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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Who Can Sue: Understanding Legal Standing in Philippine Criminal Cases
Learn who can file criminal cases in the Philippines, and how acquittal does not erase civil liability, using the Aglibot v. Santia case.
Hotel Liability After Huang v. Philippine Hoteliers: When a Guest’s Own Negligence Bars Damages
A guest’s own negligence can defeat a hotel injury claim. Learn the quasi-delict rules from Huang v. Philippine Hoteliers, Inc.
Piercing THE Corporate Veil Clarifying Personal Liability IN Trust Receipt Agreements
Personal Guarantees and Piercing the Corporate Veil: Lessons from Crisologo v. People
When corporate officers sign personal guarantees, they may face personal liability. The Supreme Court clarifies the limits in Crisologo v. People.
Upholding Ethical Conduct Liability for Grave Misconduct Despite Reliance on Subordinates
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when reliance on subordinates excuses government officials from administrative liability for ghost projects.
Court Employees Must Remit Judiciary Funds on Time: Full Restitution Does Not Erase Liability
Learn why a court employee who fully repaid missing funds still faced a P10,000 fine for delayed remittance of judiciary collections.
Self-Defense vs Homicide: Understanding Criminal Intent in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails and homicide stands, explaining unlawful aggression, dying declarations, and criminal liability.
Diplomatic Immunity vs Personal Accountability: The Limits of Privilege
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on diplomatic immunity, privacy rights, and personal liability for damages under the Civil Code.
Unraveling Sequestration When Government Claims Meet Private Property Rights IN THE Philippines
The Supreme Court upheld key provisions of the Migrant Workers Act, including illegal recruitment penalties and the joint liability rule for corporate officers.
Treachery and Self-Defense: Understanding Criminal Liability in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling explains when self-defense fails and treachery qualifies a killing as murder under Philippine law.
Bank Liability for Altered Checks and Employee Misconduct: Lessons from Westmont Bank v. Dela Rosa-Ramos
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks are liable for altered checks and negligent employees, and how depositor contributory negligence affects damages.
How Conspiracy and Abuse of Superior Strength Shape Murder Liability in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling explains how conspiracy and abuse of superior strength are proven in murder cases, and why each participant bears equal liability.
Airline Liability for Breach of Contract When Confirmed Bookings Are Cancelled
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on airline liability when confirmed bookings are cancelled, covering damages, joint liability, and passenger rights.
Death Benefits and Seafarers' Willful Acts: Employer Liability in Maritime Law
When a seafarer dies by suicide, employers may avoid death benefits if they prove the death resulted from a willful act.
Accountability in Armed Robbery and Kidnapping: Defining Roles and Liabilities
A look at how Philippine courts assign criminal liability to each participant in armed robbery and kidnapping-for-ransom, based on a 2012 Supreme Court ruling.
Trust Receipts vs Ordinary Loans: When Debt Restructuring Does Not Erase Criminal Liability
Philippine National Bank v. Soriano clarifies when restructuring a trust receipt loan does not extinguish criminal liability for estafa under PD 115.
Upholding Due Process in Administrative Cases: The Standard of Substantial Evidence
The Supreme Court clarifies that administrative liability requires substantial evidence of wrongdoing, not mere presumption or opportunity to commit an offense.
Judicial Accountability: Undue Delay and Misconduct Claims Against Judges in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when judges face administrative liability for delay and misconduct, and when complaints merely substitute for lost judicial remedies.
Shared Negligence Apportioning Liability IN Ship Repair Contracts Under Philippine LAW
Supreme Court ruling on shared negligence, limitation of liability clauses, and subrogation in ship repair contracts under Philippine law.
School Bus Operators Are Common Carriers: Extraordinary Diligence and Liability for Student Safety
A school bus operator is a common carrier bound by extraordinary diligence. The Supreme Court explains liability for student deaths.
Medical Malpractice: Establishing Negligence and Hospital Liability in Surgical Errors
The Supreme Court clarifies when surgeons and anesthesiologists are liable for negligence and when hospitals are not, in a botched caesarean case.
Corporate Merger and Garnishment: Surviving Corporation's Liability for Pre-Existing Obligations
When banks merge, the surviving corporation inherits garnishment obligations of the absorbed bank. The Supreme Court explains why.
Tax Exemption for Government Instrumentalities: Defining the Scope of Real Property Tax Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies when a government entity is exempt from real property tax, distinguishing instrumentalities from GOCCs.
Court Employee Dismissed for Misusing Cash Evidence: A Lesson in Judicial Integrity
Supreme Court dismisses court employee who took P45,000 cash evidence for repairs, ruling restitution does not erase administrative liability.