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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Resignation vs Constructive Dismissal: What Philippine Employees Must Prove
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when preventive suspension and resignation amount to constructive dismissal, and what employees must prove.
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.
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.
Employer Liability for Employee Negligence: The Rule on Vicarious Responsibility in the Philippines
Philippine law makes employers solidarily liable for employee negligence unless they prove diligent selection and supervision. Learn the rule from a Supreme Court case.
Chain of Custody in Drug Cases: Ensuring Evidence Integrity for Conviction
The Supreme Court acquits a drug suspect because the prosecution failed to prove the chain of custody, emphasizing evidence integrity.
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.
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.
Self-Defense vs Conspiracy: Criminal Liability in Group Violence
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when self-defense is available in group violence and how conspiracy affects criminal liability.
Intent vs Action: Distinguishing Attempted From Frustrated Homicide in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a stab wound amounts to attempted rather than frustrated homicide, and the proof required.
Attorney Negligence and Extrinsic Fraud: The Limits of Legal Recourse in Philippine Law
When a lawyer's negligence costs a client the case, can the judgment be annulled? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule on extrinsic fraud.
Torrens Title Prevails Over Unregistered Deed in Possession Dispute
Supreme Court clarifies that a Torrens title gives the registered owner a better right to possession than an unregistered deed of sale.