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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
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.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Officers Face Personal Liability
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when corporate officers may be held personally liable for contractual obligations, explaining the limits of piercing the corporate veil.
Judge's Negligence Over Court Funds: Fiscal Accountability and Retirement Benefits
Supreme Court rules on judge's liability for missing cash bonds and court fund shortages, emphasizing fiscal accountability and command responsibility.
Sheriffs Duty Enforcing Writs With DUE Notice AND Jurisdictional Respect
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on sheriffs' duty to give notice and coordinate with local sheriffs when enforcing writs outside their jurisdiction.
Preliminary Injunctions in Philippine Litigation: Interlocutory Orders and Rule 65 Remedies
Explaining when preliminary injunction orders can be challenged via Rule 65 certiorari, and why such orders need not follow the full form of final decisions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Service by Publication in the Philippines: Strict Rules for Valid Summons
Learn the strict requirements for valid service of summons by publication in the Philippines, and why procedural lapses can void court judgments.
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.
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.