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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Rent Suspension and Earnest Money: Balancing Rights in Lease and Sale Agreements
The Supreme Court clarifies when lessees may suspend rent and when earnest money in a contract to sell may be forfeited.
Earnest Money in a Contract to Sell: When Buyers Lose Their Deposit
The Supreme Court explains when earnest money in a contract to sell may be forfeited and when lessees may suspend rent under Article 1658.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Caveat Venditor Upholding Good Faith in Real Estate Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how good faith and apparent authority negate criminal intent in property takings, protecting honest actors.
When Silence Incriminates: Consent, Good Faith, and the Limits of Deniability in Qualified Theft
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on qualified theft, apparent authority, and good faith in People v. Delos Santos.
Parental Abuse of Authority: When Acts of Lasciviousness Differ from Rape
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a father's lewd acts on a child are acts of lasciviousness under RA 7610 versus qualified rape.
Familial Abuse of Power When Parental Authority Becomes Criminal Liability
Explore the legal boundaries of parental authority, when discipline crosses into criminal liability, and the Supreme Court's guidance on familial abuse.
Breach of Trust: Legal Consequences of Stepparent Rape in the Philippines
A stepfather's rape of his minor stepdaughter is qualified rape, warranting reclusion perpetua without parole. This case explains the law.
Baptismal Certificates and Filiation: Proving Legal Parentage in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that baptismal and marriage certificates alone cannot prove filiation for inheritance claims, citing Family Code rules.
Apparent Authority: When a Corporation Is Bound by Its Agent's Actions
The Supreme Court explains when a corporation is estopped from denying its agent's apparent authority, binding it to contracts with innocent third parties.
Apparent Authority and Estoppel: When a Corporation Is Bound by Its Officer's Acts
The Supreme Court explains when a corporation is estopped from denying an officer's apparent authority to bind it to contracts with innocent third parties.
Qualified Rape: Moral Ascendancy as Substitute for Force in Step-Parent Abuse
Step-parent moral ascendancy can substitute for force in qualified rape, as shown in People v. De Guzman.
Moral Ascendancy in Qualified Rape: How Step-Parents Breach Trust
The Supreme Court affirms that a step-parent's moral ascendancy can substitute for force and intimidation in qualified rape cases.
Illegitimate Children’s Rights: Mother’s Surname and Parental Authority in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies that illegitimate children use their mother’s surname and are under her sole parental authority, voiding a father’s unilateral birth registration.
SC Upholds Rape Conviction Based on Victim's Credible Testimony Despite Inconsistencies
The Supreme Court affirms rape convictions, ruling that minor inconsistencies in a victim's testimony do not undermine credibility when the account is coherent and believable.
Intellectual Disability and Witness Credibility in Philippine Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms that intellectual disability alone does not disqualify a rape victim from testifying, provided her account is coherent and consistent.
Rape and Parental Authority: Why a Father's Conviction Stood as Simple Rape
A father raped his 16-year-old daughter twice. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction but kept it as simple rape because the information omitted his relationship. Here's why.
Protecting THE Vulnerable Upholding Convictions IN Cases OF Qualified Rape BY A Parent
Protecting Children Parental Authority AND THE Crime OF Qualified Rape IN THE Philippines
Valid Consignation Demands Strict Compliance With Legal Requirements
Learn when depositing rent in a bank account is not valid consignation, and what the law requires for debt payment.
When a Bank's Deposit of Rent Is Not Valid Consignation: PNB v. Chan
The Supreme Court explains why depositing disputed rent in a savings account is not valid consignation, and the consequences of delay.
THE Condonation Doctrine RE Election TO A Different Office AND ITS Implications ON Public Accountability
Moral Ascendancy as Force in Parental Rape: Erosion of Trust in People v. Mayola
Father convicted of qualified rape: moral ascendancy substitutes for force, delay in reporting does not negate the crime.
Moral Ascendancy in Incestuous Rape: Upholding Protection for Child Victims
The Supreme Court affirms the conviction of a father for qualified rape, explaining how parental moral ascendancy substitutes for force and intimidation.