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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Insanity Defense and Proper Penalty for Parricide: People v. Robiños
The Supreme Court explains when insanity excuses criminal liability and why parricide without aggravating circumstances merits reclusion perpetua, not death.
Immediate Execution OF Support Judgments Upholding THE Rights OF Children
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Judicial Overreach: The Limits of Hold-Departure Orders and the Right to Travel
A judge who issued a hold-departure order beyond his court's jurisdiction was fined by the Supreme Court for violating Circular 39-97.
Revisiting Criminal Liability Distinguishing Homicide From Murder Amidst Claims Of Treachery
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery and evident premeditation must be proven to elevate homicide to murder.
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.
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.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Why the Element of Surprise Is Essential for Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court explains why treachery requires proof of deliberate surprise attack, not just multiple stab wounds.