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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Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Unexpected Attacks
The Supreme Court explains treachery as a qualifying circumstance in murder, using a 2013 case to clarify sudden, unprovoked attacks.
Judicial Accountability vs Erroneous Judgments: Protecting Judicial Independence in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judicial accountability, erroneous judgments, and the constitutional protection of judicial independence.
Dual Office Holding: Constitutional Limits on Executive Appointments
Supreme Court rules Cabinet members cannot hold concurrent offices, even temporarily, under Section 13, Article VII of the Constitution.
Trademark Infringement: Why Likelihood of Confusion Is the Core Element
The Supreme Court acquits a jeans tailor of trademark infringement, explaining why likelihood of confusion is the heart of the offense.
Unsigned Contracts and Oral Plan Changes: When Additional Construction Costs Are Recoverable
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when contractors can recover extra costs from unsigned contracts and orally approved plan revisions.
Due Process vs Valid Dismissal: Balancing Employee Rights and Employer Authority in Termination Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies the requisites for valid retrenchment, distinguishing authorized causes from procedural due process in termination cases.
Retrenchment Validity: Balancing Employer Prerogative and Employee Security of Tenure
The Supreme Court clarifies the requisites for valid retrenchment and when quitclaims bar illegal dismissal claims in Pepsi-Cola v. Molon.
Supervisory Status and Union Formation: Defining the Rights of Capatazes in Labor Law
The Supreme Court rules capatazes are supervisory employees who may form their own union separate from rank-and-file workers.
Trust Receipt vs. Loan: When a Security Agreement Becomes a Debt
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a trust receipt arrangement is actually a loan, affecting liability and criminal exposure.
Shore Leave and Seafarer Death Benefits: When Work-Relatedness Fails
Supreme Court rules a seafarer's death during shore leave is not automatically work-related; explains the causal connection required for death benefits.
Judicial Delay in Ejectment Cases: When Slow Justice Becomes a Sanctionable Offense
The Supreme Court fined a judge P10,000 for delaying an ejectment ruling beyond the mandatory 30-day period under the Rules on Summary Procedure.
When Bank Officers Face Dismissal for Breach of Trust: The Cruz v. BPI Case
A bank assistant manager's dismissal for approving fraudulent dollar transactions is upheld by the Supreme Court as valid breach of trust.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Credibility of Minor Victim and Exemplary Damages
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on minor victim's credible testimony and reinstates exemplary damages awards for each count.
Balancing Press Freedom and Confidentiality in Disbarment Cases: Fortun v. Quinsayas
The Supreme Court clarifies when media may report disbarment complaints and when confidentiality rules prevail, penalizing a lawyer for leaking.
Due Process in Termination: Balancing Employer Rights and Employee Protection
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on due process in employee termination, balancing employer rights with constitutional protection of workers.
Buy-Bust Operations and the Chain of Custody: Ensuring Integrity in Drug Cases
The Supreme Court explains why the chain of custody matters in buy-bust drug cases and when its breach can defeat a conviction.
Retirement Benefits: Reconciling Prior Obligations With Employee Entitlements
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how retirement pay is computed when employees were retrenched, rehired, and had prior debts to the employer.
When Judges Owe Debts: Accountability for Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts
The Supreme Court holds judges accountable for unpaid personal debts, ruling that willful failure to pay a just debt is serious misconduct.
Co-Ownership, Partition, and Prescription in Disputed Land Titles: Key Lessons from Figuracion
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies co-owners' rights to partition property, the limits of prescription, and why Torrens titles are not absolute.
Creditable Government Service: When Consultancy Work Counts for Justice Retirement Benefits
Supreme Court ruling on crediting consultancy work as government service for retirement benefits of justices under RA 9946.
Judge Dinopol Case: Due Process and Judicial Immunity in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court found Judge Oscar Dinopol guilty of gross ignorance of the law for issuing arrest orders without notice and hearing, but shielded him from civil damages.
VAT Refund Deadlines: San Roque Doctrine on the 120-Day Rule and Judicial Claims
The Supreme Court's San Roque ruling clarifies the mandatory 120-day period for VAT refund claims and its exceptions.
Shareholder Rights Demanding Corporate Transparency Through Inspection Rights
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling on stockholder inspection rights under Section 74 of the Corporation Code and the limits of judicial review of prosecutorial findings.
When Courts Can No Longer Enforce Agreements: The Difference Between Entrapment and Instigation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when police buy-bust operations are legal entrapment versus illegal instigation, and why the distinction matters in drug cases.