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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Crediting Prior Government Service for Retirement in the Judiciary: A Guide for Philippine Judges
Explains when Philippine judges and justices can credit prior government service, like prosecutor work, for retirement and longevity pay.
Breach of Trust: The Price of Corruption for Court Personnel in the Philippines
A look at a Supreme Court ruling on estafa by abuse of confidence, explaining the crime, penalties, and why deceit need not be proven.
Rescission of Share Sale: When Broken Promises Do Not Justify Annulment
A Supreme Court ruling on when disappointed investors can—and cannot—rescind a stock sale for fraud or breach.
Bouncing Checks and Civil Liability: Why You Can't Sue Separately for a BP 22 Violation in the Philippines
Learn why a bounced check can lead to estafa prosecution, not just BP 22, and what this means for your civil remedies.
Litis Pendentia and Forum Shopping in Philippine Law: The Cabreza Case
Learn how the Supreme Court applied litis pendentia and forum shopping rules to bar a second suit over the same conjugal property dispute.
When Judges Ignore Court Directives: Administrative Consequences in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court rulings show judges who disregard court directives face administrative liability, including fines, suspension, or dismissal from service.
When Judges Are Sued for Doing Their Job: The Tallado v. Racoma Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when errors by judges are judicial matters, not administrative offenses, and warns against harassment suits.
Nepotism, Falsification, and Public Trust: Lessons from a Municipal Court's Administrative Cases
The Supreme Court's consolidated ruling on a judge and court personnel clarifies ethical boundaries in government service.
Prescription in Fraud Claims: When Does the Clock Start Ticking
When does the prescriptive period for fraud claims begin? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule in a recent decision.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Consensual Sex Defense Needs Corroboration, Victim's Injuries Speak Volumes
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that the defense of consensual sex requires corroboration and that a victim's injuries corroborate the charge.
Supreme Court on Quasi-Delict Negligence in Vehicular Accidents: Subrogation and Vicarious Liability
The Supreme Court affirms insurer's subrogation claim, ruling on negligence, proximate cause, and vicarious liability in a vehicular accident case.
Psychological Abuse via Facebook Conviction Upheld with Higher Cybercrime Penalty
Supreme Court affirms conviction for psychological abuse via Facebook posts, imposing higher penalty under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Understanding Statutory Rape and Qualified Rape in the Philippines: Insights from Arpon v. People
The Supreme Court's Arpon ruling clarifies statutory rape, qualified rape, and the need to prove each charge separately.
Lost on Technicalities: Why Missing Deadlines Can Doom Your Philippine Tax Appeal
A Supreme Court ruling shows how procedural lapses and missed deadlines can derail appeals, even on the merits. Learn the rules.
Probating Foreign Wills in the Philippines: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to probate a foreign will in the Philippines, including the legal requirements, court process, and practical steps for heirs and executors.
When a General Manager Is Not a Corporate Officer: Jurisdiction Over Illegal Dismissal Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a corporate officer is really an employee, and who has jurisdiction over dismissal disputes.
Union Security Clauses and the Freedom Period: When Dismissal for Disloyalty Fails
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that signing a certification election petition during the freedom period is not union disloyalty justifying dismissal.
When Strikes Go Wrong: Illegal Dismissals and Union Security Clauses in the Philippines
Learn when terminating employees for union disloyalty is illegal, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on certification elections and union security.
Government Employee Rights: Security of Tenure and Due Process in Revenue Target-Based Attrition
The Supreme Court upheld the Attrition Act's constitutionality, clarifying that revenue target-based removal of BIR and BOC employees does not violate security of tenure or due process.
When Court Errors Are Judicial, Not Administrative: Lessons from Tallado v. Racoma
The Supreme Court dismisses an administrative complaint against two RTC judges, clarifying that judicial errors must be challenged through appeals, not disciplinary cases.
Judicial Ethics: Sheriff Dismissed for Accepting Payoffs in Landmark Philippine Ruling
Supreme Court dismisses deputy sheriff for accepting kickbacks from a newspaper publisher in exchange for judicial notice assignments, reaffirming strict ethics for court personnel.
Illegal Dismissal vs Abandonment: Supreme Court Clarifies Employer's Burden of Proof
The Supreme Court clarifies the burden of proof in illegal dismissal cases and what constitutes abandonment of work.
Nogales v. People: When Obscene Files in Computers Are Forfeited Even Without Conviction
Supreme Court rules hard disks containing obscene materials are forfeited and destroyed under P.D. 969 even if criminal case is dismissed.
Ethical Boundaries for Court Employees: Simple Misconduct in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on simple misconduct shows why court employees face exacting moral standards even in private life.