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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Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Fixed-Term Contracts and Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when project employees become regular, and why fixed-term contracts do not permit illegal dismissal.
Void Contracts and Official Overreach: Due Process in Philippine Law
When can public officials take over a leased public market? The Supreme Court clarifies void contracts, due process, and criminal liability under the Anti-Graft Law.
Understanding Contracts of Sale vs Contracts to Sell in Philippine Property Law
Learn the key differences between contracts of sale and contracts to sell under Philippine law, and why the distinction matters for property buyers and sellers.
Automatic Contract Rescission in Philippine Real Estate: Buyer and Seller Rights
Understand when automatic rescission clauses in Philippine real estate contracts apply, and the rights of buyers and sellers under the Maceda Law.
Exercising Your Option to Purchase: Timeliness and Good Faith in Philippine Lease Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on option-to-purchase clauses in lease contracts, timeliness of exercise, good faith, and fair market value pricing.
Buyer Beware Priority Rights In Philippine Real Estate Contracts To Sell
Learn how Philippine courts treat priority rights in contracts to sell real estate, and what buyers must verify before paying.
Decoding Loan Agreements: How Ambiguity Can Invalidate Penalty Clauses in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how ambiguous penalty clauses in loan agreements, especially contracts of adhesion, are construed against the drafting bank.
Apparent Authority in Corporate Contracts: When a President's Actions Bind a Philippine Company
The Supreme Court explains when a corporate president's contracts bind the company, even without board approval, under the doctrine of apparent authority.
Credit Card Interest Rates and Escalation Clauses: What the Supreme Court Says
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on credit card interest escalation clauses, mutuality of contracts, and validity of variable rates.
Regular Employment for Private School Teachers: Security of Tenure and Contract Renewal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on private school teachers' security of tenure, probationary periods, and illegal dismissal through non-renewal of contracts.
Regular Employment After One Year of Service Prevails Over Fixed-Term Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when repeated fixed-term contracts cannot defeat an employee's right to regular employment and security of tenure.
Fixed-Term Contracts and Security of Tenure: What Romares v. NLRC Means for Employers and Workers
The Supreme Court explains when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and when they are a circumvention of the worker's security of tenure.
Corporate Mergers and Contract Enforcement: Successor Liability in the Philippines
When a Philippine corporation merges, the surviving company assumes all rights and liabilities—even for contracts signed after the merger agreement.
Perfecting CAR Sales Contracts IN THE Philippines Understanding Buyer Rights AND Seller Obligations
Learn when a car sale contract is perfected in the Philippines, buyer rights, and seller obligations from the Xentrex Automotive case.
Absolute vs Conditional Sale Understanding Philippine Real Estate Contracts
Learn the key differences between absolute and conditional sales in Philippine real estate, and what the Supreme Court says about buyer and seller rights.
Contracts Still Stand: Why Bounced Checks Don't Always Void a Pacto de Retro Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why dishonored checks don't invalidate a pacto de retro sale when consideration existed at execution.
Buyer Beware Inheriting Obligations IN Philippine Property Foreclosures
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property foreclosures: buyers may inherit seller's obligations to installment buyers, even without written contracts.
Fixed vs Percentage Docket Fees: Annulment of Real Estate Contracts Qualifies for Fixed Fees
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when annulment of real estate contracts warrants fixed docket fees rather than percentage-based fees.
Valid Contracts for Future Property in the Philippines: Insights from Mananzala v. Court of Appeals
Learn when a contract to sell future property is valid under Philippine law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Mananzala v. Court of Appeals.
Project Employee vs Regular Employee: Understanding Employment Status in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between project employees and regular employees in construction work, and when repeated contracts may indicate regular employment.
When Is an Insurance Agent an Employee? The Carungcong Ruling on Independent Contractors
Insurance agents may be independent contractors, not employees. The Carungcong case explains the test and the role of contracts.
Automatic Contract Cancellation: What Buyers Must Know in Philippine Real Estate
The Supreme Court explains when automatic cancellation clauses in contracts to sell are valid and enforceable in Philippine real estate.
Automatic Contract Rescission: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains automatic rescission in contracts to sell, buyer rights, and the dangers of laches in real estate deals.
Mortgage Contracts and Future Advances: Understanding the Scope of Security in Philippine Law
When does a real estate mortgage cover future loans beyond the stated amount? The Supreme Court explains in Quintanilla v. RCBC.