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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Contractual Obligations Prevail: Bank's Right to Offset Debts Despite Trustee-Beneficiary Claims
Supreme Court ruling on when a bank may validly apply a borrower's funds to settle debts, even amid trustee-beneficiary claims.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When Loss of Confidence Justifies Termination
Explaining when Philippine employers may validly dismiss employees for breach of trust, based on a Supreme Court ruling on cashiers and tellers.
Attorney Negligence Upholding Client Trust AND Accountability IN Legal Representation
Breach of Trust: Revisiting Intrafamilial Rape and the Limits of Legal Proof
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction despite an intact hymen, but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua for a defective information.
Reclamation Rights Private Property VS Public Domain IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court ruling on SRA's liability as trustee clarifies how government agencies assume obligations of abolished entities.
False Credentials Lost Promotion Integrity IN Public Service
Supreme Court dismisses court employee for falsifying educational credentials in Personal Data Sheet, affirming public office as a public trust.
Judicial Ethics: When a Judge's Temper Undermines Public Trust
A judge's late-night intervention and intemperate language lead to a fine for conduct unbecoming a judge, reaffirming ethical standards for the bench.
Breach of Trust: The Grave Consequences of Parental Rape in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a father who raped his 10-year-old daughter, highlighting the law's treatment of incestuous rape.
Punctuality and Public Trust: Upholding Ethical Standards in Government Service
The Supreme Court ruled that personal hardships do not excuse habitual tardiness in public office, reaffirming punctuality as a core duty of government employees.
Breach of Trust Establishing Estafa in Misappropriated Funds
Supreme Court ruling on when misappropriating advance payments constitutes estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.
Upholding Ethical Standards Lawyer Disbarred FOR Exploiting Client Trust AND Corporate LAW
Rape and Abuse of Trust: Upholding the Sanctity of Consent and Familial Relationships
The Supreme Court affirms rape conviction where a guardian-like relative used force and threats, underscoring that consent is never presumed within familial bonds.
Rape and Breach of Trust: Force and Intimidation in Familial Abuse Cases
How the Supreme Court ruled that a guardian's abuse of trust and physical violence established force and intimidation in rape.
Bouncing Checks and the Breadth of BP 22: Understanding so that its dishonor becomes a crime? The case is a us
The Facts of the Case Miraflor San Pedro and Evelyn Odra were friends and business associates. Odra entrusted San Pedro with Pyrex cooking utensils to sell. Ov
Custodial Responsibility Deliberate Failure to Return a Minor and the Boundaries of Trust
The Supreme Court clarifies when a custodian's failure to return a minor becomes a crime under Article 270 of the Revised Penal Code.
Novation and Trust Receipts: When a Debt Restructuring Agreement Extinguishes Criminal Liability
Learn when a debt restructuring agreement novates trust receipt obligations and extinguishes criminal liability under Philippine law.
Betrayal of Trust: Incestuous Rape and the Upholding of Victim Testimony in Philippine Courts
A stepgrandfather's rape conviction upheld on appeal, but the death penalty was reduced to reclusion perpetua for lack of minority allegation.
Breach of Trust vs Social Justice: When Separation Pay Is Justified
The Supreme Court clarifies when dismissed employees may receive separation pay as social justice, using San Miguel Corporation vs. Lao.
CNA Signing Bonuses: Protecting Social Security Funds From Unauthorized Disbursements
The Supreme Court ruled that the SSS cannot grant CNA signing bonuses to its employees, protecting workers' trust funds from unauthorized disbursements.
Court Employees' Private Misconduct: When Personal Dealings Undermine Public Trust
A Supreme Court ruling reminds court employees that honesty and integrity are required even in their personal and private dealings.
Tardiness and Neglect of Duty in the Judiciary: The Tolentino Case
The Supreme Court suspended a court stenographer for habitual absenteeism and delayed transcripts, stressing that public office is a public trust.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Why Philippine Courts Prioritize Child Witness Testimony in Rape Cases
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on child victim's testimony, explaining why courts trust young witnesses over alibi defenses.
Custodial Trust AND Betrayal Examining THE Deliberate Failure TO Return A Minor
A babysitter's brief custody of a newborn becomes a kidnapping conviction under Article 270, explaining deliberate failure to return.