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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Simulated Sales: When Continued Possession Trumps a Deed of Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated sales: continued possession and tax payments can nullify a deed of absolute sale.
Wage Order Applicability: Minimum Wage Earners vs Above-Minimum Wage Employees
Supreme Court clarifies that wage orders apply only to minimum wage earners, not those already receiving above-minimum wages.
Innocent Purchaser For Value: When Prior Attachment Defects Don't Erase Property Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on attachment registration, innocent purchaser doctrine, and property rights under PD 1529.
Work-Related Illness: Reassessing Disability Compensation for Congenital Heart Disease
The Supreme Court ruled that congenital heart disease can be compensable under PD 626 when work strain triggers symptoms, reshaping disability claims.
Tax Collection vs Right to Appeal: Balancing Government Power and Taxpayer Protection
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when posting a surety bond can suspend real property tax collection and protect taxpayer rights.
Surety vs Guarantor: Indemnity Agreement Obligations Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a surety becomes liable under an indemnity agreement, and the difference between sureties and guarantors.
Moral Ascendancy as Violence: Rape Conviction Upheld in Father-Daughter Incest Case
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction of a father, ruling that a parent's moral ascendancy substitutes for violence and intimidation in incestuous rape.
Eyewitness Testimony in Robbery With Homicide: Positive Identification Prevails
The Supreme Court affirms that positive, credible eyewitness identification outweighs bare denials in robbery with homicide cases, citing People v. Sorila.
Who Pays When Cargo Vanishes: Defining Responsibility in Shipping Losses
When a shipment disappears in a terminal, who bears the loss? The Supreme Court clarifies arrastre liability and insurance subrogation.
Drug Sale Conviction Upheld Despite Procedural Lapses Integrity of Evidence Paramount
Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction despite Section 21 lapses, ruling that integrity of seized evidence is paramount.
Prompt Payment Prevails: Execution Pending Appeal in Agrarian Reform Cases
When can a landowner get execution pending appeal in agrarian reform cases? The Supreme Court explains the of just compensation, and whether the reasons cited constituted "good reasons" under the Rule
Forcible Embrace of a Minor Constitutes Child Abuse Under RA 7610
The Supreme Court rules that a forcible embrace of a minor is child abuse under RA 7610, even without proof of developmental prejudice.
Homeowner Associations Liability Negligence IN Approving Building Plans
When can a homeowners association be liable for negligence in approving building plans? The Supreme Court explains in Corinthian Gardens v. Tanjangco.
Project Employee Status Requires Clear Notice: Hanjin Heavy Industries v. Ibañez
When does a construction worker become a regular employee? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on project employment and termination.
Entrapment vs Instigation: Safeguarding Rights in Drug Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the line between valid entrapment and unlawful instigation in drug buy-bust operations under RA 9165.
Beyond the Signature: Validating Agreements Despite Spousal Absence and Time Lapses in Contract Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on estafa clarifies deceit, notice of dishonor, and penalties for bouncing checks.
Corporations Cannot Acquire Public Land: T.A.N. Properties v. Republic
The Supreme Court denies a corporation's land registration application, ruling that private corporations cannot acquire alienable public lands under the Constitution.
Sheriff's Ministerial Duty to Execute Writs and the Proper Procedure for Collecting Expenses
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why a sheriff's duty to enforce a writ is mandatory, and why collecting execution expenses outside the rules is misconduct.
Foreclosure Amidst Corporate Liquidation Secured Creditor Rights Prevail
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on secured creditor foreclosure rights during corporate liquidation proceedings under RA 8799 and the Corporation Code.
Bouncing Checks and Deceit: When Issuing a Bad Check Becomes Estafa
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when issuing a bouncing check constitutes estafa, not just a civil debt, and explains the deceit requirement.
Conspiracy in Estafa: How Courts Prove Joint Criminal Design
The Supreme Court explains how conspiracy in estafa is proven through overt acts, not direct evidence, in Aquino v. Paiste.
Bank Negligence and Depositor Fault: Who Bears Loss in Fraudulent Deposit Reversals
Supreme Court rules on allocating loss between bank negligence and depositor contributory fault in fraudulent check deposit reversals.
Notary Negligence and Disqualification: Lessons from Baylon v. Almo
A notary who fails to verify identity can lose the commission and be disqualified. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Fresh Period Rule Applies Retroactively to Pending Appeals
The Supreme Court clarifies that the Neypes fresh period rule applies retroactively to pending cases, allowing late appeals to proceed.