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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Rape and the Mitigating Circumstance of Minority: Protecting Minors From Sexual Abuse
The Supreme Court affirms rape convictions but applies the mitigating circumstance of minority, reducing penalties while increasing damages for the victim.
Rape Conviction: Credibility of Testimony and the Nuances of Penetration
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on the victim's credible testimony, clarifies penetration nuances, and adjusts penalties and damages.
Habeas Corpus and Drug Offenses: Ensuring Fair Application of Penalties
A look at how the Supreme Court used habeas corpus to correct an excessive penalty for a minor drug offense.
Appealing a Criminal Case in the Philippines: Understanding the Risk of Increased Penalties
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling shows how appealing a criminal conviction can lead to increased penalties, not just a chance at acquittal.
Statutory Rape in the Philippines: When Consent Does Not Matter (People v. Motos)
Philippine law treats sex with a child under 12 as statutory rape—consent is legally impossible. Learn the rules and penalties.
High-Powered vs Low-Powered Firearms: Navigating Illegal Possession Laws in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts classify firearms as high-powered or low-powered for illegal possession penalties under R.A. 8294.
Child Abuse Convictions Upheld: Parricide and Homicide in the Cariquez Case
The Supreme Court affirms parricide and homicide convictions of a mother and her partner for the fatal abuse of a 2-year-old child, clarifying key rules on circumstantial evidence and penalties.
Mitigating Circumstances in Homicide: How Philippine Courts Reduce Penalties
Learn how Philippine courts apply mitigating circumstances in homicide cases, reducing penalties, as shown in the Navarro v. Court of Appeals ruling.
Spousal Violence and the Law: Understanding Parricide in the Philippines
A 1999 Supreme Court ruling explains the crime of parricide, its elements, penalties, and how courts determine guilt in spousal killing cases.
When a Scythe Does Not Mean Deadly Weapon: Rape, Penalties, and Proof in People v. Napiot
The Supreme Court clarifies when a deadly weapon aggravates rape, and affirms that a victim's credible testimony alone can sustain a conviction.
Proving Familial Ties in Rape Cases and Their Impact on Penalties in Philippine Law
How Philippine courts prove father-daughter relationships in rape cases and why this qualifies for the death penalty under Article 335.
Supreme Court Clarifies Penalty for Shabu Sale: Death Sentence Reduced to Reclusion Perpetua
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on drug sale penalties, conspiracy, buy-bust operations, and when death penalty is not automatic.
Fatal Flaw in Rape Cases: Why Faulty Charges Can Reduce Penalties in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains how defective rape informations and weak evidence can affect penalties, using the Monfero case as guide.
How Defective Criminal Informations Can Reduce Penalties in Philippine Rape Cases
Learn how defects in criminal informations affect penalties in Philippine rape cases, based on Supreme Court rulings.
Unauthorized Notarization in the Philippines: Consequences for Lawyers and the Public
When a lawyer notarizes a document without the signer appearing, the consequences are severe. This article explains the rules and penalties.
Complex Crime vs Separate Offenses: When Multiple Murders Are Not a Single Crime
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when multiple killings form one complex crime or separate offenses, and the effect on penalties.
When Dismissal Is Too Severe: Philippine Rules on Loss of Trust and Proportional Penalties
Philippine Supreme Court explains when dismissal for breach of trust is too severe, and how doubts in labor cases must favor the employee.
Proportionality in Employee Discipline: When Dismissal Is Too Harsh in the Philippines
Philippine labor law requires penalties to fit the offense. Learn when dismissal is disproportionate and how the Supreme Court applies this rule.
Bouncing Checks and Corporate Liability: When Officers Face Criminal Risk in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when corporate officers are criminally liable for bouncing checks under BP 22, including defenses and penalties.
Bribery in the Philippines: Understanding the Anti-Graft Law and Its Consequences
A Supreme Court ruling on a court interpreter's extortion explains Philippine bribery law, the Anti-Graft Law, and the penalties for public officers.
Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale and Estafa: Supreme Court Upholds Stiff Penalties
Philippine Supreme Court affirms life imprisonment and fine for illegal recruitment in large scale, plus separate estafa convictions.
Precision in Prosecution: Why Properly Worded Charges Matter in Philippine Rape Cases
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape highlights why precise language in criminal informations is crucial, especially when penalties differ by victim age.
Ministerial Duty vs Discretion: When a Clerk of Court Must Act and the Consequences of Refusal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a sheriff's duty to execute a deed of sale is purely ministerial, and the penalties for refusal.
Due Process in Philippine Rape Cases: Why Improper Charges Can Reduce Penalties
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how defective criminal informations can reduce rape penalties from death to reclusion perpetua.