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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Bypassing Justice: Defining Theft in Telecommunications and Probable Cause
The Supreme Court clarifies when toll bypass operations constitute theft and how courts review prosecutorial findings of probable cause.
Judicial Efficiency VS Constitutional Mandates THE Consequences OF Delay IN Rendering Decisions
Extinguishment of Criminal Liability: How Death Before Final Judgment Impacts Guilt and Civil Obligations
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how an accused's death before final judgment extinguishes criminal liability and affects civil damages.
Abandonment vs Illegal Dismissal: Proving the Fact of Termination
In illegal dismissal cases, the employee must first prove the fact of dismissal. The Supreme Court explains the rules on abandonment.
Essential Witness Rule Drug Sale Convictions Without Informant Testimony
The Supreme Court affirms a drug sale conviction despite the informant-poseur buyer not testifying, clarifying when the essential witness rule applies.
Conspiracy in Rape Cases: Expanding Liability Beyond the Accused's Own Act
The Supreme Court explains how conspiracy in rape cases makes each accused liable for all acts committed by their co-conspirators.
Eyewitness Reliability and Positive Identification in Murder Cases
Learn how Philippine courts assess eyewitness reliability and positive identification in murder cases, and when an accused's death extinguishes criminal liability.
Probable Cause in Toll Bypass Cases: Theft of Telephone Services Under Philippine Law
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on probable cause for theft in toll bypass operations, clarifying what constitutes unlawful taking of telephone services.
Reversal of Conviction Distinguishing Homicide From Murder and Attempted Kidnapping
Supreme Court clarifies when a killing is homicide, not murder, and why a failed abduction attempt may not be kidnapping.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Corporation’s Assets Answer for an Individual’s Debt
The Supreme Court explains when courts may pierce the corporate veil—even for non-stock corporations—to make corporate assets answer for an individual’s judgment debt.
When Union Disaffiliation Leads to Dismissal: Union Security Clauses and Illegal Strikes
The Supreme Court clarifies who may enforce a union security clause and when a strike becomes illegal, affecting dismissal of union officers and members.
Insanity Plea Under Scrutiny: The Fine Line Between Confusion and Criminal Responsibility
The Supreme Court clarifies when confusion amounts to insanity exempting an accused from criminal liability, and when it does not.
Reinstatement Rights in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Trust, Tenure, and Abandonment
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies who bears the burden of proving dismissal, why filing an illegal dismissal case does not always prove abandonment, and what it means for reinstatement.
Land Title Registration Proving Alienable AND Disposable Status Under Philippine LAW
Proving Lost Earnings After Wrongful Death: Testimony Can Suffice, Says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled that credible testimonial evidence alone can prove a deceased person's income for lost earning capacity damages.
Revival of Judgment: Why It Must Be Filed with the RTC, Not the Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court clarifies that actions to revive a judgment must be filed with the Regional Trial Court, not the Court of Appeals.
Territorial Jurisdiction in Criminal Cases: Where the Crime Occurs Determines the Court
The Supreme Court rules that venue in criminal cases is jurisdictional—a court cannot try an offense committed outside its territory.
Venue Is Jurisdictional in Criminal Cases: The Casanas Carnapping Ruling
The Supreme Court explains why venue is jurisdictional in criminal cases and why a conviction outside the proper territory is void.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Unlawful Restraint THE Consummation OF Serious Illegal Detention Involving Female Victims
Seafarers' Disability Claims: Strict Compliance With 3-Day Reporting Rule Required
A seafarer who fails the three-day post-repatriation medical reporting requirement forfeits disability claims, as Tagud v. BSM shows.
Civic Duty vs Conflict of Interest: Court Employees and Community Leadership
The Supreme Court clarifies when court personnel may serve as homeowners' association officers without violating conduct rules.
Unlawful Detainer in the Philippines: Why Lawful Entry at the Start Matters
The Supreme Court in Bugayong-Santiago v. Bugayong explains why an unlawful detainer case fails when the occupant's entry was illegal from the beginning.
Court Personnel and Homeowners' Association Duties: When Civic Service Is Not Moonlighting
Supreme Court clarifies when court employees may serve in homeowners' associations without violating conduct rules on outside employment.