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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Entrapment and Illegal Possession: Balancing Rights and Law Enforcement in Drug Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on entrapment operations, illegal drug and firearm possession, and the limits of police conduct.
Due Process and the Ombudsman: Reinstating Charges After Dismissal
When can the Ombudsman revive dismissed charges? The Supreme Court explains the due process limits in Roxas v. Vasquez.
Due Process and Premature Rulings: Amending a Complaint Before an Answer
The Supreme Court clarifies that a plaintiff may amend a complaint as a matter of right before an answer is filed, even amid pending dismissal proceedings.
Forcible Abduction: Consent, Lewd Designs, and the Limits of the Sweetheart Defense
The Supreme Court clarifies forcible abduction under Article 342, when consent matters, and why failed rape evidence still proves lewd designs.
Court Employee Fined for Neglect of Duty Over Lost Case Records
Supreme Court fines court records custodian P1,000 for losing criminal case records, stressing diligence in safeguarding court documents.
Lawyer Indefinitely Suspended for Dishonesty and Defying Court Processes
A lawyer who kept a client's sale proceeds, issued bad checks, and defied court orders was indefinitely suspended by the Supreme Court.
When Court Errors Are Not Misconduct: Lessons from Tallado v. Racoma and Dating
The Supreme Court explains when a judge's error is a judicial matter, not administrative misconduct, and warns against harassment suits.
Who May Nullify a Bigamous Marriage? The Supreme Court’s Ruling in Quirit-Figarido v. Figarido
Only the aggrieved or injured innocent spouse may petition to nullify a bigamous marriage. The guilty spouse cannot seek nullity to remarry.
Qualified Rape and the Burden of Proof: Lessons from People v. Baroy
The Supreme Court clarifies when the death penalty applies in qualified rape and why aggravating circumstances must be alleged in the information.
Voluntary Surrender as a Mitigating Circumstance: When Murder Is Reduced to Homicide
The Supreme Court explains when voluntary surrender mitigates a killing and why a heated argument negates treachery, reducing murder to homicide.
Automatic Membership in Property Associations: Upholding Contractual Obligations and Property Rights
Philippine Supreme Court rules that automatic membership clauses in deeds of sale bind successors-in-interest, who must pay association dues.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Witness Testimony Enough Despite Victim's Mental State
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction based on eyewitness testimony, ruling a victim's mental incapacity does not weaken prosecution evidence.
When Sexual Assault Is Acts of Lasciviousness, Not Attempted Rape: Perez v. People
The Supreme Court clarifies the line between attempted rape and acts of lasciviousness in a case with no eyewitnesses.
Rape: Proving Minority and Relationship for a Qualified Rape Conviction
The Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua because the victim's age and the offender's relationship to her were not properly alleged and proven.
Treachery in Criminal Law: The Element of Surprise and Defenseless Victims
Understand treachery in Philippine criminal law through People v. Zeta, where the Supreme Court explains why surprise at the inception of attack matters.
Defining the Boundaries: Acts of Lasciviousness vs. Attempted Rape in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the crucial distinction between attempted rape and acts of lasciviousness, emphasizing that penetration must commence for attempted rape.
Rape With Deadly Weapon: Why Alleging Aggravating Circumstances Matters
The Supreme Court explains why aggravating circumstances must be alleged in the information before they can increase the penalty for rape.
Acts of Lasciviousness vs Attempted Rape: The Penetration Requirement
When do sexual acts become attempted rape rather than acts of lasciviousness? The Supreme Court clarifies the crucial role of penetration.
Self-Defense or Murder: The Limits of Justifiable Force in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a claim of self-defense fails and treachery turns a killing into murder under Philippine law.
Automatic Membership in Property Associations: Enforceability and Freedom of Association
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on automatic membership clauses in property deeds, their enforceability against successors-in-interest, and limits of freedom of association.
Treachery in Criminal Law: The Element of Surprise in Murder Convictions
Philippine Supreme Court explains why treachery requires proof of deliberate surprise, not just multiple stab wounds.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Intimidation With a Weapon Constitutes Force in Sexual Assault
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, ruling that threatening a victim with a bolo constitutes the force or intimidation required by law.
Agrarian Reform Protecting Farmers Rights Against Illegal Land Transfers
Learn how the Supreme Court protects farmer-beneficiaries from illegal land transfers under PD 27, including rules on abandonment and reallocation.
Credibility of Rape Victims: Affidavit of Desistance and Delay in Reporting
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on why delayed reporting and affidavits of desistance do not automatically destroy a rape victim's credibility.