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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Positive Identification Prevails Over Alibi in Robbery with Rape Conviction
Supreme Court affirms robbery with rape conviction, ruling that positive identification by the victim outweighs the defense of alibi.
Relationship Matters Qualifying Circumstances and Retroactive Penal Laws in Rape Cases
How a missing allegation of stepfather relationship reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua, and why Garcia applies retroactively.
Protecting Children: Parental Rape and the Importance of Victim Credibility in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court clarifies that a stepfather's relationship to a rape victim must be stated in the Information to justify the death penalty.
Proving Rape Beyond Reasonable Doubt: Lessons from People v. Abalde
A look at People v. Abalde on how Philippine courts weigh a rape victim's testimony, force, intimidation, and the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Victim Testimony and Prior Abuse Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rape conviction, victim credibility, and prior sexual abuse as evidence.
When a Guilty Plea Fails: Why Rape Convictions Were Remanded for Rearraignment
The Supreme Court set aside death sentences for rape because the trial court failed to conduct a proper searching inquiry into the guilty plea.
Rape, Intimidation, and Resistance: What the Law Requires in the Philippines
Philippine law does not require "tenacious" resistance in rape. A knife threat is intimidation enough. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court ruling.
Forcible Abduction vs Rape: Distinguishing Intent and Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on People v. Abalde clarifies statutory rape, force, intimidation, and evidence standards in sexual assault cases.
Defining the Boundaries of Rape: Penetration vs Attempt in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies when rape is consummated versus merely attempted, requiring proof of penile entry into the labia.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Upholding the Testimony of Child Rape Victims in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on the credible testimony of a mentally disabled minor, clarifying rules on evidence and procedure.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of a Woman Deprived of Reason Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court affirms that sexual intercourse with a mentally retarded woman constitutes rape under Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code.
Protecting the Credibility of Testimony From Persons With Mental Disabilities in Rape Cases
How Philippine courts assess rape testimony from mentally disabled victims, and why mental deficiency does not diminish credibility.
Rape With Intimidation: The Standard of Resistance and Aggravating Circumstances
The Supreme Court clarifies that in rape, intimidation can substitute for physical resistance, and aggravating circumstances need not be alleged in the information.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Victim Testimony and Conspiracy in Sexual Assault Cases
The Supreme Court affirms rape convictions based on credible victim testimony, medical evidence, and proof of conspiracy among three accused.
Step-Parent Rape and the Death Penalty: What Philippine Law Requires
The Supreme Court affirms the death penalty for a stepfather who raped his 11-year-old stepdaughter, clarifying the rules on qualifying circumstances and damages.
Protecting Innocence: The Supreme Court's Stance on Child Rape and Child Witness Testimony
A five-year-old rape victim's testimony can convict. The Supreme Court explains child witness credibility and the death penalty for child rape.
Rape by Induction: Establishing Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court explains how a person who induces another to commit rape can be held liable as a principal by induction.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of a Person with Mental Deficiencies and Victim Credibility
The Supreme Court affirms rape conviction where the victim has mild mental retardation, clarifying that mental deficiency does not undermine credibility.
Rape Conviction and the Importance of Specific Allegations: People v. Bayona
The Supreme Court reduced a father's death sentence for rape to reclusion perpetua because the informations failed to allege his relationship to the victim.
Retraction of Witness Testimony and Its Impact on Criminal Convictions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how recanted testimony is weighed in criminal cases, using a father's rape conviction as the key example.
Rape Conviction Stands Despite Intact Hymen: Supreme Court on Penetration and Consent
The Supreme Court affirms a father's rape conviction despite an intact hymen, clarifying that full penetration is not required for consummated rape.
Recanted Testimony in Rape Cases: Credibility and Victim Protection
The Supreme Court clarifies how courts evaluate credibility in rape cases, including the role of recanted testimony and medical evidence.
Rape Conviction Upheld Examining Force Intimidation AND THE Rights OF THE Accused
Consent and Credibility in Rape and Forcible Abduction Cases: The Claudio Standard
The Supreme Court acquits in Claudio, stressing that prosecution must prove lack of consent beyond reasonable doubt in rape cases.