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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Accountability for Group Actions: Establishing Conspiracy in Criminal Law
Understand how Philippine courts determine conspiracy in criminal cases, when group liability attaches, and why mere presence or evasion of arrest does not equate to guilt.
Reconveyance and Good Faith: Protecting Land Ownership in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies reconveyance actions, good faith purchasers, and why registration alone does not vest land ownership in the Philippines.
Ejectment Actions Ownership Disputes DO NOT Suspend Ejectment Proceedings
Filing an ownership dispute does not suspend an ejectment case. The Supreme Court explains why in Samonte v. Century Savings Bank.
Privatization vs Pending Disciplinary Actions: Navigating Jurisdiction in Employee Cases
When a government bank turns private, does the CSC lose jurisdiction over pending employee disciplinary appeals? The Supreme Court clarifies.
Attorney-Client Privilege: When Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest Are Not Violated
The Supreme Court clarifies when a lawyer's use of client information and representation of a former client's adversary does not breach professional ethics.
When Silence Does Not Mean Consent: Self-Defense and Resistance in Philippine Rape Law
In People v. Madeo, the Supreme Court explains why a rape victim's failure to shout or resist does not prove consent, and how force and intimidation are assessed.
Bigamy Conviction Upheld Despite Later Declaration of Nullity of First Marriage
A subsequent declaration that a first marriage was void does not erase criminal liability for bigamy contracted before that declaration.
Negligence IN Notarization When Does A Lawyers Mistake Warrant Disciplinary Action
Family Home vs Creditors: When Annulment Doesn't Shield Property From Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether a family home can be sold to settle debts after marriage annulment, and the finality of court orders.
Voluntary Retirement vs. Illegal Dismissal: The Thin Line in Philippine Labor Law
When does a voluntary retirement program cross the line into illegal dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies in Quevedo v. BENECO.
Voluntary Retirement vs Illegal Dismissal: Employee Rights in Downsizing
When does a retirement package become a forced exit? The Supreme Court clarifies the thin line between voluntary retirement and illegal dismissal.
VAT Refund for Foreign Tourists Upheld: Equal Protection and Taxation Rules Explained
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the VAT refund law for foreign tourists, explaining why the classification does not violate equal protection.
Accountability Despite Mental Disorder: When Insanity Defense Fails in Philippine Criminal Law
Explaining when mental illness does not exempt criminal liability, as ruled in People v. Garchitorena on the insanity defense.
Duress vs Free Will: When Fear Does Not Excuse Criminal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court explains when uncontrollable fear excuses a crime and when it does not, in a murder case.
Sandiganbayan Jurisdiction Over Local Officials: When Does the Court Have Authority
Explains when the Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction over local officials below Salary Grade 27, based on the Supreme Court ruling in People v. Sandiganbayan (G.R. No. 167304).
Marital Cohabitation and Consensual Acts: Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when cohabitation does not imply consent, and how rape and acts of lasciviousness are distinguished in Philippine criminal law.
Practicing Law During Suspension: Judicial Ethics and Integrity
A judge's preventive suspension does not lift the ban on private law practice. The Supreme Court explains why.
When Does a Retirement Moot an Appointment Disapproval? A CSC Case Study
Explore Civil Service Commission v. Tahanlangit, where the Supreme Court ruled on when retirement renders an appointment disapproval moot.
Mental Retardation and Witness Credibility in Rape Cases: People v. Martinez
The Supreme Court affirms that mental retardation alone does not disqualify a rape victim from testifying credibly.
Accountability FOR ALL Establishing Conspiracy IN Robbery With Homicide
A conviction for robbery with homicide does not require each conspirator to wield the weapon. Presence and common purpose suffice.
Voluntary Easements Survive: Why Adequate Access Does Not Cancel a Granted Right of Way
A voluntary right of way cannot be cancelled just because the dominant estate gains another outlet. Learn the rule from a 2009 Supreme Court case.
Civil Liability Survives Acquittal: Negligence by Preponderance of Evidence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: an acquittal in a criminal case does not automatically erase civil liability if negligence is proven by preponderance of evidence.
Voluntary Easements: Enforceability and Extinguishment of Right of Way Agreements
When can a voluntary right of way be cancelled? The Supreme Court explains why adequate access does not extinguish an agreed easement.
Who Pays Real Property Tax When a Government Corporation Assumes a Private Firm's Tax Liability?
The Supreme Court rules on whether NPC can claim tax exemptions for a power plant it does not own or use under a BOT agreement.