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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Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Can a Spouse's Property Be Seized for a Husband's Debt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a wife's property can be seized for her husband's debts, and the limits of third-party claims.
Premature Objections When Third-Party Claims Challenge Evidence in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a spouse cannot file a third-party claim after a fraudulent conveyance is annulled.
Judicial Accountability: Independent Assessment of Justice Secretary's Resolutions in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on trial courts' duty to independently assess Justice Secretary's resolutions in withdrawal of criminal informations.
Libel and Free Speech: The Limits of Defamation in Workplace Communications
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on direct contempt clarifies the boundary between free speech and defamatory conduct in workplace settings.
Tuition Fee Increases and Employee Benefits: Legal Obligations of Philippine Schools
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how tuition fee increases must be allocated for employee salaries and benefits, with prescription rules explained.
Revival of Judgment: How Long Can You Wait to Enforce a Court Order in the Philippines
Learn the rules on reviving a dormant judgment in the Philippines, including prescriptive periods and key Supreme Court rulings.
Subrogation in Philippine Law: Recovering Debt After Paying Another's Mortgage
Explaining subrogation under Philippine law through a Supreme Court ruling on a partner who paid a co-debtor's mortgage.
Enforcing Compromise Agreements Navigating Disputes AND Appeals IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on final and executory judgments, execution of awards, and limits on modifying settled labor disputes.
Self-Defense and Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Lessons from People v. Panes
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when self-defense fails and treachery qualifies killings as murder in the Philippines.
Liability for Dishonored Checks: When Civil Damages Can Be Recovered
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a party can recover civil damages from a check issuer even if criminal liability under B.P. 22 is not established.
The Clerk’s Duty: Accurate Case Reporting and the Efficient Administration of Justice in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk fined for issuing a subpoena to a life-term prisoner without authority, underscoring diligence in court duties.
Clerks of Court Responsibilities and Liabilities for Lost Court Exhibits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on clerk of court liability for lost firearms exhibits and the duty to turnover evidence after cases end.
Consent and Rape: When Mental Retardation Negates Valid Consent
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape of a mental retardate and why apparent consent does not negate criminal liability.
Land Ownership Disputes: How Procedural Errors Can Cost the Government a Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how the government's failure to formally present evidence in land disputes can lead to adverse rulings and costly remands.
Habitual Tardiness and Loafing at Work: Legal Consequences for Philippine Employees
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on habitual tardiness and loafing: employee responsibilities, penalties, and lessons from Orfila v. Quiroz.
Judicial Delay, Negligence, and Falsified Certificates: Lessons from a Philippine Judge's Administrative Case
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge fined for gross negligence and falsified certificates of service—key lessons for judicial accountability and integrity.
Default Judgments Understanding Due Process and Timely Responses in Philippine Courts
Learn how Philippine courts treat default judgments and why timely responses matter, based on a Supreme Court ruling on judicial delay.
Limits of Judicial Review: When Courts Can Question Tax Laws
Explore the limits of judicial review in tax cases through a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on procedural rules and evidence.
Wrongful Termination: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the two requirements for valid dismissal: just cause and due process. Learn the rules.
Seafarers' Rights: Protecting Overseas Workers From Illegal Dismissal
Supreme Court ruling protects Filipino seafarers from illegal dismissal when they seek ITF or CSR help for labor grievances.
Conspiracy and the Boundaries of Robbery: When Kidnapping Becomes a Separate Crime
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when kidnapping during a robbery is a separate crime, not absorbed by the robbery.
Who May Challenge an Execution Sale: The Real Party in Interest Rule
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on who may question an execution sale and the real party in interest doctrine in civil procedure.
Treachery in Philippine Criminal Law: Intent and Defenseless Victims
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when treachery qualifies a killing as murder, and why suddenness or superior numbers alone are not enough.
Treachery and the Aswang Defense: Understanding Murder Convictions in the Philippines
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling explains how treachery qualifies killings as murder, even when superstition—the (folkloric evil creatures).