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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Unmasking Treachery: How Eyewitness Accounts Cement Murder Convictions in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why positive eyewitness identification defeats alibi and proves treachery in murder cases.
Protecting Well-Known Foreign Trademarks: The Barbizon Case and the Paris Convention
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a foreign trademark owner may claim protection under the Paris Convention despite a prior local registration.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: Notice and Hearing Requirements in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on due process in employee dismissal, appeal bonds, and finality of labor arbiter decisions.
Credibility of Rape Victim Testimony: Why Delay in Reporting Does Not Undermine Justice
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape victim credibility, delayed reporting, and why a paraplegic victim's testimony prevailed.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Landowners' Right to Fair Valuation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on landowners' right to just compensation in agrarian reform, valuation standards, and the jurisdiction of Special Agrarian Courts.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: When an Anonymous Letter Leads to Reinstatement and Back Wages
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal based on an anonymous letter, and the awards of back wages and separation pay.
Judicial Accountability: Negligence vs. Malice in Philippine Courts
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling in Tecson v. Sandiganbayan on graft, administrative liability, and the distinction between negligence and malice.
Forcible Abduction with Rape: Why "Sweetheart" Status Does Not Equal Consent
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that romantic relationships never imply consent to sexual acts, especially when force or abduction is involved.
Wage Order Compliance During Bank Rehabilitation: Philippine Veterans Bank v. NLRC
Supreme Court ruling on wage order compliance, computation of daily wages, and employer liability during bank receivership and rehabilitation in the Philippines.
Lost Land Title: When Solicitor General Notice Is Not Required in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when the Solicitor General need not be notified in lost title replacement proceedings under PD 1529.
Credibility of Child Testimony in Rape Cases: Insights from People v. Batoon
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why a minor rape victim's candid testimony prevails over defense claims of impossibility and delay.
Prescription of Behest Loan Cases: When Does the Clock Start for Graft Charges?
Supreme Court ruling on when prescription begins for behest loan graft cases under RA 3019, and why the discovery rule matters.
Habeas Corpus Territorial Limits and Judicial Accountability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on habeas corpus territorial jurisdiction limits and judicial accountability for judges who exceed them.
The Weight of Witness Testimony and Dying Declarations in Philippine Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on eyewitness credibility, dying declarations, and when treachery fails in homicide prosecutions.
Deed of Assignment Validity: Signature Authenticity and Corporate Share Transfers in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on forged signatures, blank deeds of assignment, and share transfer validity in corporations.
Probationary Employment in the Philippines: Security of Tenure and Illegal Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on probationary employees' security of tenure and illegal dismissal, explained in plain language.
Judicial Ethics in the Philippines: The Prohibition Against Private Practice for Judges
A Supreme Court ruling explains why judges cannot serve as private administrators or practice law, and the narrow exceptions allowed.
Credible Eyewitness Testimony Prevails Over Weak Alibi in Murder Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why positive eyewitness identification outweighs alibi and denial defenses in murder prosecutions.
Safeguarding Justice: The Vital Searching Inquiry for Guilty Pleas in Capital Offenses
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why courts must conduct a searching inquiry before accepting admissions or guilty pleas in capital offenses.
Honesty is the Best Policy: Understanding Concealment in Philippine Insurance Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when an insurer may deny a claim for concealment, and who may sue on a mortgage redemption insurance policy.
Breach of Contract in the Philippines: Rescission and the Risks of Buying Property with a Notice of Lis Penden
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rescission, reciprocal obligations, and why a notice of lis pendens binds any buyer of disputed property.
Undue Injury in Graft Cases: Actual Damage to Government Is Essential
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that actual damage to government is essential for conviction under Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft Law.
Legally Binding Family Agreements: Extrajudicial Settlements and Inheritance in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on extrajudicial settlements, forgery claims, prescription, and laches in family inheritance disputes.
Second Chances in Court: Motions for Reconsideration and Grave Abuse of Discretion in Philippine Appeals
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on the strict 15-day period for motions for reconsideration and the distinction between appeal and certiorari.