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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Labor-Only Contracting and Illegal Dismissal: When a Principal Becomes the Employer
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a company becomes the true employer of workers supplied by a contractor, and the consequences of illegal dismissal.
Breach of Trust and Qualified Theft: When Employee Misconduct Justifies Dismissal
The Supreme Court clarifies when an employee's theft against a co-worker constitutes a valid cause for termination under Philippine labor law.
DAR Authority Over Land Conversion Disputes: Lessons from Polo Coconut
The Supreme Court ruled that local reclassification cannot remove farmland from agrarian reform coverage without DAR conversion approval.
Unlawful Detainer: Proving a Lease Contract and the Limits of Ownership Claims
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies what a plaintiff must prove in unlawful detainer cases, including the lease contract and better right to possession.
Ejectment Actions Lease Contract Prerequisite For Unlawful Detainer
Learn the lease contract requirement for unlawful detainer suits and why proving the lessor-lessee relationship is crucial in Philippine ejectment cases.
Appeal Bond in Labor Cases: Why Missing the Deadline Is Fatal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why an employer's failure to post an appeal bond within 10 days makes a Labor Arbiter's decision final and executory.
Employee Theft and Just Cause for Termination Under Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court rules on when employee theft against a co-worker justifies dismissal as a cause analogous to serious misconduct.
Reconstitution of Cadastral Records: Publication Requirement for Court Jurisdiction
Learn when publication in the Official Gazette is required to reconstitute cadastral records under Act 3110, and how the Supreme Court resolved this property law dispute.
Perfecting Appeals: The Indispensable Bond in Labor Disputes
Learn why posting a cash or surety bond is a mandatory requirement for perfecting an appeal from the Labor Arbiter to the NLRC.
When Lawyers Cite Cases That Do Not Exist: G.R. No. 276106 and the Duty of Candor
The Supreme Court denied a labor petition and ordered an investigation of counsel who cited eighteen decisions that were nonexistent, misquoted, or ruled against his client.
Online Psychological Abuse Under RA 9262: Proving Facebook Post Authorship and Higher Penalties
The Supreme Court clarifies how to prove Facebook post authorship in VAWC cases and applies higher cybercrime penalties for online psychological abuse.
Wage Order Enforcement: Prescription Rules for Money Claims vs Final Judgments
Learn the difference between the 3-year prescription for money claims and the 5-year period to enforce final judgments in Philippine labor law.
Lis Pendens and Due Process: Protecting Registered Owners in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a notice of lis pendens may be annotated, balancing a claimant's interest against a registered owner's right to due process.
Guarantor's Defense of Excussion: What the Supreme Court Requires
Explaining the benefit of excussion for guarantors under Philippine law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Bitanga v. Pyramid Construction.
Employee Dismissal: When Courts Can Look Beyond the Termination Notice
Philippine Supreme Court rules on whether courts may consider grounds beyond those stated in an employee's termination notice in illegal dismissal cases.
Upholding Workers Rights Illegal Dismissal AND THE Limits OF Corporate Discretion IN Labor Disputes
Supreme Court affirms illegal dismissal ruling against Purefoods for union busting, clarifies corporate procedural rules in labor disputes.
Circumstantial Evidence and Conviction: Rape with Homicide Requires Moral Certainty
When can circumstantial evidence convict someone of rape with homicide? The Supreme Court explains the moral certainty standard.
Breach of Trust Establishing Estafa Through Misappropriated Loan Proceeds
When does failure to turn over loan proceeds become estafa? The Supreme Court explains misappropriation under Article 315.
Authority TO Sell Written Power IS KEY To Valid Real Estate Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Estate of Lino Olaguer clarifies when a written power of attorney is required for valid real estate sales.
Land Registration in the Philippines: Why Possession Since June 12, 1945 Matters
The Supreme Court denied a land registration application because possession began after June 12, 1945, and before the land was declared alienable and disposable.
Breach of Public Trust, Misappropriation of Funds, and the Duty of Accountable Public Servants
The Supreme Court affirms that misappropriating funds received in trust constitutes estafa, emphasizing the fiduciary duty of accountable public servants.
Upholding Corporate Stability When Courts Defer to Internal Disputes
How the Supreme Court resolved a family corporate dispute by deferring to amended pleadings, docket fee rules, and the limits of injunctions.
Supreme Court Dismisses Judge for Extramarital Affair, Suspends Him From Law Practice
The Supreme Court dismissed a judge for gross immorality over an extramarital affair and suspended him from law practice for three years.
Early Retirement Requires Explicit Consent: SC Clarifies Optional Retirement Rules
SC rules an employee cannot be forced into early retirement without explicit consent, clarifying optional retirement and separation pay rules.