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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Judicial Accountability vs Vexatious Litigation: Balancing Rights in Administrative Complaints
The Supreme Court clarifies when judges may be held administratively liable and when complainants cross the line into contempt.
Check Fraud Liability: When a Drawee Bank Can Recover From a Collecting Bank
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a drawee bank can avoid liability for unauthorized check payments and how drawers can recover directly from negligent collecting banks.
Conspiracy and Rape: When Bystanders Become Co-Principals in Group Sexual Assault
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that a person who aids or abets rape through acts like recording or preventing rescue can be liable as a co-principal.
Self-Defense Claim Fails: Unlawful Aggression and Treachery in Murder Conviction
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that a sudden bolo attack negates self-defense and constitutes treachery.
Security of Tenure, Constructive Dismissal, and the Floating Status of Security Guards in the Philippines
When does a security guard's floating status become constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the six-month rule.
Death of Accused Extinguishes Criminal Liability and Abates Criminal Action
Supreme Court clarifies that an accused's death extinguishes criminal liability and abates the criminal action, citing the Revised Penal Code.
Customs Law: Abandonment of Goods Requires Due Notice Despite Importer's Delay
Supreme Court rules that ipso facto abandonment of imported goods under the Tariff and Customs Code requires due notice, absent fraud.
Delivery vs Sale in Drug Cases: When a Courier Becomes a Seller
The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between illegal sale and illegal delivery of dangerous drugs under RA 9165, and the importance of consideration.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Conviction in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a man for two counts of rape, clarifying conspiracy liability and the weight given to a minor victim's credible testimony.
Fraternity Violence and Accountability: What the Supreme Court's Ruling Means for Victims
A Supreme Court ruling in a legislative-contempt case recalls the hazing death of Horacio Castillo III and clarifies how long Congress may detain a witness.
When Forcible Abduction Is Absorbed by Rape: Key Ruling on Complex Crimes
The Supreme Court clarifies when forcible abduction with rape is actually simple rape, and explains the governing rules on victim testimony and damages.
Upholding Conviction Despite Procedural Lapses in Chain of Custody in Drug Cases
Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction, ruling that minor chain of custody lapses do not automatically overturn a guilty verdict.
Mortgage Foreclosure Upholding Contractual Notice AND Loan Coverage Requirements
Supreme Court ruling on forged SPA in mortgage foreclosure, requiring lenders to verify authority and giving borrowers protection.
Security of Tenure vs Management Prerogative: Constructive Dismissal of Security Guards
When is a security guard on floating status constructively dismissed? The Supreme Court clarifies the six-month rule and the burden of proof.
Right of Way vs Just Compensation: Property Disputes in Infrastructure Projects
When government projects use private land, a pre-existing right of way can bar compensation claims. Learn the rules from a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Kidnapping for Ransom: When Illegal Detention Meets Extortion
The Supreme Court explains when detention becomes kidnapping for ransom and how continued demands for payment support a separate robbery charge.
Entrapment vs Instigation: How Philippine Courts Treat Buy-Bust Operations
A Supreme Court ruling in a Cebu buy-bust case explains why presenting the police informant is not required and how chain of custody is weighed in drug cases.
Stockholder Rights to Corporate Records Survive SEC Revocation, SC Rules
Supreme Court affirms that a stockholder's right to inspect corporate records continues even after SEC registration is revoked, upholding criminal liability of officers who refuse access.
Local Autonomy vs National Authority: The Limits of Police Power Over Water Resources
Supreme Court strikes down Batangas City ordinance requiring desalination plants, ruling LGUs cannot regulate water resources reserved to the NWRB.
Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Valuing Land Beyond BIR Zonal Valuation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that BIR zonal values are mere guides, not binding limits, in determining just compensation for expropriated property.
Self-Defense vs. Retaliation: When Justification Turns to Murder in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a plea of self-defense fails and becomes retaliation, leading to murder convictions.
Rape and Parental Authority: Why a Father's Conviction Stood as Simple Rape
A father raped his 16-year-old daughter twice. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction but kept it as simple rape because the information omitted his relationship. Here's why.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Can an Employer Validly Terminate an Employee
The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on dismissing managerial and fiduciary employees for loss of trust and confidence under the Labor Code.
The Limits of Self-Defense: Establishing Unlawful Aggression in Murder Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a vague, uncorroborated claim of self-defense cannot overcome the prosecution's evidence of murder by treachery.