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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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.
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.
Supreme Court Suspends Lawyer for Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts
The Court ruled a lawyer's deliberate refusal to pay unpaid rent and utility bills constitutes gross misconduct warranting suspension from practice.
Estafa by False Pretenses: Proving Fraud Beyond Reasonable Doubt in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts prove estafa by false pretenses, using the Rizza Lao case to explain the elements, burden of proof, and penalties.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Residency Requirements for Elective Office: Domicile and Disqualification Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies how domicile is determined for election residency requirements, using a mayoral disqualification case as a guide.
Land Registration: Proving Continuous Possession for Imperfect Titles
The Supreme Court explains what evidence is needed to register land under an imperfect title, requiring possession since June 12, 1945.
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.
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.
Disbarred Lawyer Cited for Contempt After Defying Order to Return Funds
The Supreme Court denied with finality a disbarred lawyer's bid to reopen his case and cited him for indirect contempt for refusing to return funds to his former client.
AWOL and Due Process: Can an Employee Dropped From the Rolls Still Face Administrative Cases?
The Supreme Court clarifies that being dropped from the rolls for AWOL does not end pending administrative cases, especially for court employees facing fund shortages.
Sheriff's Overzealous Writ Execution: Grave Abuse of Authority and Citizen's Rights
When a sheriff's writ execution crosses the line into illegal detention and premature demolition, the Supreme Court steps in to protect citizens' rights.
Bouncing Checks and Due Process: The Notice Requirement in BP 22 Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that proof of receipt of notice of dishonor is essential to convict under BP 22, the bouncing checks law.
Piercing the Corporate Veil in Land Reform: When Corporate Fiction Evades Agrarian Law
When a corporation is used to evade agrarian reform coverage, courts will pierce the corporate veil. Learn from this Supreme Court ruling.
Reopening a Preliminary Investigation Does Not Prove Prosecutorial Partiality
Supreme Court clarifies that reopening a preliminary investigation is not proof of bias under the Anti-Graft law, absent evidence of bad faith.
Upholding Judicial Duty: Prompt Resolution of Cases and the Consequences of Undue Delay
The Supreme Court fines a Pasay City judge P10,000 for resolving motions many months late, confirming that undue delay is a punishable offense.