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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Who Can Nullify a Bigamous Marriage? The Supreme Court's Answer
The Supreme Court rules that only the aggrieved or injured innocent spouse may petition to nullify a bigamous marriage—not the guilty party.
Authority and Accountability: When a Project Manager's Sign-Off Binds the Owner in Construction Disputes
A project manager's approval of time extensions can bind the owner. Learn the rules from this Philippine Supreme Court case.
Safeguarding Due Process Understanding Formal Investigation in Philippine Attorney Disciplinary Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court upholds due process in administrative cases against court personnel, using a sheriff's suspension as a key example.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Name Change vs. Corporate Identity in Insurance Claim Execution
When can a judgment be enforced against a corporation that merely shares a name with the judgment debtor? The Supreme Court clarifies the distinction between a name change and corporate identity.
Partnership Disputes: Fiduciary Duties, Equitable Remedies, and the Right to Present Evidence
Supreme Court ruling on partnership disputes, fiduciary duties, equitable remedies, and the prosecution's right to present evidence in criminal cases.
Protecting the Vulnerable: The Crime of Rape and the Importance of Victim Testimony
A 2007 Supreme Court ruling on rape underscores how victim testimony is weighed and why DNA evidence can prove decisive in appeals.
Reversion Suit Barred: Protecting Land Titles From Delayed Government Action
Learn how the Supreme Court protects registered land titles from belated government reversion suits, ensuring stability and security of land ownership.
Holiday Pay Divisor Method Prevails Over Literal CBA Interpretation
Supreme Court rules employers may prove holiday pay inclusion through salary computation methods, not just payroll line items.
Strikes and Employee Rights: Understanding the Limits of Union Activities in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal, union busting, corporate veil piercing, and quitclaims in labor disputes.
Writ of Possession Annulment Case Does NOT Halt Ex Parte Issuance
The Supreme Court affirms that a pending annulment of foreclosure sale does not stop the ex parte issuance of a writ of possession.
Forcible Entry or Tenancy? How Philippine Courts Decide Jurisdiction in Land Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a land dispute is a tenancy matter for the DAR and when it is a forcible entry case for the regular courts.
Dragnet Clauses in Mortgages: When Future Debts Are Secured Beyond the Initial Loan
Philippine Supreme Court explains how dragnet clauses in real estate mortgages cover future debts, and what borrowers must pay to redeem foreclosed property.
Court Employee Dismissed for Grave Misconduct and Dishonesty in Fee Collection
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of clerk of court found guilty of grave misconduct and dishonesty for overcharging fees and misappropriating court funds.
Proving Land Claims in the Philippines: What a Foreclosure Redemption Case Teaches
A Supreme Court ruling on foreclosure redemption clarifies how blanket mortgage clauses affect land claims and property disputes in the Philippines.
Security of Tenure vs Agrarian Reform: Fishpond Tenant's Vested Rights Prevail
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether fishpond tenants retain security of tenure after RA 7881 excluded fishponds from agrarian reform coverage.
Supervisory Employees and Overtime Pay: The Limits of Benefit Preservation in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when overtime pay is a preserved benefit for supervisory employees under Article 100 of the Labor Code.
Essential Co-Owner: Indispensable Parties in Property Donation Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on co-owners as indispensable parties in donation disputes, and the requisites of a valid tenancy relationship.
When Courts and the DARAB Both Have a Say: Fishponds, Tenancy, and Jurisdiction
The Supreme Court clarifies how R.A. 7881's exclusion of fishponds from CARP affects tenancy rights and DARAB jurisdiction.
Judicial Overreach Strict Compliance Required IN Civil Registry Corrections
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on strict compliance with Rule 108 procedures for civil registry corrections and judicial overreach.
Retinal Detachment and Work-Related Illness: Compensability Under PD 626 Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when retinal detachment is compensable under PD 626, requiring proof of reasonable work connection, not direct causation.
Upholding Contractual Obligations Payment Disputes and the Binding Nature of Agreements
A Supreme Court ruling on why a "pay to cash" check violated a Charge Invoice term, and how contracts of adhesion bind parties.
Infrastructure Projects and Injunctions: Balancing Public Interest and Private Rights
Explore how the Supreme Court applied PD 1818 to protect government infrastructure projects from injunctions, using the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway case.
Equitable Mortgage vs Absolute Sale: Intent and Prescription in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when a sale is an equitable mortgage and why fraud claims can prescribe. Learn the rules.
Good Faith Exception Absolving Public Officials From Misconduct Charges IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how good faith absolves public officials from administrative misconduct charges, explained in plain language.