deposits Protected
Learn how PDIC deposit insurance works when a bank fails, and why a certificate of time deposit does not guarantee payment.
Grave Coercion vs Kidnapping: Understanding Deprivation of Liberty in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between kidnapping and grave coercion, emphasizing that actual detention or "locking up" is essential for a kidnapping conviction.
Entrapment VS Instigation Protecting Your Rights IN Drug Cases
Understand the difference between entrapment and instigation in Philippine drug cases, and how it affects your rights.
Forum Shopping IN THE Philippines Avoiding Dismissal OF Your Case 3
Attorney Misconduct Handling Client Funds: Disbarment for Misappropriation and Deceit
A lawyer who misappropriates client funds and deceives clients faces disbarment. Learn the ethical rules and lessons from Busiños v. Ricafort.
Retrenchment IN THE Philippines When CAN A Company Validly Terminate Employees DUE TO Losses
Dishonesty IN Public Service When Resignation Doesnt Erase Accountability
When a Successor Company Inherits Illegal Dismissal Liability: The Alfante Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when a successor corporation can be held liable for the illegal dismissal acts of its predecessor, and how backwages are computed.