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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Judicial Conduct: Courtesy and Impartiality in Court Proceedings
A judge's insulting remarks about a lawyer's law school violate the Code of Judicial Conduct and warrant reprimand.
Judicial Conduct A Judges Duty TO Supervise AND THE Limits OF Administrative Liability
Failure of Election and COMELEC's Power: Protecting the Voter's Franchise
The Supreme Court clarifies the limited grounds for declaring a failure of election under the Omnibus Election Code.
Bouncing Checks and Iniquitous Interest: When a Civil Case Cannot Stop a Criminal Prosecution
Learn when a dispute over unconscionable interest rates can—and cannot—suspend criminal prosecutions for bouncing checks under BP 22.
Surety vs Guarantor: Indemnity Agreement Obligations Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a surety becomes liable under an indemnity agreement, and the difference between sureties and guarantors.
Buy-Bust Operations and Drug Convictions: What the Supreme Court Ruled in People v. Concepcion
The Supreme Court affirms drug sale convictions from a buy-bust, clarifying what evidence is needed and when procedural lapses do not excuse offenders.
Eyewitness Testimony in Robbery With Homicide: Positive Identification Prevails
The Supreme Court affirms that positive, credible eyewitness identification outweighs bare denials in robbery with homicide cases, citing People v. Sorila.
Moral Ascendancy as Violence: Rape Conviction Upheld in Father-Daughter Incest Case
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction of a father, ruling that a parent's moral ascendancy substitutes for violence and intimidation in incestuous rape.
Liability FOR Negligence When Subdivision Associations Fail TO Prevent Property Encroachments
Work-Related Illness: Reassessing Disability Compensation for Congenital Heart Disease
The Supreme Court ruled that congenital heart disease can be compensable under PD 626 when work strain triggers symptoms, reshaping disability claims.
Detention and Representation: Balancing Rights in Coup d'Etat Cases
The Supreme Court ruled that a detained senator-elect cannot claim special rights to attend sessions while facing a non-bailable offense.
Supreme Court Suspends Lawyer for Willful Failure to Pay Just Debts
The Court ruled a lawyer's deliberate refusal to pay unpaid rent and utility bills constitutes gross misconduct warranting suspension from practice.
Forum Shopping and Litis Pendentia: Preserving Judicial Efficiency in Boundary Disputes
The Supreme Court clarifies when filing a second suit over the same boundary dispute constitutes forum shopping and litis pendentia.
Psychological Incapacity in the Philippines: Why Navales v. Navales Set a Higher Bar
In Navales v. Navales, the Supreme Court reversed a declaration of nullity and reminded courts that psychological incapacity requires grave, incurable incapacity, not mere infidelity.
Quo Warranto and Forum Shopping: Lessons from Feliciano v. Villasin
The Supreme Court clarifies quo warranto rules, de facto officers, and the consequences of forum shopping in Feliciano v. Villasin.
Wage Order Applicability: Minimum Wage Earners vs Above-Minimum Wage Employees
Supreme Court clarifies that wage orders apply only to minimum wage earners, not those already receiving above-minimum wages.
Homeowner Associations Liability Negligence IN Approving Building Plans
When can a homeowners association be liable for negligence in approving building plans? The Supreme Court explains in Corinthian Gardens v. Tanjangco.
Who Pays When Cargo Vanishes: Defining Responsibility in Shipping Losses
When a shipment disappears in a terminal, who bears the loss? The Supreme Court clarifies arrastre liability and insurance subrogation.
Forcible Embrace of a Minor Constitutes Child Abuse Under RA 7610
The Supreme Court rules that a forcible embrace of a minor is child abuse under RA 7610, even without proof of developmental prejudice.
Quo Warranto and Security of Tenure: Establishing the Right to Public Office
Explaining when quo warranto lies, what a claimant must prove, and how security of tenure works in Philippine public office.
Priority of Attachment Liens Over Prior Unregistered Sales of Real Property
When an attachment lien is registered before a sale, the lien prevails. Learn the priority rules under PD 1529.
Arrastre Contractor Liability: When the P3,500-Per-Package Limit Does Not Apply
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when arrastre contractors cannot invoke the P3,500 per-package liability limit under PPA Administrative Order No. 10-81.
Simulated Sales: When Continued Possession Trumps a Deed of Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on simulated sales: continued possession and tax payments can nullify a deed of absolute sale.
Drug Sale Conviction Upheld Despite Procedural Lapses Integrity of Evidence Paramount
Supreme Court affirms drug sale conviction despite Section 21 lapses, ruling that integrity of seized evidence is paramount.