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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When Goods Arent Delivered Acquittal IN Estafa DUE TO Lack OF Consideration
Incestuous Rape: When a Father's Moral Ascendancy Counts as Intimidation
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction, ruling that a parent's moral ascendancy over a child substitutes for force and intimidation.
When Parental Authority Becomes Criminal Abuse: Rape by a Father in Philippine Law
A father's rape of his 12-year-old daughter leads to reclusion perpetua, not death, because the minority was not alleged in the information.
Protecting Children: Understanding the Crime of Rape and Parental Liability in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle rape cases, the rules on witness credibility, and what parents should know about liability.
Bounced Checks Arent Always Estafa THE Crucial Element OF Deceit IN Philippine LAW
Parental Authority vs Incestuous Rape: Clarifying Proof and Penalties in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the elements of incestuous rape, the weight of parental authority, and the proper penalties under Philippine law.
When Can a Trial Court Resolve a Motion to Quash a Search Warrant Issued by Another Court?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies which court resolves a motion to quash a search warrant when the criminal case is pending in a different court.
Wage Differentials and Employee Waivers: Labor Rights in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on wage differentials, employee waivers, and the strict rules on appeals in Philippine labor cases.
Concurrent Jurisdiction and Forum Shopping: Lessons from a Copyright Dispute
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts of concurrent jurisdiction must defer to the court first acquiring jurisdiction to prevent forum shopping.
Barangay Conciliation Not Required When Parties Live in Different Towns
The Supreme Court fined a judge for dismissing an ejectment case on barangay conciliation grounds when the parties lived in different municipalities.
Protecting Children: Parental Rape and the Importance of Victim Credibility in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court clarifies that a stepfather's relationship to a rape victim must be stated in the Information to justify the death penalty.
Step-Parent Rape and the Death Penalty: What Philippine Law Requires
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a stepfather who raped his 11-year-old stepdaughter, clarifying the rules on qualifying circumstances and damages.
Squatters Rights VS Landowners Prerogative Clarifying Preferential Rights Under P D 1517
Forum Shopping and Res Judicata: Boundaries in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when filing multiple cases over different properties constitutes forum shopping, and when it does not.
Power Rate Differentials: ERB Authority to Protect Utility Companies Upheld
Supreme Court affirms ERB power to set rate differentials favoring utilities over direct industrial customers of NAPOCOR.
Power Rate Differentials: When Regulators May Favor Utilities Over Direct Consumers
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on ERB authority to set power rate differentials between utilities and direct industrial consumers.
Upholding Tenant Rights Establishing Tenancy Despite Conflicting Evidence
Supreme Court ruling clarifies how substantial evidence and rental receipts establish bona fide tenancy under agrarian law.
Splitting Appeals: Why Concurrent Jurisdiction Matters in Philippine Criminal Law
A single decision cannot be split between two courts. Learn why the Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over mixed-penalty appeals.
Ejectment Law Philippines: Can Tenants Be Evicted for Disputing Rent Increases?
Philippine ejectment law explained: when rent disputes justify eviction, the rules on unlawful detainer, and tenant protections under the law.
Subleasing in the Philippines: When Silence Equals Consent — Perez v. Court of Appeals
Explaining Perez v. Court of Appeals: when a lessor's acceptance of rent from a sublessee can bar objections to a prohibited sublease.
Navigating Qualified Rape in the Philippines: Key Protections and Legal Nuances
A look at how Philippine courts treat parent-offender rape cases, and why the death penalty requires specific allegations in the complaint.
Upholding Justice: Parental Authority Does NOT Shield Against Rape Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that parental authority is not a defense to rape, affirming conviction based on credible evidence.
Victim's Testimony Enough to Convict in Rape Cases: People v. Carullo
Philippine Supreme Court affirms that a rape victim's credible testimony alone can convict, even against a parent.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Parent Companies Face Liability for Subsidiary Labor Claims
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate fiction and hold related companies liable for labor violations.