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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Double Taxation and Local Business Tax: Clarifying Exemptions for Manila Businesses
Supreme Court ruling on double taxation under Manila's tax ordinance, clarifying exemptions for businesses already paying local business tax.
Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts: Court Employee Suspended After Third Offense
Supreme Court suspends court employee for six months for willful failure to pay a just debt, clarifying standards for administrative liability and mitigating circumstances.
Probate Appeals and Executor Disqualification: Lessons from the Marcos Estate Case
The Supreme Court clarifies appeal rules in probate cases and when a criminal conviction disqualifies an executor for moral turpitude.
Neglect of Duty: Process Servers Must Exercise Diligence in Serving Summons
A process server's careless substituted service of summons led to an administrative penalty. Learn the strict rules on valid service.
Credibility IN Rape Cases THE Importance OF Consistent Testimony
Finality of Judgment: Disbarred Lawyer’s Bid to Reverse Disbarment Fails
The Supreme Court denies a disbarred lawyer's motion to reverse his disbarment, citing the doctrine of finality of judgment and citing him for indirect contempt.
COA Audit Powers and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim v. COA
Supreme Court affirms COA's broad audit powers and the limits of quantum meruit in government construction contracts.
Retention Rights Under Agrarian Reform: Landowner's Duty of Full Disclosure
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agrarian retention rights, emphasizing a landowner's duty of full disclosure in retention applications.
Proportional Representation in the Commission on Appointments: What Drilon v. De Venecia Means for Political P
The Supreme Court explains when political parties can demand seats in the Commission on Appointments and the proper remedy for violations.
Real Estate DUE Diligence Realty Firms Held TO Higher Standard AS Innocent Purchasers
Torrens System Prevails: Registered Land Protected Against Adverse Claims
When registered land is sold to innocent buyers, claims of long possession cannot defeat the Torrens title, the Supreme Court rules.
Clerk of Court Suspended for Unauthorized Fee Collection: Breach of Duty
A branch clerk of court was suspended for collecting commissioner's and stenographer's fees without authority. Learn the rules on court fee collection.
Probationary Employees Can Vote in Certification Elections: Key SC Ruling
Supreme Court clarifies probationary employees' voting rights in certification elections, ordering a run-off after votes were wrongly excluded.
Practicing Law During Suspension: Judicial Ethics and Integrity
A judge's preventive suspension does not lift the ban on private law practice. The Supreme Court explains why.
Perfecting an Appeal: Timely Payment of Appeal Fees Is Jurisdictional
Understand why paying appeal fees on time is a strict jurisdictional requirement in Philippine courts, based on a 2009 Supreme Court ruling.
Letters of Intent: When a Preliminary Document Is Not a Contract of Sale in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a Letter of Intent remains a mere declaration of intention, not a binding contract to sell or conditional sale.
Lawyer Suspended Six Months for Neglect and Failure to Return Client's Acceptance Fee
Learn how a lawyer's failure to render legal services and return a P50,000 acceptance fee led to a six-month suspension from practice.
Breach of Trust and Confidence: Upholding Termination of Supervisory Employees in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on valid dismissal of supervisory employees for breach of trust and confidence in Coca-Cola Bottlers case.
Judicial Accountability When Inefficiency AND Neglect Tarnish THE Bench
Explore how judicial inefficiency and neglect can erode public trust, and the standards for holding judges accountable.
Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Conspiracy and Murder: The Maliao Case
A look at how the Supreme Court distinguished conspiracy from mere accomplice liability in a rape-with-homicide case.
When Realty Firms Must Look Beyond the Title: Eagle Realty and the Duty of Diligence
A realty corporation cannot claim to be an innocent purchaser for value by merely relying on a Torrens title. This ruling clarifies the duty.
Common Carriers and Fortuitous Events: Reassessing Liability in Passenger Injury Cases
The Supreme Court held that a bus company is not liable for a passenger's death when the collision was caused solely by a third-party truck's brake failure.
Gross Ignorance of the Law: Judge Fined for Procedural Lapses in Summary Procedure Case
A judge's failure to apply the Revised Rules on Summary Procedure leads to a fine for gross ignorance of the law. Learn the key lessons from this administrative case.
Unlawful Detainer: Prior Tolerance Not Required When Encroachment Is Discovered Later
Supreme Court clarifies when prior tolerance is needed in unlawful detainer cases, and how ownership claims affect ejectment suits.