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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
When a Sheriff's Demolition Violates Due Process: Lessons from Biscocho v. Marero
A sheriff demolished homes of non-parties to an ejectment case. The Supreme Court ruled this was grave misconduct violating due process.
Homicide or Murder: Proving Intent and the Weight of Dying Declarations
The Supreme Court clarifies when a killing is homicide, not murder, and how dying declarations identify an assailant.
Premature Proclamation and Due Process in Election Contests: Abinal v. COMELEC
The Supreme Court clarifies when COMELEC may order a proclamation while a pre-proclamation appeal is pending, and the limits of due process claims.
Lawyer Suspended for Misappropriating Client Funds in Fake PNB Fixer Scheme
A Supreme Court ruling suspends a lawyer for six months for misappropriating P60,000 from a client through false claims of bank connections.
The Testimony of the Victim and the Crime of Rape: Assessing Credibility and Impact on Conviction
A look at how the Supreme Court weighs a rape victim's testimony against alibi and denial, affirming conviction based on credibility.
Credibility in Rape Cases: Why Victim Testimony Carries Decisive Weight
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, underscoring that a victim's credible, positive testimony outweighs alibi and improbable claims.
Succession to Tenancy Rights: Surviving Spouse's Priority Under Agrarian Reform
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a tenant's surviving spouse has priority to succeed to tenancy rights when the landowner fails to choose a successor within one month.
Treachery and Self-Defense: Defining the Boundaries of Criminal Liability in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when treachery qualifies killing as murder and when self-defense fails, in People v. Enfectana.
Rape Conviction Affirmed: Victim Testimony and Use of Force in Philippine Rape Cases
Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, explaining why a victim's testimony can stand even without physical injuries or fresh lacerations.
Self-Defense, Conspiracy, and Murder: Lessons from People v. Enfectana
The Supreme Court clarifies when self-defense fails, how conspiracy is proven, and what makes a killing treacherous murder.
Succession to Tenancy Rights: Surviving Spouse Takes Priority Under Agrarian Reform
When a tenant dies, who inherits the tenancy? The Supreme Court clarifies the order of preference under Section 9 of RA 3844.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Unforeseen Attacks
When can treachery qualify a killing as murder? The Supreme Court explains the strict proof required for this aggravating circumstance.
Circumstantial Evidence in Homicide: How Philippine Courts Establish Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
In People v. Umayam, the Supreme Court convicted a man of homicide using circumstantial evidence alone, showing how an unbroken chain of facts can prove guilt.
Rape Conviction Upheld: Father Figure's Moral Ascendancy Equals Force and Intimidation
Philippine Supreme Court affirms rape conviction, ruling that a father figure's moral ascendancy over a minor victim substitutes for force and intimidation.
Clerks of Court Limits on Ministerial Duty and the Scope of Executory Writs
A clerk of court's duty to issue writs is ministerial, not judicial. Learn the limits from a 2002 Supreme Court ruling.
Clerks of Court Cannot Expand Execution Orders: Limits on Ministerial Duty
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a clerk of court exceeds ministerial duty by issuing an amended writ that varies a judgment.
Treachery in Criminal Law: Establishing Intent and Lack of Opportunity for Self-Defense
The Supreme Court explains how treachery qualifies a killing as murder, focusing on the victim's inability to defend and the attacker's deliberate method.
Credibility IN Rape Cases Upholding THE Victims Testimony Despite Minor Inconsistencies
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Parent Companies Are Liable for Subsidiary Debts
Philippine Supreme Court explains when courts may disregard corporate personality and hold parent companies liable for subsidiary debts.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Bank Isn't Liable for a Foreclosed Firm's Debts
PNB acquired PASUMIL's foreclosed assets but wasn't liable for its debts. The Supreme Court explains when corporate veil piercing applies.
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.
Due Process and Proper Notice in Government Appointments: The Monserate Case
The Supreme Court ruled that a government employee cannot be demoted without due process, including proper notice and hearing.
The Unforgiving Reach of the Law: Protecting Children From Familial Abuse
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction, holding that a credible victim's testimony alone suffices to convict, even without physical injuries.
Rape and a Defective Information: How the Court Protected the Accused's Rights
In People v. Desuyo, the Supreme Court reduced a death sentence to reclusion perpetua after the prosecution failed to prove the victim's age and filiation beyond reasonable doubt.