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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Burden of Proof in Seafarer Compensation Claims: Work Conditions and Illness Causation
Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's illness is work-related and how delayed disability ratings affect permanent total disability claims.
Court Personnel’s Failure to Pay Just Debts: Administrative Liability Explained
Court employees who borrow from lawyers with pending cases and fail to pay face administrative sanctions. Learn the rules.
Liability FOR Damages When A Winning Party Isnt Always Liable
When Is a Seafarer Entitled to Total Disability Benefits: A Guide to Maritime Claims
Learn when a seafarer may claim permanent total disability benefits under the POEA contract, based on a 2017 Supreme Court ruling.
Debt Default and Court Personnel: Ethical Standards for Court Employees
A court stenographer's unpaid debt to a lawyer with a pending case leads to suspension, underscoring ethical standards for court personnel.
Prior Physical Possession Decides Forcible Entry Cases, Not Ownership Claims
In forcible entry cases, prior physical possession matters more than ownership. The Supreme Court explains why in Sambalilo v. Llarenas.
When Is a Winning Party Liable for a Sheriff's Misconduct in Executing a Writ?
The Supreme Court clarifies when a prevailing litigant can be held liable for damages caused by a sheriff's irregular implementation of a writ of execution.
When Attorney's Fees Are Reasonable: The Duty to Avoid Unconscionable Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when attorney's fees stipulations are valid, and why courts must strike down unconscionable ones.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Employers' Liability for Unremitted SSS Contributions
Supreme Court clarifies that corporations cannot hide behind separate personality to escape liability for unremitted SSS contributions.
Immediate Execution OF Ombudsman Decisions Safeguarding Public Service Integrity
When Business Closure Is Valid: Employer Prerogative vs. Employee Security
The Supreme Court explains when a company may validly close operations and terminate employees, and how workers can challenge the closure.
Rape Conviction Upheld Clarifying THE Application OF Force AND Intimidation IN Sexual Assault Cases
Defining the Limits of Medical Assessment Periods for Seafarer Disability Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's delay in assessing a seafarer's disability results in permanent total disability benefits.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Employer Liability for SSS Contributions Despite Officers' Acquittal
A corporation cannot escape SSS contribution liability merely because its officers were acquitted in the criminal case. The Supreme Court explains why.
When a Late Disability Assessment Makes a Seafarer's Injury Total and Permanent
A company physician's Grade 8 assessment issued on day 163 was too late—the Supreme Court explains the 120-day rule for seafarers.
Breach OF Trust Dismissal FOR Court Personnel Extorting Litigants IN THE Philippines
Accountability in Government: When Good Faith Does Not Excuse Negligence in Public Fund Disbursements
The Supreme Court clarifies when public officers approving disallowed disbursements remain personally liable despite claims of good faith.
Ethical Boundaries: When a Lawyer's Zeal Violates Due Process and Procedural Fairness
A lawyer's zeal for a client cannot justify violating procedural rules and depriving the opposing party of due process, as this disbarment case shows.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding Conviction in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a man for two counts of rape, clarifying conspiracy liability and the weight given to a minor victim's credible testimony.
Death of Accused Extinguishes Criminal Liability and Abates Criminal Action
Supreme Court clarifies that an accused's death extinguishes criminal liability and abates the criminal action, citing the Revised Penal Code.
Estafa and Civil Liability: When Acquittal Doesnt Guarantee Freedom From Civil Claims
Explore the distinction between criminal acquittal and civil liability in estafa cases, and how banks can be held accountable.
Self-Defense Claim Fails: Unlawful Aggression and Treachery in Murder Conviction
Supreme Court affirms murder conviction, ruling that a sudden bolo attack negates self-defense and constitutes treachery.
Willful ACT VS Mental State Determining Compensability IN Seafarer Death Claims
Security of Tenure, Constructive Dismissal, and the Floating Status of Security Guards in the Philippines
When does a security guard's floating status become constructive dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the six-month rule.