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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Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Is a Corporation Liable for Ill-Gotten Wealth?
A look at when corporations can be held liable for ill-gotten wealth, and why the Supreme Court dismissed cases against corporate fronts in Republic v. Sandiganbayan.
Chain of Custody Safeguarding Drug Evidence and Ensuring Fair Trials in Illegal Drug Cases
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect due to broken chain of custody, emphasizing strict compliance with RA 9165's evidence safeguards.
When Cross Collateral Clauses Clash With Verbal Agreements: Understanding Mortgage Obligations
The Supreme Court clarifies that bank branch managers cannot verbally alter mortgage contracts containing cross-collateral or dragnet clauses.
Falsification Ruling Clarifies Document Alteration and Judicial Discretion in Criminal Cases
Supreme Court clarifies when document alterations constitute falsification and how courts should exercise discretion in criminal proceedings.
Parental Privilege vs. Right to Testify: Scope in Philippine Law
When can a parent refuse to testify? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of parental and filial privilege in Philippine law.
Illegal Dismissal: Employer's Burden to Prove Valid Termination and Due Process
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer's burden in illegal dismissal cases: valid cause and due process are both required for lawful termination.
Illegal Dismissal, Retrenchment, and Redundancy: Key Rules from Lambert Pawnbrokers v. Binamira
Supreme Court clarifies the rules on retrenchment, redundancy, and corporate liability in illegal dismissal cases, and when damages apply.
Immediate Execution of Damages: Protecting Corporate Dissenting Stockholders' Rights
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that awards for exemplary damages and attorney's fees in intra-corporate disputes are not immediately executory pending appeal.
Possession Isn't Always Guilt: Theft and the Limits of Presumption in Lozano v. People
A Supreme Court ruling shows why finding stolen goods in someone's hands does not automatically prove theft of everything else reported missing.
COGSA One-Year Prescription and Amended Complaints: Lessons from Wallem v. S.R. Farms
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that COGSA's one-year prescriptive period bars claims against newly impleaded defendants in amended complaints.
Maritime Claims: Strict Interpretation of COGSA Prescriptive Period
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the one-year COGSA prescriptive period for maritime cargo claims, emphasizing strict timing rules.
Contract of Legal Services: When a Mayor's Authority Binds a Municipality
Supreme Court ruling on when a municipal mayor's contract binds the LGU, limits of Sangguniang Bayan authorization, and judgment on the pleadings.
Standing to Sue: Why Associations Can't Always Fight for Members' Rights in Court
The Supreme Court explains when an association lacks legal standing to challenge a government rule, using a real estate group's failed suit against energy regulations.
CARP Coverage and Due Process: A.Z. Arnaiz Realty Ruling on Land Exclusion
The Supreme Court clarifies due process in agrarian reform and the standards for excluding cattle ranches from CARP coverage.
Upholding Government Authority When Public Interest Overrides Private Land Claims In Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on expropriation, public interest, and limits of private land claims against government authority.
VAT Refund Apportionment When Exempt Sales Affect Tax Credit Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when VAT refunds on capital goods must be apportioned if a taxpayer also has exempt sales.
Treachery Defined: How Sudden Attacks Qualify as Murder Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court explains how a sudden, unexpected attack constitutes treachery, elevating a killing to murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.
Treachery in Group Attacks: Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Murder Cases
How the Supreme Court upheld murder convictions based on positive identification and treachery in a group attack, explaining key evidentiary rules.
Judicial Overreach: Defining the Boundaries of Contempt Power
The Supreme Court clarifies that dismissal for forum shopping requires identity of parties, causes, and reliefs—not mere procedural missteps.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why Broken Seals Can Lead to Acquittal
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because the prosecution failed to prove the chain of custody of seized shabu. Learn the rule.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Why the Prosecution Must Prove the Seized Drugs' Integrity
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because the prosecution failed to prove the chain of custody of seized shabu, explaining the strict evidentiary rule.
Reorganizing Religious Entities: Converting a Corporation Sole into a Corporation Aggregate
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on converting a corporation sole to a corporation aggregate via amended articles, not dissolution.
In Rape Cases, Credible Victim Testimony Prevails Over Uncorroborated Alibis
In People v. Alegre, the Supreme Court affirmed a rape conviction where the victim's credible testimony and the physical evidence outweighed an uncorroborated alibi.
Contractual Obligations and Delivery Disputes: When Factual Findings Prevail
Explore how the Supreme Court upheld factual findings in a delivery dispute, reinforcing the binding nature of trial court determinations in contractual obligations.