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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Summary Judgment Denied When Contract Reformation Facts Are Disputed
Supreme Court clarifies when summary judgment is improper in contract reformation cases involving disputed facts and mutual mistake allegations.
Continuing Security Mortgage Coverage Beyond Initial Credit Agreements
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on when deeds of assignment serve as continuing security for credit facilities, and why summary judgment was properly denied.
Public Bidding and Travel Permits: When Mayors Fall Under Anti-Graft Law
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of two mayors for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft Law over irregular medicine purchases and unauthorized travel reimbursements.
Loss of Confidence in Employee Termination: Employer Must Prove Its Basis
Philippine Supreme Court rules that loss of trust and confidence cannot justify employee dismissal without proof of an underlying act or misconduct.
Holding Company vs Financial Intermediary: Local Business Tax on Dividends
Supreme Court clarifies that holding companies receiving dividends are not non-bank financial intermediaries subject to local business tax under the Local Government Code.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Accident vs Illness in Philippine Maritime Law
Learn how the Supreme Court distinguishes accident-based from illness-based seafarer disability claims, and why the third-doctor rule matters.
Land Reclassification and Agrarian Reform: Balancing Local Zoning With Farmer Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when local zoning reclassification removes land from CARP coverage, protecting farmer-beneficiary rights.
Breach of Trust When Misrepresentation Justifies Termination in Employment
Supreme Court clarifies when misrepresentation and tampering with records justify dismissal for loss of trust and confidence under Philippine labor law.
Land Rights and Oral Sales: Understanding Property Disputes in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when oral sales of land are valid, and why the five-year free patent ban on alienation matters.
Compromise Agreements and Foreclosure: Reasserting a Bank's Right to Possess
When borrowers default on a compromise agreement after foreclosure, a bank can secure a writ of possession as a matter of right.
Safeguarding Rights: The Critical Role of Witness Presence in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to secure required witnesses during inventory, underscoring strict chain of custody rules.
Compromised Chain OF Custody Acquittal IN Drug Cases DUE TO Unjustified Witness Absence
Falsification of Public Documents: Intent to Injure Not Required for Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that intent to injure is not an element of falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code.
Insufficient Information Leads TO Acquittal THE Importance OF Pleading Essential Elements IN Rape Cases
Regular vs Project Employment: What the Supreme Court Requires of Employers
A 2019 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when construction workers are regular employees, not project employees, and what employers must prove.
GSIS Lands Foreclosed by Government Financial Institutions Are Subject to Agrarian Reform
Supreme Court rules GSIS-acquired lands from foreclosures are not exempt from agrarian reform coverage under RA 6657.
Circumstantial Evidence in Rape with Homicide Cases: A Guide from a 2019 Supreme Court Ruling
When direct evidence is absent, circumstantial evidence can convict in rape with homicide. Learn the rules from a 2019 Supreme Court ruling.
Recruiting Minors for Criminal Activities Is Trafficking Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court rules that recruiting minors to commit robberies constitutes qualified trafficking in persons under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
Finality of Settlement Agreements Barring Future Claims Despite Quasi-Delict Allegations in Seafarer Death Cas
SC rules valid settlement agreements bar seafarers' heirs from filing quasi-delict claims after accepting death benefits.
Seafarers' Rights: Overcoming Pre-Existing Conditions for Disability Claims
Pre-existing illness does not automatically bar a seafarer's disability claim. Learn the rules on work-relatedness, compensability, and the 120/240-day window.
Speedy Disposition of Cases: When Fact-Finding Delay Counts
The Supreme Court clarifies when delay violates the right to speedy disposition, excluding pre-complaint fact-finding from the reckoning period.
Fair Price or Land Grab: Determining Just Compensation in Philippine Expropriation Law
The Supreme Court clarifies how Philippine courts determine just compensation in expropriation cases, rejecting reliance on outdated zonal valuations.
Verbal Contracts and Implied Ratification: Upholding Obligations in Broiler Chick Growing Agreements
The Supreme Court rules that verbal contracts bind parties even without a written agreement, and corporations may impliedly ratify unauthorized acts.
Death Before Final Judgment Extinguishes Criminal Liability in Philippine Law
When an accused dies before final conviction, criminal liability and civil liability ex delicto are extinguished under the Revised Penal Code.