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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COA Oversight and Private Auditors in Government Banks: The DBP Case
Supreme Court rules COA audit power over government banks is not exclusive; private external auditors may conduct concurrent audits.
Rape BY A Parent Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Minors Can File Acts of Lasciviousness Cases Independently: Key SC Ruling
A minor may file acts of lasciviousness complaints without parental assistance. The Supreme Court explains why judges must respect this right.
Rape and Parental Authority: Why Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt Still Matters in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court acquits father in incestuous rape case, ruling that parental authority and relationship alone cannot substitute for proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Custody Rights and the Best Interest of the Child: Religious Conversion and Parental Fitness
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on child custody, religious conversion, and parental fitness under the Family Code and Muslim personal laws.
Parental Authority and Rape: Why Minority Must Be Alleged in Qualified Rape Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why a father's conviction for raping his daughter was reduced from death to reclusion perpetua when her minority was not alleged.
Parental Authority VS Statutory Rape Allegation OF Minority Must BE Explicit FOR Qualified Rape Conviction
SC rules minority must be alleged in information for qualified rape; Laciste convicted of simple rape, not death penalty.
Rape and Parental Authority: Proving Qualifying Circumstances for Enhanced Penalties
In rape cases, the death penalty requires proof of both the victim's minority and the offender's relationship. This case explains why.
Incestuous Rape THE Supreme Court ON A Daughters Delayed Revelation AND Parental Authority
Beyond Consensual Proving: The Qualification of Step-Parent Relationship in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies that a step-parent relationship in statutory rape must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, not just by testimony.
Parental Authority vs Filial Rights: Consent Boundaries in Statutory Rape Cases
A father's rape of his 14-year-old daughter clarifies consent, parental authority, and split appellate jurisdiction in Philippine law.
Interpleader Actions Resolving Rental Payment Disputes Between Claimants
When two parties claim the same rental payments, an interpleader action can resolve the conflict. The Supreme Court explains its limits.
When the Smoke Clears: Differentiating Robbery With Homicide From Illegal Firearm Possession
A bus holdup leads to a key ruling on when a gun found elsewhere cannot prove illegal possession, and how robbery-homicide is charged.
Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Murder Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that credible eyewitness identification outweighs the inherently weak defense of alibi.
Parental Authority vs. Filial Trust: Intrafamilial Rape and the Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a father who raped his minor daughter, clarifying the rules on intrafamilial rape.
Parental Authority vs Child Abuse: Trust and Protection Boundaries
Supreme Court affirms death penalty for father who raped his 9-year-old daughter, clarifying parental authority does not excuse incestuous rape.
Conclusiveness of Judgment: When Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
Learn how the doctrine of conclusiveness of judgment prevents relitigation of settled issues between the same parties, even in different cases.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Parent Company Can Be Held Liable for Subsidiary Debts
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may disregard corporate separateness and hold a parent liable for its subsidiary's obligations.
Parental Incest Establishing Minority of the Victim Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Rape Cases
How Philippine courts prove a rape victim's minority for the death penalty, using parental incest as the key example.
Upholding Contractual Obligations: Lease Agreements and Grounds for Ejectment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on lease contract validity, ejectment grounds, and the duty to pay rent despite disputes.
Breach of Trust: The Supreme Court's Stance on Incestuous Rape and Parental Authority
A stepfather's rape conviction upheld, but death penalty reduced to reclusion perpetua for failure to prove minority and relationship.
Custody Battles Weighing Parental Rights VS A Childs Best Interests IN Guardianship Disputes
Parental Authority and Child Abuse: Upholding Protection of Children Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that a father's moral ascendancy cannot excuse acts of lasciviousness against his child under R.A. 7610.
Treachery and Intent: Differentiating Murder and Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder and when it remains homicide, in People v. Lucena.