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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Salary Reclassification in Government: Actual Duties vs Official Position
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether actual duties or official position title governs government salary reclassification under EO 189.
The Fresh Period Rule: Reinterpreting Appeal Deadlines for Fair Adjudication
The Supreme Court clarifies the fresh period rule, allowing appeals within 15 days from denial of reconsideration, promoting substantial justice.
Guilty Plea Improvidence Evidence Trumps Error IN Child Rape Case
Supreme Court clarifies when an improvident guilty plea in a capital offense does not invalidate a rape conviction.
Backwages in Illegal Dismissal: When the Employer’s Obligation Ends
Backwages in illegal dismissal accrue until actual reinstatement or payment of separation pay, per Mt. Carmel College v. Resuena.
Balancing Infant Health and Commercial Freedom: Limits on Restricting Breast Milk Substitute Ads
The Supreme Court struck down parts of the DOH's 2006 rules banning breast milk substitute ads, ruling the agency exceeded the Milk Code.
Upholding Integrity: Dishonesty in Public Service Leads to Dismissal
A court utility aide who stole and encashed a colleague's check is dismissed for gross dishonesty and grave misconduct, even after the complainant desisted.
Judicial Conduct Breaching Constitutional Mandates ON Decision Making
Court Funds Mismanagement and Undue Delay: Lessons from a Judicial Audit
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge who borrowed court funds and delayed cases, and the clerks who allowed it.
When a Lawyer's Criticism of a Judge Leads to Suspension: A Philippine Case Study
A senior state prosecutor's media attacks on a judge led to a one-year suspension. Learn the limits of lawyer speech.
Elections Held Despite a TRO Are Not Automatically Void: Supreme Court Clarifies
The Supreme Court explains when an election held in defiance of a temporary restraining order may be annulled, and when it may stand.
Lawyer Suspended for Misappropriating Client Funds and Deceiving Client About Judge
A lawyer's two-year suspension for misappropriating client funds and falsely claiming payments to a judge, explained in plain language.
Reasonable Doubt and Prior Inconsistent Actions in Philippine Rape Cases
How the Supreme Court weighed credibility, prior sexual history, and the sweetheart defense in a rape conviction.
Double Sale of Immovable Property: Good Faith as the Decisive Factor in Land Ownership Disputes
Learn how good faith determines ownership in double sale cases under Philippine law, and what buyers must do to protect their property rights.
Venue Stipulations in Contracts: Courts Cannot Dismiss Motu Proprio on Improper Venue
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that trial courts cannot motu proprio dismiss cases for improper venue when parties validly agreed on exclusive venue.
When Government Sequestration Collides With Contractual Obligations Resolving Jurisdictional Disputes
Debt-to-Equity Conversions and Stockholder Rights in Sequestered Corporations
The Supreme Court clarifies that ordinary courts lose jurisdiction over disputes involving sequestered corporations, which must be heard by the Sandiganbayan.
When Contract Claims Must Yield to the Sandiganbayan: Jurisdiction Over Sequestered Assets
A contract dispute over sequestered shares belongs to the Sandiganbayan, not the regular courts, when the assets are subject of ill-gotten wealth cases.
Default Judgments in Ejectment Cases: Upholding Due Process and the Rules of Summary Procedure
Learn how the Supreme Court protects due process in ejectment cases, emphasizing strict adherence to procedural rules and the proper grounds for default judgments.
Judicial Due Process When Haste Makes Waste in Nullity Cases
Two judges fined for gross ignorance of procedure after rushing a marriage nullity case, depriving the husband of due process.
Rape Conviction Upheld Despite Victim's Mental Incapacity: People v. Constantino
The Supreme Court affirmed a rape conviction where the victim had the mental age of a child, clarifying that mental incapacity negates consent under Philippine law.
Burden of Proof in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Employer's Duty to Certify Illness
In Duterte v. Kingswood Trading, the Supreme Court held the employer, not the worker, must prove that illness justified a dismissal.
Government Liability When Illegal Land Seizure Requires Just Compensation
Supreme Court ruling on government liability for illegally seized property, default judgments, and limits on monetary awards.
Accountability FOR Accomplices Establishing Conspiracy AND Liability IN Murder Cases
Mandatory Foreclosure: GFIs Must Verify Borrower Payments Before Proceeding
Supreme Court ruling on P.D. 385: government financial institutions must verify borrower payments before mandatory foreclosure.