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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Rape Conviction Upheld Alibi Weak Against Positive Identification
The Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction, ruling that alibi cannot prevail over positive identification by witnesses who had no motive to falsely implicate the accused.
Navigating Libel Law: Probable Cause and Privileged Communication in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that probable cause for libel is a prosecutor's call, and privileged communication is a trial defense.
Taxing National Instrumentalities: PFDA Exemption and Local Government Powers
The Supreme Court ruled the PFDA is a government instrumentality, not a GOCC, exempt from real property tax on the Lucena Fishing Port Complex.
Land Ownership Disputes: Proving Your Claim in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court distinguishes government instrumentalities from GOCCs in real property tax disputes, and what this means for proving ownership claims.
Protecting Your Property: Understanding Sheriffs Authority and Preventing Wrongful Levy in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law protects property from wrongful levy, using the PFDA case to explain exemptions and legal remedies.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Statutory Rape and Mental Capacity to Consent in the Philippines
In People v. Castro, the Supreme Court affirmed that sex with a mental retardate whose mental age is below 12 is statutory rape—consent is legally impossible.
Tenant Rights vs Landowner Claims: Agrarian Reform Protections Explained
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when tenant farmers can invoke agrarian reform coverage and how landowner retention limits affect tenant rights under PD 27 and RA 6657.
Reimbursement Rights When a Payor Can Recover Debt Paid on Another's Behalf
When can a co-maker recover payment made on a debtor's loan? The Supreme Court explains Article 1236 reimbursement rules.
Defining Indispensable Parties in Certiorari: Protecting Rights and Streamlining Legal Processes
The Supreme Court clarifies indispensable party rules in certiorari cases, balancing procedural efficiency with fundamental rights protection.
Valid Employee Dismissal in the Philippines: Just Cause and Due Process Explained
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on valid employee dismissal in the Philippines, covering just cause and due process requirements.
Ejectment and Land Ownership: What a Torrens Title Means for Property Owners in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains how registered owners can eject tolerated occupants, why laches does not bar recovery, and the limits of ownership claims in ejectment cases.
Reconveyance Actions in the Philippines: Understanding Prescription and Laches
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when reconveyance actions prescribe and how laches bars claims, even without fraud allegations.
When an Airline Ignores You: Moral Damages for Lost Baggage in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when an airline's lost baggage and indifference justify moral and exemplary damages, and how courts set the amounts.
Prescription and Laches in Land Disputes: Understanding Time Limits to Protect Your Property Rights
The Supreme Court explains when actions for reconveyance of registered land prescribe and how laches can bar claims, even those based on forged titles.
Rape Conviction on Credible Testimony: Proving Qualifying Circumstances in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape conviction based on credible testimony, proving qualifying circumstances, and the effect of R.A. 9346 on the death penalty.
Corporate Liability in Illegal Petroleum Trading: Defining the Scope of Responsibility
Supreme Court clarifies who may be held criminally liable for illegal LPG refilling and underfilling under BP 33, as amended.
IBP Elections: Enforcing Rotation and Upholding Ethical Conduct in Bar Governance
The Supreme Court settles the 2009 IBP leadership crisis, affirming mandatory rotation rules and penalizing grave misconduct by bar officers.
Dishonesty and Falsification in Public Service: A Clerk of Court’s Dismissal
The Supreme Court dismissed a clerk of court for dishonesty and falsifying her Personal Data Sheet, underscoring integrity standards in the judiciary.
CARP Exemption: Land Reclassification and Agrarian Reform in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when land reclassification can exempt property from CARP coverage, and the limits of that exemption.
Incestuous Rape Upholding THE Testimony OF Vulnerable Victims AND Addressing Familial Abuse
The Supreme Court affirms conviction for incestuous rape, underscoring the credibility of a minor victim's testimony and the State's duty to protect children from familial abuse.
When Death Ends Criminal and Civil Liability: Datu v. People Explained
What happens to a conviction when the accused dies pending appeal? The Supreme Court's ruling in Datu v. People provides the answer.
When Courts Can Invalidate an Extrajudicial Settlement: The Tayco Case
The Supreme Court explains when a notarized deed of extrajudicial settlement can be voided despite formal requirements being met.
Security of Tenure: Understanding Agricultural Tenancy Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the essential elements of agricultural tenancy and security of tenure in Heirs of Barredo v. Besañes.
Employee Misconduct and Breach of Trust: When Can You Be Dismissed?
The Supreme Court explains when an employee's side activities constitute serious misconduct and breach of trust justifying dismissal.