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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Duty to Prosecute: Dismissal for Failure to Actively Pursue a Case
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a case may be dismissed for failure to prosecute, and what counts as justifiable cause.
Upholding Finality When CAN Land Reclassification Be Contested
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land conversion finality, real party interest, and agrarian reform beneficiary status under CARL.
Equitable Mortgage vs Option to Buy: Distinguishing Intent in Property Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a sale with option to buy becomes an equitable mortgage, and the evidence needed to prove it.
Breach OF Professional Conduct Upholding Client Interests AND Ethical Duties IN Legal Practice
Agency vs Assignment: Who Is the Real Party in Interest in Contract Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a representative is an agent rather than an assignee, and who may sue on a contract.
Land Reform Heirs' Rights and the Social Function of Land Ownership
Supreme Court ruling on PD 27 land reform: heirs, not former owners, hold rights to beneficiary's farmland even amid unpaid amortizations.
Upholding Integrity Penalties for Dishonesty in Daily Time Records Within the Philippine Judiciary
The Court holds that falsifying daily time records is grave dishonesty, warranting dismissal from the judiciary.
Breach of Parental Trust: Rape of a Minor and the Abolition of the Death Penalty
The Supreme Court affirms a father's qualified rape conviction but reduces the death penalty to reclusion perpetua under R.A. 9346.
Upholding DUE Process When Loss OF Trust Must BE Substantiated IN Employment Termination
Breach of Contract Rescission and the Importance of Proving Payment
A buyer who claims full payment must prove it with credible evidence; the Supreme Court explains rescission under Article 1191.
Execution of Intra-Corporate Judgments: When Reliefs Align With the Dispositive Portion
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a motion for execution may seek reliefs that go beyond a judgment's dispositive portion in intra-corporate disputes.
Ombudsman Authority and Administrative Liability: The Barillo Case on Dishonesty in Public Service
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on administrative liability for dishonesty in public service, citing the Barillo case and its implications.
Rape in the Victim's Home: When Dwelling Aggravates the Crime
Philippine Supreme Court explains when "dwelling" aggravates rape, and how RA 9346 changed the penalty from death to reclusion perpetua.
Failure to Appear at Judgment Promulgation: Losing Legal Remedies in Criminal Cases
In criminal cases, skipping judgment promulgation without justifiable cause forfeits remedies like appeal or reconsideration. The Supreme Court explains.
Execution of Judgment in Intra-Corporate Disputes: Ensuring Compliance with Dispositive Portions
The Supreme Court clarifies that execution of judgment must strictly follow the dispositive portion, ensuring compliance in intra-corporate disputes.
Foreshore Lease Preference: Riparian Rights vs. Reclamation in Philippine Land Law
Supreme Court ruling on whether a littoral owner retains preferential right to lease foreshore land that has been reclaimed by another applicant.
Employee Status Under the Control and Economic Reality Tests in Labor Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies how the control test and economic reality test determine employee status in Philippine labor law.
Loss of Trust and Confidence: When Can an Employer Dismiss an Employee?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the legal standard for dismissing an employee on grounds of loss of trust and confidence.
Dishonesty Beyond Duty: Upholding Dismissal in PAGCOR Case
The Supreme Court ruled that dishonesty need not be work-related to justify dismissal from government service, affirming PAGCOR's dismissal of a branch manager.
Solidary Liability of Overseas Employment Agencies in Illegal Dismissal Claims
When can a Philippine recruitment agency be held solidarily liable with a foreign employer for illegal dismissal? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits.
Judicial Restraint vs Workplace Conduct: Defining Boundaries of Authority and Decorum in the Philippine Judici
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's abuse of authority and a clerk's misconduct clarifies decorum standards for all judiciary personnel.
Union Rights vs Managerial Prerogatives: Defining Supervisory Roles in Labor Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who counts as a supervisory employee eligible to join a union, and the proper remedy for appealing labor decisions.
Breach of Contract: Enforcing Penalty Clauses in Government Projects
Explaining when penalty clauses bind contractors in government projects, based on a Supreme Court ruling on DBP and PD 1594.
When Court Officials Clash: Professional Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk's public quarrel, and what it means for decorum in the judiciary.