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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Circumstantial Evidence and Conviction: Rape with Homicide Requires Moral Certainty
When can circumstantial evidence convict someone of rape with homicide? The Supreme Court explains the moral certainty standard.
Lis Pendens and Due Process: Protecting Registered Owners in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when a notice of lis pendens may be annotated, balancing a claimant's interest against a registered owner's right to due process.
Employee Dismissal: When Courts Can Look Beyond the Termination Notice
Philippine Supreme Court rules on whether courts may consider grounds beyond those stated in an employee's termination notice in illegal dismissal cases.
Tenant Rights VS Family Ties Establishing Valid Tenancy IN Agricultural Land Disputes
Constructive Dismissal VS Valid Grounds Employees Obligations AND Commission Disputes
Upholding Workers Rights Illegal Dismissal AND THE Limits OF Corporate Discretion IN Labor Disputes
Supreme Court affirms illegal dismissal ruling against Purefoods for union busting, clarifies corporate procedural rules in labor disputes.
Breach of Trust: Defining Grave Abuse of Confidence in Qualified Theft Cases
SC clarifies that bank employees holding deposited funds act with grave abuse of confidence, making them liable for qualified theft.
Guarantor's Defense of Excussion: What the Supreme Court Requires
Explaining the benefit of excussion for guarantors under Philippine law, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Bitanga v. Pyramid Construction.
BP 22 Cases Not Suspended by Corporate Rehabilitation: Tiong Rosario v. Co
Corporate rehabilitation suspends claims against a company, but not criminal prosecution of officers for bouncing checks under BP 22.
Land Registration in the Philippines: Why Possession Since June 12, 1945 Matters
The Supreme Court denied a land registration application because possession began after June 12, 1945, and before the land was declared alienable and disposable.
Upholding Corporate Stability When Courts Defer to Internal Disputes
How the Supreme Court resolved a family corporate dispute by deferring to amended pleadings, docket fee rules, and the limits of injunctions.
Good Faith and Land Titles: How Innocent Purchasers Are Protected Under Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine law protects innocent purchasers of land, the role of good faith in property transactions, and key legal safeguards.
Breach of Trust Establishing Estafa Through Misappropriated Loan Proceeds
When does failure to turn over loan proceeds become estafa? The Supreme Court explains misappropriation under Article 315.
Balancing Landlord Rights AND Tenant Security THE Implications OF Ejectment FOR Building Repairs
Breach of Public Trust, Misappropriation of Funds, and the Duty of Accountable Public Servants
The Supreme Court affirms that misappropriating funds received in trust constitutes estafa, emphasizing the fiduciary duty of accountable public servants.
Authority TO Sell Written Power IS KEY To Valid Real Estate Transactions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on Estate of Lino Olaguer clarifies when a written power of attorney is required for valid real estate sales.
Appealability OF Interlocutory Orders Understanding THE Limits IN TAX Court Proceedings
Early Retirement Requires Explicit Consent: SC Clarifies Optional Retirement Rules
SC rules an employee cannot be forced into early retirement without explicit consent, clarifying optional retirement and separation pay rules.
Supreme Court Dismisses Judge for Extramarital Affair, Suspends Him From Law Practice
The Supreme Court dismissed a judge for gross immorality over an extramarital affair and suspended him from law practice for three years.
Exterior vs Interior Contract Interpretation and Obligations in Philippine Law
Supreme Court rules on contract interpretation: plain meaning controls unless ambiguity exists, and obscurity cannot favor the drafting party.
Ejectment and Urban Land Reform: Balancing Security of Tenure with Property Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies when urban land reform protections can stop an ejectment case, and when they cannot.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Moral Ascendancy as Intimidation in Familial Settings
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction of a cousin, ruling that moral ascendancy in familial settings constitutes intimidation, and clarifies penetration standards.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: The Legal Threshold for Carnal Knowledge and Victim Credibility
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, clarifying that slight penetration of the labia suffices for carnal knowledge and that a credible victim's testimony alone can convict.
Finality of Judgments: Understanding Motions for Reconsideration in Philippine Labor Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when a second motion for reconsideration may be allowed, emphasizing finality of judgments and notice to counsel rules.