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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Pawn Tickets AND Documentary Stamp Taxes Clarifying TAX Obligations FOR Pawnshops
Condominium Rights: Exclusive Use vs Unrestricted Construction on Common Areas
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that exclusive use of a condominium limited common area does not permit unrestricted construction or leasing to third persons.
Missed Deadlines and Denied Probation: Understanding Appeal Periods in Philippine Law
Learn how the Supreme Court's fresh period rule affects appeal deadlines, using a landmark insurance liability case as guide.
Dismissal Due Process: Employee Rights to Notice and Hearing Before Termination
Philippine law requires two notices before dismissal, but a formal hearing is not always mandatory. Learn the rules.
Reasonable Doubt Prevails Safeguarding Individual Rights In Drug Cases
Supreme Court acquits drug suspect where police testimony was improbable and chain of custody was broken.
Due Process in Dismissal: What the Supreme Court Really Requires
A 2009 Supreme Court ruling clarifies that a formal hearing is not always required before an employee is dismissed — only a genuine chance to be heard.
Probable Cause vs DOJ Secretary's Discretion in Parricide Cases: Key Lessons from Asetre v. Asetre
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of judicial review over the DOJ Secretary's finding of probable cause in parricide and murder cases.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: The Meaning of "Ample Opportunity to Be Heard"
The Supreme Court clarifies that a formal hearing is not always required before dismissing an employee—what matters is a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
Homestead Patents and Mortgage Restrictions: Protecting Family Lands From Encumbrances
The Supreme Court voids mortgages on homestead lands made within five years of patent issuance, protecting family properties from premature encumbrances.
Loss of Confidence in Philippine Labor Law: When Employers Must Prove Just Cause
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when employers may dismiss for loss of confidence and what due process requires in termination cases.
Double Jeopardy and Prioritization Defense in Malversation and Graft Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when prioritizing payments excuses non-remittance of GSIS funds and when double jeopardy applies in graft cases.
Original Proponent Rights in BOT Projects: The NAIA Terminal 3 Case
Learn what the Supreme Court said about original proponent rights in BOT projects, using the NAIA Terminal 3 case as a guide.
Trust Receipts and Estafa: What Philippine Businesses Should Know
Supreme Court clarifies probable cause standards in trust receipt violations under PD 115, safeguarding financial transactions in the Philippines.
Probable Cause vs Prosecutorial Discretion: The Metrobank v. Gonzales Ruling on Trust Receipt Estafa
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of the Secretary of Justice's power to reverse probable cause findings in trust receipt estafa cases.
Judicial Conduct: Premature Archiving of Criminal Cases and the Bounds of Ignorance of the Law
The Supreme Court fined a judge for gross ignorance of the law after prematurely archiving a criminal case, clarifying rules on trial in absentia.
Land Ownership Disputes: Grounds for Dismissal in Property Recovery Cases
The Supreme Court clarifies when dismissal is improper in property recovery cases, emphasizing that prescription, laches, and res judicata require proof.
Deceptive Recruitment: When Promises of Overseas Jobs Lead to Criminal Liability
The Supreme Court holds recruitment agencies liable for moral damages when they abandon distressed OFWs and make baseless claims of suicide.
Union Interference Employers Duty IN Collective Bargaining Disputes
Due Process in Administrative Cases: Substantial Evidence Trumps Technical Rules
Explore how Philippine courts weigh substantial evidence over procedural technicalities in administrative proceedings, ensuring fairness and justice.
Voluntary Surrender in Philippine Law: When It Mitigates Criminal Liability
Learn when voluntary surrender mitigates criminal liability in the Philippines, based on De Vera v. De Vera (G.R. No. 172832).
Security of Tenure and Reassignment Limits for Station-Specific Appointments
Supreme Court ruling on reassignment limits for station-specific appointments and security of tenure in government corporations.
Breach of Trust: Clerk of Court Dismissed for Neglect in Handling Court Funds
A clerk of court's failure to deposit fiduciary funds on time is gross neglect of duty, warranting dismissal even with belated payment.
Untimely Election Protests: When Pre-Proclamation Petitions Do Not Suspend Filing Deadlines
The Supreme Court clarifies when a pre-proclamation petition suspends the 10-day deadline for filing an election protest under Philippine law.
Sugar Mill Loans: When Contract Terms Define Government's Right to Recover Funds
Supreme Court ruling on condonation scope in sugar mill loans, clarifying when banks and government can apply deposits to unpaid obligations.