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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Entrapment and the Chain of Custody: Safeguarding Rights in Drug Cases
A look at how the Supreme Court balances police entrapment operations with the chain of custody rule in drug cases under RA 9165.
Annulment of Judgment: When Can You Reopen a Closed Case in the Philippines?
Learn when Philippine courts allow annulment of judgment under Rule 47, and why delay in seeking available remedies bars the remedy.
Finality of Judgment in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Solidary Liability and Employer-Employee Relationship
Explore the Supreme Court ruling on finality of judgment, solidary liability, and employer-employee relationships in illegal dismissal cases.
Conviction for a Different Crime: When Courts Can Convict You of an Uncharged Offense
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a conviction for an offense not charged in the Information is valid under the Rules of Court.
Incestuous Rape Ascendants Moral Authority Equates TO Force
Intervention Denied: Protecting Court Efficiency in Property Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies when intervention in property cases is improper, emphasizing court efficiency and the need for direct legal interests.
When Courts Overturn Convictions: Lessons on Evidence and Reasonable Doubt
The Supreme Court acquits a rape convict, explaining when appellate courts may disregard trial court credibility findings and why prosecution evidence must stand on its own.
Legitimacy vs Illegitimacy: Change of Civil Status Requires Rule 108 Proceedings
Changing a child's status from legitimate to illegitimate is a substantial alteration requiring strict Rule 108 compliance, not a simple name change.
Self-Defense in the Philippines: Understanding the Limits of Justifiable Force
Philippine law recognizes self-defense, but the burden of proof lies on the accused. Learn the legal limits of justifiable force.
Lease Rescission Rights and Structural Defects: Key Lessons from a Philippine Supreme Court Ruling
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a lessee may rescind a lease for structural defects and when damages may be awarded.
Currency Exchange Rates in Philippine Contracts: Avoiding Disputes and Ensuring Fair Payment
How Philippine courts determine the applicable exchange rate when contracts lack clear currency terms, and lessons from a Supreme Court ruling.
Dismissed Appeal: The Perils of Non-Compliance with Rules of Court
A dismissed appeal shows why strict compliance with Rule 44 on appellant's briefs is mandatory, not optional.
Clarifying Separation Benefits MWSS Employees Entitlement Under ERIP II
Supreme Court clarifies separation pay entitlements of MWSS employees who retired under ERIP II, ruling on the balance due to long-serving employees.
Attorney's Fees for Administrators Who Also Serve as Counsel in Estate Disputes
A lawyer-administrator may recover attorney's fees for representing the sole heir in a will contest, separate from his compensation as administrator of the estate.
Client Responsibility Prevails: The Binding Effect of Counsel's Negligence in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a client is bound by counsel's negligence, and the duty to monitor one's case.
Criminal Charges vs Corporate Rehabilitation: Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of Stay Orders
Philippine Supreme Court rules that stay orders in corporate rehabilitation do not suspend criminal cases against corporate officers.
Lateral and Subjacent Support: Excavation Limits for Adjacent Landowners in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the legal easement of lateral and subjacent support between adjacent landowners and its effect on property titles.
Acquittal in Rape Cases: Reasonable Doubt and Witness Credibility in Philippine Law
How inconsistent testimony and reasonable doubt led to an acquittal in People v. Bongat, a landmark Philippine rape case.
Falsification of Court Documents: Consequences for Dishonest Court Employees in the Philippines
Understand when a court employee's failure to disclose a past administrative case in a PDS amounts to dishonesty, and when it does not.
When Non-Disclosure in a Personal Data Sheet Is Not Dishonesty
Supreme Court clarifies that failing to disclose a prior admonition in a PDS is not automatically dishonesty absent intent to deceive.
Executive Agreements vs Treaties: The RP-US Non-Surrender Agreement and Senate Concurrence
When does an international agreement need Senate concurrence? The Supreme Court explains in Bayan Muna v. Romulo.
Navigating Drug Sale Convictions: Evidence and Inconsistencies in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on drug sale convictions underscores the critical role of chain of custody evidence in Philippine criminal cases.
Upholding Arbitration Separability Doctrine in Contract Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies that a party's repudiation of a main contract does not invalidate its arbitration clause, reinforcing the separability doctrine.
BP 22 Acquittal Based on Insufficient Notice Does Not Extinguish Civil Liability
An acquittal in a B.P. 22 case due to unproven notice of dishonor does not erase the drawer's civil liability for the checks.