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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Robbery With Homicide: How Intent and Treachery Shape the Crime
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on robbery with homicide, intent to rob, and treachery as an aggravating circumstance.
Baptismal Certificates and Filiation: Proving Legal Parentage in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that baptismal and marriage certificates alone cannot prove filiation for inheritance claims, citing Family Code rules.
When the Company Doctor's Disability Rating Becomes Binding on Seafarers
The Supreme Court ruled that a seafarer who disagrees with the company-designated physician's disability rating must follow the POEA-SEC procedure, or that rating becomes final.
Unregistered Land and Due Diligence: A Bank's Duty in Mortgage Contracts
When a bank mortgages unregistered land, it must verify true ownership. The Supreme Court explains the consequences of failing this duty.
Misconduct vs Termination: Balancing Employee Rights and Employer Authority in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employee misconduct justifies termination, and when it does not, in Fabricator Philippines v. Estolas.
Simulated Contracts: When Property Transfers Are Void in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when a simulated contract is void, not merely rescissible, using a P50-million property assignment case.
Court Employee Dismissed for Grave Misconduct and Impropriety in Aiding Litigant
Supreme Court dismisses clerk of court for grave misconduct, impropriety, and conduct unbecoming a court employee for aiding a litigant.
Upholding Integrity: A Lawyer's Duty in Notarizing Documents and Avoiding Deceitful Conduct
A lawyer was suspended for notarizing a fictitious deed without a commission and without all parties present. Learn the notarial duties and ethical rules.
Electoral Rights vs Budgetary Constraints: Protecting People's Legislative Power in Local Governance
The Supreme Court rules that lack of budget cannot defeat local initiative, but propositions must stay within the sanggunian's powers.
Election Overspending: When Party Membership Limits Campaign Spending in the Philippines
Supreme Court clarifies that party membership alone restricts candidates to the P3.00 per voter spending cap under RA 7166.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Filing Too Early Can Jeopardize Total Disability Benefits
Filing a disability claim before the 240-day treatment period ends can be fatal. Learn from the Supreme Court's ruling in C.F. Sharp Crew Management v. Orbeta.
Medical Abandonment in Seafarer Disability Claims: Upholding Treatment Obligations
Filing a disability claim while still under treatment can backfire. The Supreme Court explains medical abandonment in seafarer cases.
Self-Defense in Philippine Law: The Imperative of Unlawful Aggression
Philippine Supreme Court explains why unlawful aggression is the primordial element of self-defense, and what happens when it is absent.
Self-Defense Claims in Homicide Cases: What the Supreme Court Requires
The Supreme Court explains why a self-defense plea failed in a fatal shooting, and clarifies the rules on unlawful aggression and damages.
Strikes and Substantial Justice: Balancing Procedure and Workers' Rights in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court reminds courts that procedural rules should serve, not defeat, substantial justice in labor cases involving workers' rights.
Moral Ascendancy AS Substitute FOR Violence Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Recantation
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on moral ascendancy, not physical force, despite victim's recantation.
Treachery Prevails Establishing Murder Without Evident Premeditation in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery—not evident premeditation—qualifies a killing as murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.
Exclusive Venue Stipulations in Real Estate Mortgages: When They Bind the Parties
The Supreme Court clarifies when exclusive venue clauses in real estate mortgages are binding, even if borrowers challenge loan terms.
Exclusive Venue Stipulations in Mortgage Contracts: When a Motion to Dismiss Must Be Granted
The Supreme Court clarifies when an exclusive venue stipulation in a mortgage contract binds parties and requires dismissal of a case filed elsewhere.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Evidence Integrity Is Paramount
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because police failed to establish an unbroken chain of custody, underscoring why evidence integrity is paramount.
Enforcing Arbitration Agreements: How Philippine Courts Handle Multi-Party Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that courts must refer arbitration-bound parties to arbitration even when other parties in the same case are not covered.
Reasonable Doubt in Human Trafficking Cases: The Necessity of Corroborating Evidence
The Supreme Court acquits an accused in a trafficking case, stressing that conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, not just a police officer's lone testimony.
Venue Stipulations in Contracts: When "Exclusive" Means Exclusive in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when contractual venue stipulations are binding and enforceable, and when courts must dismiss cases filed elsewhere.
Surrender of Title Broadening RTC Jurisdiction in Land Registration Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that Regional Trial Courts, as land registration courts, can hear contentious cases involving surrender of title under PD 1529.