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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Breach of Construction Contract: Who Has Jurisdiction Over Disputes
Learn when the CIAC has exclusive jurisdiction over construction contract disputes and why courts must defer to arbitration clauses.
Breach of Contract Upholding Rescission Rights in Land Sales
When a buyer defaults on a land sale agreement, the seller may validly rescind. The Supreme Court explains the limits of a buyer's right to demand execution of a contract.
Breach of Contract: Understanding Rescission in Real Estate Transactions
Learn how a defective foreclosure sale was voided by the Supreme Court and what it means for buyers and mortgagors.
Common Carrier Liability in the Philippines: Breach of Contract of Carriage Explained
Philippine common carriers face a presumption of negligence when passengers are injured or killed. Learn the rules and how to rebut them.
Who Is in Delay in Reciprocal Obligations? Philippine Contract of Sale Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when delay begins in reciprocal obligations under a contract of sale, and why mutual default cancels out.
Burden of Proof in Philippine Contract Law: Why Evidence Matters in Usage-Based Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Skippers United Pacific v. NLRC clarifies employer burden of proof in seafarer dismissal cases and evidentiary standards.
Fixed-Term vs Regular Employment: Know Your Rights in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and when they violate the security of tenure of regular employees.
Usury Law and Contractual Obligations: Striking the Balance in Loan Agreements
The Supreme Court clarifies how the Usury Law interacts with loan restructuring, refinancing, and the binding force of contracts in DBP v. CA.
Tugboat Owner's Negligence in Ensuring Seaworthiness Makes It Liable for Barge Damage
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on tugboat owner's liability for barge damage due to failure to ensure vessel seaworthiness and diligence in towage contracts.
Protecting OFW Wages: Unauthorized Contract Alterations and Employer Liability
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on OFW salary reductions, unauthorized contract changes, and solidary employer liability under RA 8042.
Unjust Enrichment and Extra Work: When Contractors Get Paid for Necessary Additions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on contractor compensation for necessary extra work, unjust enrichment, and liquidated damages in construction contracts.
Seafarers Are Contractual Employees: What This Means for Benefits Claims
Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers are contractual, not regular, employees—affecting 13th month pay and disability benefits claims.
Reformation of Contract: When Does the Prescription Period Begin?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when the 10-year prescriptive period for reformation of contract starts—not from execution, but from discovery of the mistake.
Void Contracts and Ejectment: Property Rights in the Philippines
When a contract is void from the start, it cannot support an ejectment suit. Learn the legal rules from a Philippine Supreme Court case.
When Void Contracts Cannot Support Ejectment: Republic v. La'o
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void contracts under RA 3019 and their effect on ejectment cases and property rights.
Res Judicata and Void Contracts: When a Final Judgment Prevents Relitigation of Land Ownership
A void contract cannot support an ejectment suit. Learn how final judgments on contract validity bar relitigation of ownership.
Protecting Your Property Rights: Contract Cancellation in Philippine Real Estate
Learn how RA 6552 protects installment buyers and why procedural rules matter in contract cancellation cases under Philippine law.
Philippine Mining Disputes: DENR Jurisdiction vs. Court Authority
When do Philippine courts, not the DENR, decide mining contract disputes? The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary in Asaphil v. Tuason.
Contract to Sell vs. Contract of Sale: Why Consent on Payment Terms Matters
The Supreme Court clarifies when a property agreement is a contract to sell, not a sale, and why consent on payment terms is decisive.
Regularization of Employees and Business Closure: Key Labor Law Lessons
Understand employee regularization rules, contractual obligations, and valid business closure under Philippine labor law.
Pre-Need Memorial Plans in the Philippines: Understanding Contract Terms and Funeral Service Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on pre-need memorial plans, contract terms, and when funeral service claims fail.
Seafarer Disability Benefits: Amended POEA Contracts and Entitlements Explained
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when amended POEA disability benefit rates apply to seafarers and how Grade 1 impediments are compensated.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Heart Condition and Fitness for Sea Duty After Bypass Surgery
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer permanent total disability benefits after heart bypass surgery under the 1996 POEA Standard Employment Contract.
Simulated Contracts in the Philippines: Intent, Validity, and the Valerio Case
Learn how Philippine courts decide simulated contracts by examining party intent, absolute vs. relative simulation, and the Valerio ruling.