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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Territorial Jurisdiction in Criminal Cases: Where the Crime Occurs Determines the Court
The Supreme Court rules that venue in criminal cases is jurisdictional—a court cannot try an offense committed outside its territory.
Venue Is Jurisdictional in Criminal Cases: The Casanas Carnapping Ruling
The Supreme Court explains why venue is jurisdictional in criminal cases and why a conviction outside the proper territory is void.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Homicide vs Murder: When Abuse of Superior Strength Fails in Philippine Law
Supreme Court clarifies that abuse of superior strength requires simultaneous attack and deliberate advantage, reducing murder to homicide.
Court Personnel and Homeowners' Association Duties: When Civic Service Is Not Moonlighting
Supreme Court clarifies when court employees may serve in homeowners' associations without violating conduct rules on outside employment.
Floating Status Limits and Project Employee Regularization in Philippine Labor Law
Supreme Court clarifies six-month limit on floating status and when project employees become regular under Philippine labor law.
Unlawful Detainer in the Philippines: Why Lawful Entry at the Start Matters
The Supreme Court in Bugayong-Santiago v. Bugayong explains why an unlawful detainer case fails when the occupant's entry was illegal from the beginning.
Unlawful Restraint: The Essential Elements of Serious Illegal Detention in the Philippines
Understand the elements of serious illegal detention under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code, explained through a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Pre-Existing Conditions vs Non-Disclosure: Protecting Seafarers' Rights to Disability Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies the three-day reporting rule for seafarers claiming disability benefits under the POEA-SEC.
Civic Duty vs Conflict of Interest: Court Employees and Community Leadership
The Supreme Court clarifies when court personnel may serve as homeowners' association officers without violating conduct rules.
Doctrine of Condonation: When Re-Election Erases Past Misconduct
The Supreme Court explains when re-election can erase past administrative misconduct, and when it cannot.
When Lawyers Behave Badly: The Supreme Court on Suspension, Reputation, and Evidence
A 2017 Supreme Court ruling shows why disbarment complaints need solid evidence, and why lawyers must stay mindful of how their conduct appears to the public.
Upholding Judicial Integrity: A Judge's Failure to Comply With Court Directives and Its Consequences
A Supreme Court decision shows how a judge's repeated failure to obey audit directives and decide cases on time led to administrative liability and serious sanctions.
RA 10951 Retroactive Application: Modifying Malversation Penalties After Final Judgment
Explains Hernan v. Sandiganbayan, where the Supreme Court allowed RA 10951's favorable penalty reduction to apply even after final judgment in malversation cases.
Due Process Prevails: Cross-Examination Rights and the Consequences of Missed Notice
A Supreme Court ruling on why a labor arbiter cannot hold non-parties liable in an execution writ without due process and jurisdiction.
Piercing the Corporate Veil in Labor Cases: Jurisdiction and Due Process Limits
The Supreme Court clarifies that piercing the corporate veil cannot be used to hold non-parties liable in labor execution without proper jurisdiction.
Rape and Mental Disability: Proving the Offender's Knowledge Beyond Reasonable Doubt
The Supreme Court clarifies that a rape victim's mental disability only qualifies the crime if the offender's knowledge of it is proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Self-Defense and Unlawful Aggression: Key Lessons from Napone v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense and defense of relatives fail, and how unlawful aggression must be proven in Philippine homicide cases.
Conspiracy in Drug and Currency Cases: When Mere Presence Is Not Enough
Supreme Court acquits wife in counterfeit money case, ruling mere presence and receipt of marked money do not prove conspiracy.
Forum Shopping in Philippine Courts: When Multiple Lawsuits Become an Abuse of Process
The Supreme Court explains the rule against forum shopping, its tests, and the consequences of filing multiple suits for the same relief.
Just Compensation for Expropriated Improvements: The Replacement Cost Standard
Learn how Philippine courts value improvements in expropriation cases and why the Supreme Court remanded this case for proper evidence.
Insanity Defense Clear Proof Required For Exemption From Criminal Liability In The Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that the insanity defense requires clear and convincing proof of cognitive impairment at the time of the crime.
Caveat Venditor Upholding Good Faith in Real Estate Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how good faith and apparent authority negate criminal intent in property takings, protecting honest actors.
When Self-Defense Fails: Liability for Homicide and Attempted Homicide in a Family Brawl
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense and defense of relatives fail, and how liability is determined absent conspiracy in a family brawl.