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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Corporate Residence and Venue: Where a Corporation Must Sue
The Supreme Court clarifies that a corporation's residence for venue purposes is its principal office stated in its Articles of Incorporation.
Judicial Restraint Maintaining Impartiality AND Temperance IN Judicial Conduct
Prosecutor's Comment on Motion for Reconsideration After Information Filed Not Misconduct
Supreme Court rules a prosecutor who files a recommendatory comment on a motion for reconsideration after arraignment does not commit conduct prejudicial to the service.
Breach of Trust Accountability for Mismanaged Court Funds in the Philippine Judiciary
When a clerk of court mishandles fiduciary funds, the Supreme Court imposes strict accountability, even after retirement.
Judicial Ethics for Court Employees: The Limits of Public Service
A Supreme Court ruling reminds court personnel that good intentions do not excuse using court authority and resources for purely private matters.
Court Personnel Cannot Use Official Position to Send Private Demand Letters
Supreme Court rules court employees who send private demand letters using court letterheads and franking privileges commit simple misconduct.
Judicial Accountability: Fines for Judges Who Delay Case Resolutions
Learn how Philippine courts penalize judges for failing to decide cases on time, based on a Supreme Court ruling on judicial accountability.
Double Sale Prior Good Faith Purchaser Prevails Over Subsequent Mortgagee
Substantial Justice vs Procedural Rules: When Courts Relax the 60-Day Rule in Labor Cases
The Supreme Court explains when a late petition for certiorari may be excused, balancing procedural rules against substantial justice in labor disputes.
Motion for Reconsideration: Timelines and Finality in Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts treat motions for reconsideration, annulment of judgment timelines, and the finality of judgments.
Quantum Meruit Recovery for Services Without a Formal Contract
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on recovering payment for services rendered without a written contract, explained in plain language.
Annulment of Judgment: Extrinsic Fraud and Timeliness in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the four-year prescriptive period and strict requirements for annulment of judgment based on extrinsic fraud under Rule 47.
Overcoming Technicalities in Employees Compensation for Associated Illnesses
How the Supreme Court ruled that a worker's death from a non-listed illness may still be compensable if associated with a compensable disease.
Tenancy Rights: How to Prove Agricultural Tenancy in Philippine Agrarian Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that a tenancy relationship cannot be presumed—all six elements must be proven by evidence.
When Good Faith Fails: Financing Firm's Foreclosure Voided for Ignoring Occupants' Rights
A financing firm's foreclosure was voided for bad faith because it ignored occupants' notice of a prior unregistered sale. Learn the due diligence rule.
Breach of Trust: Government Employees, Habitual Absenteeism, and Misuse of Public Funds
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on habitual absenteeism and AWOL in government service, explaining penalties and the public trust doctrine.
Disability Benefits for Seafarers: Defining Total and Permanent Incapacity
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a seafarer's illness counts as total and permanent disability, entitling them to full benefits.
Attitude Problems and Employee Termination: Defining Just Cause in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when "attitude problem" can justify employee termination and the required notices for valid dismissal.
The Weight of Witness Testimony and Identity in Homicide Convictions
How Philippine courts assess eyewitness identification and credibility in homicide cases, and why knowing a face matters more than knowing a name.
Judicial Accountability: Habitual Absenteeism and Public Trust in the Judiciary
The Supreme Court dismissed a process server for habitual absenteeism, affirming that public office is a public trust demanding accountability.
Injunctions in Ejectment: Balancing Immediate Execution With Equitable Considerations
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may issue preliminary injunctions despite the immediately executory nature of ejectment judgments.
Procedural Rules vs Substantive Rights: Dismissal of Appeals for Technical Defects
Learn how the Supreme Court treats appeals dismissed for technical defects, and why procedural rules matter as much as substantive rights.
Shareholder Rights and Corporate Obligations: How Trust Agreements Affect Corporate Governance
Supreme Court ruling on trust agreements, stock transfer books, and shareholder rights under Philippine corporate law.