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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Unlawful Detainer: Proving Possession and Ownership Claims in Ejectment Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on unlawful detainer cases, possession vs. ownership claims, and evidence rules in ejectment proceedings.
People v. Abulon: Penetration, Consent, and Rape by Sexual Assault in the Family Home
A 2007 Supreme Court ruling on incestuous rape clarifies when tongue insertion counts as rape, when it is acts of lasciviousness, and how a father's moral sway replaces force.
Breach of Trust vs Security of Tenure: When Is Dismissal Too Harsh?
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains why loss of trust and confidence does not give employers unlimited power to dismiss, even managerial employees.
UCPB Interest Rates, Mutuality of Contracts, and the Truth in Lending Act
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void interest rates, mutuality of contracts, and Truth in Lending Act violations in bank lending.
Financial Crisis as Fortuitous Event: Real Estate Contract Obligations in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether the 1997 Asian financial crisis excuses a developer's failure to deliver condominium units.
Unfreezing Marcos-Era Assets: When Philippine Courts Can Act on Foreign Freeze Orders
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling that allows Philippine courts to hear cases involving foreign freeze orders on Marcos-era assets.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: When Parent Companies Can Be Held Liable for Franchise Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when courts may disregard corporate fiction and hold companies liable for obligations of related entities.
PCGG v. Sandiganbayan: When Delay and Inaction Create a Cause of Action
A look at the Supreme Court ruling that government inaction on requests can itself create a cause of action, and when foreign court rulings do not bar local suits.
Acting Appointments vs Security of Tenure: Clarifying Employment Rights in Philippine Schools
Understand the Supreme Court ruling on acting appointments in schools—when temporary positions do not ripen into permanent tenure.
Bail Without Court Order: When a Clerk of Court May Refuse Cash Bond
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a clerk of court may refuse a cash bond and the consequences for lawyers who file baseless administrative complaints.
Flood Damage Liability: Who Pays When Nature and Development Collide
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on developer liability for flood damage when surrounding developments and government inaction cause the flooding.
Immoral Conduct and Due Process in Termination Cases: Balancing Employer Rights and Employee Protection
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on illegal dismissal clarifies labor arbiter jurisdiction, just cause requirements, and due process in termination disputes.
Conspiracy and Witness Credibility in Murder Cases: Lessons from People v. Tan
How Philippine courts weigh witness credibility and establish conspiracy in murder cases, explained through a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.
Procedural Lapses and Employee Reinstatement: Balancing Justice and Technicalities in Labor Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling on how procedural lapses in labor cases should not defeat substantive justice, and the rules on immediate reinstatement pending appeal.
Upholding Employer Authority: Willful Disobedience and Seafarer Dismissal in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on willful disobedience as valid cause for seafarer dismissal, with due process indemnity explained.
Mandatory Tender Offers Protecting Minority Shareholders In Indirect Acquisitions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling that indirect acquisitions triggering control of a public company require a mandatory tender offer.
Habeas Corpus and Deportation: When Courts Overstep Immigration Authority
A Supreme Court ruling on when courts may not interfere with Bureau of Immigration deportation orders through habeas corpus petitions.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: The Mandatory DAR Valuation Formula
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on just compensation in agrarian reform, explaining why courts must apply the DAR valuation formula under RA 6657.
Absence Without Official Leave: Upholding Public Service Standards in the Philippines
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling in Palecpec v. Davis on AWOL, dropping from rolls, and public service accountability.
Accountability Under the Law: Examining Guilt in Robbery With Physical Injuries Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a bystander becomes a co-principal in robbery with physical injuries, and the limits of conspiracy.
Buy-Bust Operations and Chain of Custody: Ensuring Integrity in Drug Sale Convictions
A 2007 Supreme Court ruling affirms that a consummated drug sale and the credible testimony of arresting officers can sustain a conviction under R.A. No. 9165.
Ombudsman vs CSC: Who Sets Qualification Standards for Constitutional Offices
Supreme Court ruling on whether the CSC or the Ombudsman sets qualification standards for Director II positions in the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman's Independence: Defining CSC's Authority Over Internal Appointments
Supreme Court ruling on the Ombudsman's power to set qualification standards for its own personnel, limiting CSC's role.
Appeal Bonds in Labor Disputes: Balancing Access to Justice and Protection of Workers' Rights
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on appeal bonds in labor cases, balancing workers' access to justice with procedural rules.