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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Finality of Judgments: Why Prior Dismissals Can Prevent New Lawsuits
A dismissed case can bar a refiled lawsuit. The Supreme Court explains the doctrine of res judicata and finality of judgments.
Protecting Property Rights: The Validity of Sales by Thumbprint in Philippine Law
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that a thumbmark on a deed of sale is valid consent, and the duty of buyers to verify ownership.
Docket Fees and Jurisdiction: The High Cost of Underpayment in Corporate Disputes
Underpaying docket fees can be fatal to a case. Learn from Sameer v. Santos how the Supreme Court treats this procedural pitfall.
Statutory Rape Conviction Upheld: Impotence and Alibi Defenses Fail
The Supreme Court affirms a statutory rape conviction, rejecting impotence and alibi defenses, and explains how courts weigh victim testimony.
When Summary Judgment Is Not Proper: Lessons from D.M. Consunji v. Duvaz
The Supreme Court explains when summary judgment is improper due to genuine factual disputes, using a construction dispute as a case study.
Double Taxation and Local Business Tax: Clarifying Exemptions for Manila Businesses
Supreme Court ruling on double taxation under Manila's tax ordinance, clarifying exemptions for businesses already paying local business tax.
Tax Amnesty vs Documentary Stamp Tax: When Can a Bank Claim Immunity
Supreme Court rules on DST liability for special savings accounts and whether tax amnesty covers deficiency assessments.
Probate Appeals and Executor Disqualification: Lessons from the Marcos Estate Case
The Supreme Court clarifies appeal rules in probate cases and when a criminal conviction disqualifies an executor for moral turpitude.
Final Judgments Bar Refiled Claims: Navarro v. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company
A Supreme Court ruling on how a final dismissal based on laches bars a refiled case, even when the new suit seeks different relief.
Marital Cohabitation and Consensual Acts: Rape and Acts of Lasciviousness in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when cohabitation does not imply consent, and how rape and acts of lasciviousness are distinguished in Philippine criminal law.
Judicial Impartiality When Prior Counsel Relationships Challenge Judicial Objectivity
When a judge's prior counsel relationship raises bias questions, the Supreme Court clarifies what evidence proves partiality in Malabed v. Asis.
Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts: Court Employee Suspended After Third Offense
Supreme Court suspends court employee for six months for willful failure to pay a just debt, clarifying standards for administrative liability and mitigating circumstances.
COA Audit Powers and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim v. COA
Supreme Court affirms COA's broad audit powers and the limits of quantum meruit in government construction contracts.
Finality of Judgment: Disbarred Lawyer’s Bid to Reverse Disbarment Fails
The Supreme Court denies a disbarred lawyer's motion to reverse his disbarment, citing the doctrine of finality of judgment and citing him for indirect contempt.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Letters of Intent: When a Preliminary Document Is Not a Contract of Sale in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a Letter of Intent remains a mere declaration of intention, not a binding contract to sell or conditional sale.
Practicing Law During Suspension: Judicial Ethics and Integrity
A judge's preventive suspension does not lift the ban on private law practice. The Supreme Court explains why.
Unlawful Detainer: Prior Tolerance Not Required When Encroachment Is Discovered Later
Supreme Court clarifies when prior tolerance is needed in unlawful detainer cases, and how ownership claims affect ejectment suits.
Perfecting an Appeal: Timely Payment of Appeal Fees Is Jurisdictional
Understand why paying appeal fees on time is a strict jurisdictional requirement in Philippine courts, based on a 2009 Supreme Court ruling.
Torrens System Prevails: Registered Land Protected Against Adverse Claims
When registered land is sold to innocent buyers, claims of long possession cannot defeat the Torrens title, the Supreme Court rules.
Probationary Employees Can Vote in Certification Elections: Key SC Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies probationary employees' voting rights in certification elections, ordering a run-off after votes were wrongly excluded.
Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Conspiracy and Murder: The Maliao Case
A look at how the Supreme Court distinguished conspiracy from mere accomplice liability in a rape-with-homicide case.
Common Carriers and Fortuitous Events: Reassessing Liability in Passenger Injury Cases
The Supreme Court held that a bus company is not liable for a passenger's death when the collision was caused solely by a third-party truck's brake failure.
Proportional Representation in the Commission on Appointments: What Drilon v. De Venecia Means for Political P
The Supreme Court explains when political parties can demand seats in the Commission on Appointments and the proper remedy for violations.