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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When the Company Physician's Fit-to-Work Assessment Prevails in Seafarer Disability Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's fit-to-work certification outweighs a seafarer's private doctor in disability claims.
Upholding Drug Sale Conviction: Integrity of Evidence and Section 21 Compliance
Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction, ruling that substantial compliance with Section 21, RA 9165 suffices when evidence integrity is preserved.
Corporate Records Access: Stockholder Rights and Officer Duties After Dissolution
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a stockholder's right to inspect corporate records survives corporate dissolution and continues during liquidation.
Due Process in Civil Registry Corrections: Impleading All Affected Parties Is Mandatory
A Supreme Court ruling explains why all affected parties must be impleaded in civil registry correction cases under Rule 108.
BUY Bust Operations AND THE Chain OF Custody Ensuring Integrity IN Drug Cases 5
Ensuring Chain of Custody: Safeguarding Drug Evidence in Philippine Law
How Philippine courts treat lapses in Section 21 drug evidence rules and why preserving the chain of custody remains decisive in drug cases.
Res Judicata in Annulment of Judgments: Prior Relief Bars Subsequent Action
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a petition for annulment of judgment under Rule 47 is barred by a prior petition for relief.
Moral Turpitude and Attorney Disbarment: The Necessity of Final Conviction
Disbarment for moral turpitude requires a final conviction, not just pending criminal charges, as this case clarifies.
Buy-Bust Operations and Chain of Custody: What People v. Casani Means for Drug Convictions
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, explaining how an unbroken chain of custody of seized shabu supports a buy-bust case.
When a Co-Owner Sells an Undivided Share: Ejectment and the Right to Partition
The Supreme Court explains when a buyer of a co-owner's share can defeat an ejectment case and who may validly partition the property.
Defective Notarization Sinks Presumption, But SC Upholds P600,000 Antichresis Loan
The Supreme Court voided the presumption attached to a notarized loan deed, yet still upheld the P600,000 antichresis debt and ordered yearly accounting of farm yields.
Treachery Defined: How Sudden Attacks Qualify as Murder in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains treachery as a qualifying circumstance for murder, using a sudden shooting as a clear example of the rule.
Co-Ownership Rights and Partition Agreements: Understanding the Bulalacao-Soriano v. Papina Decision
A co-owner cannot sell a specific portion of common property; only co-owners may validly enter into partition agreements. Learn the rules.
Buy-Bust Operations and Chain of Custody: Key Lessons from People v. Eda
The Supreme Court affirms a drug conviction, clarifying the elements of illegal sale and possession and the rules on chain of custody under RA 9165.
PCSD Authority to Regulate Live Fish Transport in Palawan Upheld
Supreme Court affirms PCSD's power to require accreditation for live fish carriers in Palawan under R.A. 7611.
Court Employee Accountability: Certifying False Documents in the Philippine Judiciary
The Supreme Court holds court employees liable for grave misconduct and dishonesty for certifying spurious decisions, reinforcing public trust in the judiciary.
Breach OF Trust Disbarment FOR Attorneys Misappropriation AND Deceit
Upholding Attorney Accountability: Neglect of Duty and the Attorney-Client Relationship
A lawyer who takes a client's fees but fails to file the case, deceives the client, and misappropriates funds faces the ultimate sanction: disbarment.
Conditional Employment Offers and When No Employer-Employee Relationship Exists
The Supreme Court clarifies when a conditional job offer, subject to background checks, does not create an employer-employee relationship.
Ejectment Actions: Distinguishing Forcible Entry From Unlawful Detainer in Property Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts distinguish forcible entry from unlawful detainer, and why the complaint's allegations determine jurisdiction in ejectment cases.
Rape of an Intoxicated Victim: Consent and Consciousness Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court ruled that sex with a woman unconscious or deprived of reason from intoxication is rape, even without force.
Circumstantial Evidence and Domestic Violence in Philippine Parricide Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld a parricide conviction based on circumstantial evidence, including prior domestic violence, in People v. Tayao.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: When a Generalized SALN Is Not Dishonesty
The Supreme Court explains when a generalized SALN amounts to dishonesty, and why public officials must first be given a chance to correct their statements.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Statutory Rape and the Presumption of Incapacity in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that carnal knowledge of a child under 12 is statutory rape, regardless of force or consent.