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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Breach of Trust: Upholding Termination for Unauthorized Disclosure and False Certifications in Banking
Philippine Savings Bank v. Barrera clarifies when banks may validly dismiss officers for breach of trust, unauthorized disclosures, and false certifications.
Transparency in Election Surveys: Balancing Free Speech and Fair Elections
The Supreme Court upheld COMELEC's power to require disclosure of election survey funders, including subscribers, under the Fair Election Act.
DILG Circulars on LGU Fund Disclosure Upheld: Local Autonomy Has Limits
Supreme Court upholds DILG circulars requiring LGU transparency in IRA use, clarifying that local autonomy does not mean absolute independence from national supervision.
The Duty of Disclosure: Honesty in Seafarer Employment Contracts
A Supreme Court ruling on how concealing a pre-existing illness in a seafarer's PEME can bar disability claims, even when the 3-day reporting rule is excused.
Dishonesty in Public Office: The Imperative of Truthful Asset Disclosure
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when SALN misdeclarations constitute dishonesty, not grave misconduct, and the importance of truthful disclosure.
Honesty in Judicial Applications: Why Full Disclosure Matters
The Supreme Court reminds lawyers that candor and honesty in judicial applications are ethical duties, not optional courtesies.
Confidentiality Rules for Court Personnel: Lessons from a Legal Researcher's Misconduct Case
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when court personnel breach confidentiality and why even "harmless" disclosures to litigants constitute misconduct.
SALN Disclosure: Ombudsman’s Authority Not Limited by Internal Office Procedures
Supreme Court ruling on SALN review, Ombudsman independence, and the limits of Section 10 RA 6713.
When Non-Disclosure in a Personal Data Sheet Is Not Dishonesty
Supreme Court clarifies that failing to disclose a prior admonition in a PDS is not automatically dishonesty absent intent to deceive.
Foreclosure Redemption Rights Under the Rural Banks Act and Property Law
The Supreme Court clarifies redemption periods for rural bank foreclosures under RA 720, emphasizing borrower disclosure duties and laches.
Truth in Lending Disclosure in Promissory Note Valid for Penalty Charges
Supreme Court rules penalty charges disclosed in promissory note satisfy Truth in Lending Act, but courts may reduce unconscionable rates.
Retention Rights Under Agrarian Reform: Landowner's Duty of Full Disclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agrarian retention rights, emphasizing a landowner's duty of full disclosure in retention applications.
Certification Against Forum Shopping: The High Cost of Non-Disclosure
Failure to disclose a related case in a certification against forum shopping can lead to indirect contempt. Learn from this Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Trade Secrets vs Discovery: Balancing Business Confidentiality and Legal Rights in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when trade secrets are privileged from compulsory disclosure in civil discovery proceedings.
Forum Shopping in the Philippines: How to Avoid Dismissal of Your Case
Learn what forum shopping means in Philippine law, its elements, and how to avoid case dismissal through proper certification and disclosure.
When Courts Can Compel Disclosure of Foreign Currency Deposits in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts may compel banks to disclose foreign currency deposits despite the secrecy rule under RA 6426.
Attorney-Client Privilege vs Disclosure Mandates in Marcos-Era Asset Recovery
Supreme Court clarifies when attorney-client privilege yields to disclosure mandates in recovering Marcos-era ill-gotten wealth.
Protecting Client Confidences: Attorney-Client Privilege and Conflicts of Interest in the Philippines
A lawyer cannot represent opposing parties without full disclosure and written consent. This case explains the rule and its penalties.
Fraudulent Land Acquisition Through Free Patents and the Duty of Disclosure in Philippine Law
Learn how concealment of material facts in free patent applications voids titles and triggers reversion to public domain.
Ethical Standards in the Legal Profession: Non-Disclosure and Misrepresentation Consequences
A judge's extramarital affair and child led to dismissal and suspension from law practice, underscoring ethical accountability.
The Perils of Affinity: Identifying Culprits Through Dim Light and Delayed Disclosure
When a widow identifies her husband's killers through a bamboo floor, the Supreme Court explains why dim light and delayed disclosure don't defeat a conviction.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: Agency Prerogative and Orderly Legal Process
Explore how the Supreme Court upheld SEC disclosure rules for listed banks, clarifying the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and SEC Jurisdiction Over Listed Banks
Supreme Court clarifies that listed banks must comply with SEC disclosure rules despite BSP supervision, explaining agency jurisdiction and administrative remedies.
Election Protest Dismissed: Filing Fees, Verification, and Forum Shopping Pitfalls in Philippine Courts
Supreme Court ruling on how unpaid filing fees, defective verification, and non-disclosure in forum shopping certification can doom an election protest.