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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Safeguarding Electoral Independence: Limits of DOJ-Comelec Collaboration in Election Offense Probes
The Supreme Court upholds joint DOJ-Comelec preliminary investigations for election offenses, clarifying constitutional limits on collaboration.
Ballots vs Election Returns: Authenticity Prevails in Electoral Protests
When physical ballots are tampered, election returns become the best evidence of voter intent. Learn the rule from the Vinzons-Chato case.
Due Process in Philippine Election Protests: Ensuring Fair Notice and Participation
Philippine election protest rules require due process—fair notice and participation—before any electoral outcome is overturned.
Security of Tenure vs AWOL: Protecting Employee Rights in Contested Elections
Supreme Court ruling on dropping employees from rolls for AWOL during contested mayoralty elections, upholding security of tenure.
Upholding Comelec's Discretion: Balancing Electoral Integrity and Due Process in Special Elections
The Supreme Court affirms Comelec's broad discretion in conducting special elections after failure of elections, balancing integrity against due process concerns.
Substitution in Elections: Residency Requirements and Certificate of Candidacy Validity
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a disqualified candidate can be substituted, distinguishing disqualification from certificate of candidacy cancellation.
Digital Ballots As Primary Evidence Protecting Electoral Integrity In The Philippines
The Supreme Court ruled that digital ballot images from PCOS machines are functional equivalents of physical ballots, protecting elections from tampering.
Challenging Residency Claims: The Supreme Court on Election Eligibility
A candidate's one-year residency requirement for local office demands clear proof of domicile, not just property ownership or voter registration.
Ballot Image Integrity and Electronic Evidence in Philippine Election Protests
Supreme Court ruling on ballot images as electronic evidence in election protests under RA 9369 and the Rules on Electronic Evidence.
Fair Election Act's One-Subject Rule: Giron v. COMELEC Explained
The Supreme Court upheld the Fair Election Act's candidate substitution and elective official provisions against a one-subject-one-title constitutional challenge.
Interlocutory Orders and Certiorari: The Boundaries of Judicial Review in Election Cases
When can an interlocutory order be assailed via certiorari? This case clarifies the limits of judicial review and administrative remedies.
Breaking the Chain: How Election Protests Can Interrupt the Three-Term Limit
The Supreme Court clarifies when an election protest breaks the three-term limit rule for local officials, using Mayor Abundo's case.
IBP Elections: SC Clarifies Rotation Rule for Governor Elections
Supreme Court clarifies IBP rotation rule: after a full cycle, all chapters may compete again, except the last served chapter.
Suffrage and Procedure: Upholding the Electorate’s Will Despite Technicalities in Election Protests
The Supreme Court ruled that votes for a nuisance candidate with a similar surname must be counted for the bona fide candidate, protecting voter intent.
When Election Irregularities Meet Mootness: Annulment of Proclamation and the Imperative of an Actual Controve
Explore Quiño v. COMELEC, where the Supreme Court dismissed an election case as moot after a re-canvass, explaining why actual controversies matter.
Can a Second-Placer Win After a Substitute Candidate Is Disqualified? The Talaga Case
A substitute candidate cannot replace a disqualified candidate whose certificate of candidacy was cancelled. Learn what this means for election contests.
Timeliness and Sufficiency in Election Protests: Balancing Procedure and Substance
A look at Lloren v. COMELEC on appeal fee deadlines, motion fees, and the mandatory requirements for a valid election protest.
Safeguarding Electoral Independence When Collaboration Challenges Constitutional Boundaries
The Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the joint DOJ-Comelec investigation of election fraud in the 2004 and 2007 polls.
Dismissed Employees and Blank Ballots: Certification Election Rules Clarified
Supreme Court clarifies when dismissed employees may vote in certification elections and how blank ballots affect the double majority rule.
Electoral Jurisdiction: When COMELEC’s Authority Ends and HRET Begins
The Supreme Court clarifies the boundary between COMELEC and HRET jurisdiction over election disputes involving proclaimed congressmen.
Automated Elections Public Bidding vs Comelec Discretion in Purchasing the AES for the 2013 Elections
Supreme Court upholds Comelec's exercise of option to purchase PCOS machines for 2013 elections, ruling no new public bidding was required.
Establishing Domicile Intent AND Actions FOR Philippine Elections
The Supreme Court clarifies how reinstated Filipino citizens can prove domicile and residency for election candidacy, using Jalosjos v. COMELEC.
When Strikes Go Wrong: Illegal Dismissals and Union Security Clauses in the Philippines
Learn when terminating employees for union disloyalty is illegal, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling on certification elections and union security.
Union Security Clauses and the Freedom Period: When Dismissal for Disloyalty Fails
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that signing a certification election petition during the freedom period is not union disloyalty justifying dismissal.