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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Reconstituting Lost Land Titles: Supreme Court Clarifies Standards for Judicial Reconstitution
Supreme Court clarifies the rules and evidence needed to reconstitute a lost or destroyed land title under Republic Act No. 26.
Overlapping Land Titles: Registration Date and Reconstitution Validity in Philippine Property Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve conflicting land titles, weighing registration dates, reconstitution validity, and evidence of ownership.
Perfecting Land Titles: Continuous Possession Since June 12, 1945 Required for Registration
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that judicial confirmation of imperfect land titles requires open, continuous possession since June 12, 1945.
Overlapping Land Titles Resolving Conflicts Between Original Certificates AND Subsequent Transfers
Supreme Court Reinstates Title Reconstitution Despite Missing Land Records
A look at Faustino Co Shu Kiam v. Republic, where the Supreme Court clarified the rules on reconstituting lost land titles under Republic Act No. 26.
Confirming Land Titles: Possession Isnt Always Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling on search warrants clarifies that holding a Torrens title does not automatically mean ownership, and explains the limits of seizure.
Bona Fide Purchaser Valid Title Despite Prior Defects
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how an innocent purchaser for value holds valid title even if earlier land titles were defective.
Mortgage in Good Faith: How Banks Are Protected From Fraudulent Land Titles in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how banks that accept mortgages in good faith are protected from forged or fraudulent land titles.
When Survey Plans Lack Approval Reversion OF Land Titles TO THE State
A land title issued without a survey plan approved by the Director of Lands is void, and the State may seek its reversion.
Forged Signatures and Land Titles: Upholding Property Rights Against Fraud
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on forged special powers of attorney, nullifying land transfers and protecting property rights against fraud.
Reconstitution of Lost Titles: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Rules in Faustino Co Shu Kiam v. Republic
Supreme Court clarifies evidence required to reconstitute lost land titles, balancing strict rules with practical realities in property disputes.
The Torrens System Under Fire: Protecting Land Titles From Collateral Attack in Property Disputes
The Supreme Court reaffirms that Torrens titles cannot be collaterally attacked, requiring a direct action to cancel them.
Perfecting Land Titles: Proving Alienability and Possession in Public Land Registration
Learn the dual requirements for registering public land: proving alienable character and open possession since June 12, 1945.
Reconstitution of Land Titles: Strict Compliance and Jurisdictional Requirements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reconstitution of land titles, emphasizing strict compliance with jurisdictional requirements under RA 26.
Reconstitution of Land Titles: Strict Compliance with Jurisdictional Requirements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on strict compliance with jurisdictional requirements in land title reconstitution, including notice, publication, and appeal periods.
Safeguarding Land Titles Strict Scrutiny IN Reconstitution Cases
Challenging Land Titles: When Prior Owners Can Reclaim Property Obtained Through Fraudulent Patents
Learn when prior owners can nullify fraudulent free patents and reclaim titled land, based on a 2002 Supreme Court ruling.
Upholding Land Rights Resolving Title Disputes AND Granting Intervention IN Land Ownership Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void land titles, fraudulent transfers, and late intervention in property disputes.
Reversion of Land Titles: Fraud, Public Domain, and the Limits of Possessory Claims
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling in Magsino v. Republic on reversion of fraudulently issued free patents to public domain.
Protecting Land Titles: The Limits of Collateral Attacks in Property Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court protects registered land titles from collateral attacks, using the 2001 Tan v. Philippine Banking Corp. case.
Extrinsic Fraud, Laches, and Res Judicata: Protecting Land Titles in the Philippines
Learn how final judgments, res judicata, and the rules on extrinsic fraud protect land titles from collateral attacks in the Philippines.
Defective Summons Protecting Landowners Rights IN Property Disputes
Learn how defective summons by publication voided a default judgment nullifying land titles, protecting registered owners' property rights.
Confirming Land Titles Proving Possession Since Before 1945
Learn what Philippine courts require to confirm land titles through possession since June 12, 1945, based on a 2001 Supreme Court ruling.
Protecting Your Property From Fraudulent Land Titles: Key Lessons From Arriola vs. Mahilum
Learn how the Supreme Court nullified fraudulent land titles in Arriola vs. Mahilum and what property owners must know to protect their rights.