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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Statutory Rape in the Philippines: Protecting the Mentally Vulnerable Under the Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on statutory rape of a mentally retarded victim, explaining why force need not be proven.
Understanding Conspiracy in Murder Cases: Lessons from People v. Nava
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how conspiracy in murder is proven through acts showing unity of purpose, not just prior agreement.
Bouncing Checks as Guarantees in the Philippines: BP 22 and Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that checks issued as guarantees or deposits still fall under BP 22 criminal liability when dishonored.
Novation Is Not a Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card: Understanding Estafa and Criminal Liability in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when novation can extinguish criminal liability in estafa cases, and when it cannot.
Retroactive Registration: How Late Filings Can Validate Labor Union Petitions in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when late union registration can retroactively validate a certification election petition under labor law.
Defining Rape in the Philippines: Is Penetration Always Necessary?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that full penetration is not required for rape; mere touching of the labia by the male organ suffices.
Separation Pay in the Philippines: When Are Allowances Included?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when monthly allowances form part of the salary base for computing separation pay under the Labor Code.
Philippine Supreme Court on Default Orders: When a Late Answer Is Excusable
The Supreme Court explains when a party's failure to answer on time may be excused and how courts should liberally treat default orders.
When Supervening Events Trump Dismissal: Due Process and Equity in Philippine Administrative Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how supervening events and equity can overturn an administrative dismissal despite valid due process.
Correcting Birth Certificate Errors in the Philippines: When Is a Summary Proceeding Enough?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when Rule 108 summary proceedings can correct birth certificate errors versus when adversarial proceedings are required.
Acceleration Clauses in Philippine Chattel Mortgages: Rights and Limitations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on acceleration clauses in chattel mortgages, good faith, and damages for wrongful foreclosure.
Limits of Protest Striking Teachers and the Public Interest in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on teacher strikes, free assembly limits, and public interest in education.
Credibility of Child Testimony in Rape Cases: Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
How Philippine courts assess a minor rape victim's testimony, minor inconsistencies, and absence of injuries in incest cases.
Credibility of Child Testimony in Statutory Rape Cases: Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence
How Philippine courts assess the credibility of a mentally disturbed minor's sole testimony in multiple statutory rape cases, based on People v. Vaynaco.
Resolving Conflicts Between Reconstituted and Transfer Certificates of Title in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a reconstituted title is void if an existing transfer certificate of title covers the same land.
Credibility Counts: Rape Convictions Upheld Despite Victim's Mental Health Condition
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape convictions based on credible testimony of a mentally disturbed victim, clarifying rules on witness credibility and judge questioning.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Why Uncorroborated Testimony and Delay Can Lead to Acquittal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when uncorroborated victim testimony suffices for rape conviction and when delay or inconsistency may warrant acquittal.
When Witnesses Can't See: Proving Robbery With Homicide Through Circumstantial Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how circumstantial evidence can prove robbery with homicide even without eyewitnesses to the killing.
Complex Crime vs Separate Offenses: When Multiple Murders Are Not a Single Crime
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when multiple killings form one complex crime or separate offenses, and the effect on penalties.
Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Arbitration Finality and Limited Court Intervention
Explore how the Supreme Court affirmed arbitration finality under RA 876 while correcting interest rates and damages in National Steel Corp. v. E. Willkom Enterprises.
Time Is of the Essence: Prescription and Laches in Philippine Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how prescription and laches bar property claims filed decades after a sale with pacto de retro.
Certiorari vs Appeal: When Courts Can Review Dismissal Orders in Administrative Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when certiorari, not appeal, is the proper remedy for challenging dismissal orders in administrative disputes.
Land Ownership in the Philippines: Why Possession Isn't Always Nine Tenths of the Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when lengthy possession of public land cannot ripen into private ownership, and why free patents prevail.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Proving Your Case Even Without a Termination Letter
Illegal dismissal can be proven even without a termination letter. Learn the rules from a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.