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.
Rape Conviction Affirmed Credible Testimony Outweighs Physicians Doubts In Child Abuse Cases
Supreme Court affirms father's rape conviction, ruling a child victim's credible testimony outweighs conflicting medical findings in incest cases.
Drunkenness on Duty: Defining Unruly Behavior and Disciplinary Authority in the Philippine Judiciary
Court employees must observe strict decorum. Habitual drunkenness is a less grave offense under Civil Service rules, with clear penalties.
Rape Conviction Credibility of Testimony and Proof of Minority in Statutory Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a father's death sentence for raping his 10-year-old daughter, clarifying rules on witness credibility and proof of minority.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Proving Minority and Relationship in Qualified Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua because the prosecution failed to prove the victim's minority beyond reasonable doubt.
Supreme Court Upholds Murder Conviction Despite Fugitive Status
The High Court affirms a murder conviction even as the accused remains at large, ruling on treachery, alibi, and the retroactive application of procedural rules.
Judicial Ethics: Dismissal of Judge for Extortion and Serious Misconduct
Supreme Court dismisses a judge for demanding money from a litigant, reaffirming strict standards of judicial ethics and integrity.
Incestuous Rape in the Philippines: Why the Victim's Age Must Be Proven, Not Assumed
In People v. Caralipio, the Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua because the prosecution failed to prove the victim's minority beyond reasonable doubt.
Rape and Incest: Minor Testimony Inconsistencies Don't Undermine Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how minor inconsistencies in a rape victim's testimony don't weaken her credibility, and why minority must be proven.
Admission vs Confession: Key Distinctions in Philippine Criminal Evidence
Learn the legal difference between an admission and a confession in Philippine criminal cases, and why it matters for evidence and conviction.
Carnapping Conviction Affirmed: Penalties and Procedural Rules Under RA 6538
Learn how the Supreme Court clarified carnapping penalties and appeal rules in Mercado v. People, including key procedural takeaways.
Reckless Abandon Establishing Driver Identity IN Homicide Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reckless imprudence homicide, witness identification, and the penalty for abandoning victims at the scene.
Diminished Liability Understanding Homicide Conviction IN THE Absence OF Treachery
When a killing lacks treachery, the crime is homicide, not murder. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling.
Eyewitness Testimony and the Limits of Capital Punishment: People v. Narciso
The Supreme Court affirms a robbery-homicide conviction based on eyewitness testimony but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua.
Reasonable Doubt and Evidentiary Integrity in Criminal Convictions
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on frustrated homicide clarifies the burden of proof, credibility of witnesses, and the limits of damages.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails: Weak Identification Leads to Acquittal in Theft Case
Philippine Supreme Court acquits theft accused where prosecution failed to prove identity beyond reasonable doubt, emphasizing weak identification cannot sustain conviction.
The Weight of a Minor's Testimony in Rape Cases: Credibility vs Presumption of Innocence
How Philippine courts weigh a minor rape victim's testimony against the presumption of innocence, and when delay in reporting does not destroy credibility.
Silence Is Not Always Acquiescence: Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Delayed Reporting
Philippine Supreme Court explains why a child victim's silence and delayed reporting do not weaken a rape conviction, and clarifies penalties for sexual assault.
Protecting the Vulnerable: The Importance of Age Verification in Rape Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a rape conviction, emphasizing that a minor victim's delayed reporting does not weaken her credible testimony.
Rape Conviction Stands but Death Penalty Falls: Proving the Victim's Age
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua, clarifying the burden of proving the victim's age.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Credibility and Delay in Reporting Explained
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explains why a child victim's testimony is credible despite delay in reporting and why alibi failed.
Rape Conviction and the Burden of Proving the Victim's Age for the Death Penalty
A look at People v. Cantuba on how positive identification overcomes alibi, and why proving the victim's age matters for sentencing.
Insufficient Notice, Insufficient Funds: Safeguarding Rights in Bouncing Check Cases
A Supreme Court ruling explains why proper written notice of dishonor is essential before a person can be convicted under the Bouncing Checks Law.
Treachery and Positive Identification: Conviction Upheld in Murder Case
The Supreme Court affirms a murder conviction based on positive identification by two eyewitnesses and treachery, despite the accused's alibi and denial.
Positive Identification Over Alibi: Credibility in Murder Conviction
How the Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction based on eyewitness positive identification, rejecting alibi and affirming treachery in People v. Estrada.