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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Defiance and Dismissal: Upholding Employers' Right to Terminate for Insubordination and Loss of Trust
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of sales supervisor for willful disobedience and loss of trust, clarifying employer rights under Article 282.
Chattel Mortgage vs Installment Sales: Creditor Remedies in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a creditor may collect the unpaid balance after repossessing a vehicle under a chattel mortgage.
Illegal Dismissal and Labor-Only Contracting: When a Salesman's Driver Is the Company's Employee
Acevedo v. Advanstar explains labor-only contracting, employer-employee relationship, and due process in illegal dismissal cases.
Foreclosure Sales and Labor Claims: When Buyers Are Not Liable for a Mortgagor's Debts
The Supreme Court clarifies that a mortgagee-creditor who buys foreclosed assets does not automatically assume the mortgagor's labor liabilities.
Tax Sale Invalidity: Strict Compliance With Notice Requirements Protects Property Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how failure to give proper notice in tax delinquency sales invalidates the sale and protects property owners' rights.
When Good Faith Fails: Financing Firm's Foreclosure Voided for Ignoring Occupants' Rights
A financing firm's foreclosure was voided for bad faith because it ignored occupants' notice of a prior unregistered sale. Learn the due diligence rule.
Double Sale Prior Good Faith Purchaser Prevails Over Subsequent Mortgagee
Contract to Sell vs. Sale: What Buyers Must Know Under Philippine Law
A buyer who stops paying installments in a contract to sell may lose ownership rights. Learn the key differences and protections.
When an Employee's Signature Can Be Excused in a Labor Case: The Micro Sales Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when a co-petitioner's failure to sign a verification and certification on non-forum shopping can be excused in labor cases.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Protecting Borrowers in Land Transactions
When is a deed of sale actually a loan secured by property? The Supreme Court explains equitable mortgage protections for borrowers.
Double Sale Doctrine Protecting THE Rights OF First Buyers IN Real Estate Transactions
Conjugal Property Rights: Wife's Timely Action Required to Contest Husband's Sale
A wife who fails to contest her husband's unauthorized sale of conjugal property within ten years may lose her right to invalidate the transaction.
Equitable Mortgage: When a Deed of Sale Disguises a Loan Security
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is really an equitable mortgage securing a debt.
Charity vs. Agrarian Reform: Reconciling Conflicting Laws on Land Distribution
Can a charitable institution's property be covered by agrarian reform despite a law banning its sale? The Supreme Court says yes.
Voiding Land Sales: The Five-Year Restriction on Free Patents in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on the five-year ban on selling free patent lands, and what it means for landowners and buyers.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: When a Deed of Sale Is Really a Loan Security
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a deed of absolute sale is actually an equitable mortgage protecting borrowers from predatory lending.
Contract TO Sell VS Contract OF Sale Sacobia Hills Development Corp ON Rescission
Absence of Mutual Agreement Nullifies Sale of Vessels: A Philippine Contract Law Primer
Explore when a contract of sale is void for lack of consent, using a Philippine Supreme Court case as a guide.
When a Spouse's Sale of Conjugal Property Without Consent Is Valid
The Supreme Court explains when a sale of conjugal property by one spouse without the other's consent stands, and when heirs can still demand partition.
Double Sales and Registered Titles: Priority Rules in Philippine Land Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts resolve double sales and registered title disputes, and why registration matters in land ownership conflicts.
Motion vs Action in Title Disputes After Execution Sales: Key Lessons from Padilla v. PPCMA
When can a buyer at execution sale get new titles by mere motion? The Supreme Court clarifies the proper remedy under PD 1529.
Voidable Contracts When a Husband's Consent Is Crucial in Conjugal Property Sales
When a wife sells conjugal property without her husband's consent, the sale is voidable—but only if he acts to annul it in time.
Unjust Enrichment and Contractual Obligations: Lessons from Limaco v. Shonan Gakuen
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void land sales, down payment refunds, and unjust enrichment in Limaco v. Shonan Gakuen.
Lost Chance to Repurchase: Understanding Time Limits in Property Sales with Right of Repurchase
The Supreme Court ruled that a vendor's right to repurchase property must be exercised within four years from the time the condition triggering it occurs.