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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Perfecting Your Appeal: Understanding Docket Fee Payment Requirements in the Philippines
Learn the rules on docket fee payment for appeals in the Philippines, including timing, amount, and consequences of non-payment.
Employee Termination: Just Cause and Due Process Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the standards for valid employee termination in the Philippines, focusing on just cause and due process requirements.
Deficiency Judgments in Philippine Foreclosure: Can Banks Recover More After Auction?
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks can collect deficiency after extrajudicial foreclosure of real estate mortgages.
Probable Cause and Abuse of Discretion: Navigating DOJ Decisions in the Philippines
When can courts overturn a DOJ Secretary's ruling on probable cause? Learn the high bar of grave abuse of discretion.
Banking Insolvency: When the Central Bank Can Close an Insolvent Bank
The Supreme Court upholds the Central Bank's power to close insolvent banks, explaining the legal meaning of insolvency and the limits of judicial review.
Falsification of Documents: Proving Intent and Damage in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on notarial falsification, forgery evidence, and lawyer liability in Lingan v. Calubaquib.
Due Process in Administrative Cases: Understanding Your Rights
Learn how the Supreme Court applies due process in administrative proceedings and what rights individuals have when facing government actions.
When Government Salaries Can Be Withheld: The Santiago COA Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when COA may withhold a government employee's salary for an alleged cash shortage, and when it cannot apply the withheld amounts.
Successor Liability in Philippine Labor Law: When Is a Company Responsible for Another's Debts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company becomes liable for another firm's labor debts under successor liability rules.
Stare Decisis in Philippine Courts: How Prior Rulings Bind Future Cases
The Supreme Court applies stare decisis to bar relitigation of the Pepsi The decision demonstrates how prior rulings on the same controversy can bar subsequent claims and promote consistency in the ad
Finality of Judgments in Disbarment Cases: Lessons from Bihag v. Era
The Supreme Court enforces final disbarment orders through execution and contempt, underscoring the doctrine of finality of judgment.
Supreme Court on Lost Appeals: Certiorari Cannot Replace a Missed Appeal
The Supreme Court rules that a petition for certiorari cannot substitute for a lost appeal, affirming dismissal of a case for procedural lapses.
Lost Appeal: Why Missing Deadlines in Philippine Courts Can Be Fatal to Your Case
A Supreme Court ruling shows how missed deadlines and a wrong remedy can end a case permanently, even with a meritorious appeal.
Accion Publiciana: When Can You File to Recover Property Possession in the Philippines
Learn when to file accion publiciana instead of unlawful detainer to recover property possession in the Philippines, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Judicial Impartiality: When a Judge's Conduct Crosses the Line
A judge's private meeting with a litigant to discuss a pending case violates the Code of Judicial Conduct and erodes public trust.
Why Exhausting Administrative Remedies Matters in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn from a 2006 Supreme Court ruling why skipping administrative appeals before going to court can be fatal to a property case.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When a Corporation Can Be Bound by Unauthorized Acts
Learn when courts may hold a corporation liable for acts done under a trade name, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Ridgewood Estate, Inc. v. Belaos.
Extrinsic Fraud in Probate: Protecting Inheritance Rights in the Philippines
When an administrator's omission in a Philippine probate case amounts to extrinsic fraud, final orders can be annulled. Learn the rules.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Can a Company Be Sued Under Its Trade Name?
A single proprietorship can be sued under its trade name, but the owner remains personally liable. This article explains the rules on trade names and corporate liability.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Demand NOT Always Needed When Philippine Banks CAN Foreclose Without Prior Notice
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when banks may foreclose without prior demand, and limits on preliminary injunctions against foreclosure.
Illegal Dismissal and Quitclaims: Employee Rights in Retrenchment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retrenchment, quitclaims, and illegal dismissal — what employees and employers must know.
Writ of Possession Is Ministerial After Foreclosure Consolidation
The Supreme Court explains why a writ of possession is a ministerial duty of courts once a foreclosed property's title is consolidated.
COA Audit Power and Quantum Meruit: Lessons from Lotrim Construction v. COA
The Court upholds COA's power to determine overpayments under quantum meruit, and clarifies procedural bars to belated jurisdictional challenges.