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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Preliminary Injunctions Preserve Status Quo, Not Final Judgments — Key Rules
Philippine Supreme Court explains why preliminary injunction orders are interlocutory, unappealable, and need not state full facts and law.
Contract Validity: Illness and Consent in Property Sales Under Philippine Law
Supreme Court ruling on when illness affects consent in property sales, and the burden of proving lack of capacity to contract.
Upholding Due Process: Employees' Right to Notice in Termination Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that resignation does not shield court employees from administrative liability for dishonesty and grave misconduct.
Filing Suits Is a Right, Not Harassment: Gatmaytan v. Ilao
When does filing a lawsuit cross the line into harassment under the Code of Professional Responsibility? The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary.
Breach of Contract to Sell in the Philippines: When Can a Buyer Claim Damages?
Full payment of a lot does not automatically entitle a buyer to moral damages. The Supreme Court explains what must be proven, and what can be recovered.
Due Process in Employee Dismissal: The Two-Notice Rule Under Philippine Labor Law
Philippine law requires employers to follow the two-notice rule before dismissing employees. Learn what this means from a Supreme Court ruling.
Creek Ownership and Land Disputes: Public vs. Private Property Rights
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies that creeks are public property, not private land, and how this affects boundary disputes.
HRET Jurisdiction Over Election Contests After a Congressman's Proclamation
Once a winning congressional candidate is proclaimed and assumes office, the HRET, not the COMELEC or Supreme Court, has sole jurisdiction over election contests.
Lost Deeds, Lost Claims: Proving Real Property Donations in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains why a lost deed of donation cannot be proven by testimony alone, and the formal requirements for valid real property donations.
Dishonesty in Public Service: Forfeiture of Benefits Despite Resignation
The Supreme Court ruled that a court employee's resignation does not erase administrative liability for dishonesty, and his retirement benefits may still be forfeited.
Unlawful Detainer and Estate Possession: Lessons from Umpoc v. Mercado
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on unlawful detainer, estate administrators' possessory rights, and unregistered deeds in ejectment cases.
Certiorari as an Improper Substitute for a Lost Appeal: The Importance of Timely Filing
A Supreme Court ruling reminds litigants that certiorari cannot replace a lost appeal, and that probable cause in preliminary investigations rests on probability, not certainty.
Upholding Agrarian Reform Tenant Rights and Land Coverage Under CARP
A Supreme Court ruling affirms tenant rights and CARP coverage over titled agricultural land, rejecting corporate attempts to evade agrarian reform obligations.
When Does Prescription of Penalties Begin? The Doctrine of Evasion of Sentence
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prescription of penalties under Article 93 RPC only runs when a convict escapes while serving imprisonment.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: Suspension, Not Dismissal, for First-Time Inefficiency
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that first-time inefficiency in public service warrants suspension, not dismissal, under Civil Service rules.
Lis Pendens and Good Faith: When a Notice Is Not Enough to Protect Land Rights
A Supreme Court ruling explains when a notice of lis pendens cannot defeat a prior buyer in good faith.
Prescription of Penalties: Imprisonment Must Begin Before Evasion Can Trigger Prescriptive Period
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that prescription of penalties under Article 93 RPC only runs when a convict escapes during actual imprisonment, not while at large.
Reconveyance Actions Protecting Land Ownership Despite Title Indefeasibility
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that Torrens titles become indefeasible after one year, but reconveyance actions remain available to true owners.
Tenant's Right of Redemption: Protecting Farmers When Land Is Sold Without Notice
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on agricultural lessees' right to redeem land sold without notice under RA 3844.
Finality Prevails: No Appeal from Presumptive Death Declarations Under the Family Code
The Supreme Court clarifies that judgments in summary judicial proceedings for presumptive death under Article 41 of the Family Code are immediately final and executory, leaving no room for appeal.
Labor Unions and Taxpayer Standing in Constitutional Challenges: The AIWA Case
The Supreme Court dismissed labor unions' challenge to E.O. 185 for lack of standing, clarifying the rules on locus standi and judicial review.
Judicial Overreach Reining IN Interference With Prosecutorial Discretion
Supreme Court clarifies limits on judicial interference with prosecutorial discretion in dismissing a petition challenging the validity of a municipal creation.
Strikes and Union Officer Liability: Navigating Labor Law Compliance in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court treats illegal strikes, union officer liability, and procedural rules in labor disputes.
Double Sales and Good Faith: Protecting Prior Rights in Property Disputes
When two sales of the same land occur, who wins? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on double sales and good faith.