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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Missed Deadlines Lost Refunds: The Importance of Timely Filing in Tax Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling underscores that missed deadlines and counsel's negligence can bar tax refund claims, emphasizing the finality of judgments.
Accountability in Public Office: Canvassers' Duty of Care in Elections
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on election canvassers' liability for certifying padded votes, and the ethical duties of lawyers in public service.
Res Judicata Bars Re-Litigating Security of Tenure in Agrarian Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how final judgments bar re-litigation of security of tenure claims in agrarian disputes.
Foreshore Lease Preference: Riparian Rights vs. Reclamation in Philippine Land Law
Supreme Court ruling on whether a littoral owner retains preferential right to lease foreshore land that has been reclaimed by another applicant.
Land Reform Heirs' Rights and the Social Function of Land Ownership
Supreme Court ruling on PD 27 land reform: heirs, not former owners, hold rights to beneficiary's farmland even amid unpaid amortizations.
Upholding Finality When CAN Land Reclassification Be Contested
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land conversion finality, real party interest, and agrarian reform beneficiary status under CARL.
Judicial Restraint vs Workplace Conduct: Defining Boundaries of Authority and Decorum in the Philippine Judici
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's abuse of authority and a clerk's misconduct clarifies decorum standards for all judiciary personnel.
Breach of Contract: Enforcing Penalty Clauses in Government Projects
Explaining when penalty clauses bind contractors in government projects, based on a Supreme Court ruling on DBP and PD 1594.
When Court Officials Clash: Professional Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk's public quarrel, and what it means for decorum in the judiciary.
Breach of Contract When Fault Is Shared: Losses Lie Where They Fall
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on shared fault in contract breach—losses stay with the party that suffers them. Learn the rules.
Mandatory Arbitration Prevails: Contractual Disputes Must Go to Arbitration First
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: when a contract has a mandatory arbitration clause, parties must arbitrate before going to court.
Habeas Corpus Requires Proof of Illegal Detention, Not Just Disappearance
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that habeas corpus requires proof of actual detention, not merely a person's disappearance.
Quorum in Nonstock Corporations: Counting Only Living Voting Members
Supreme Court ruling on quorum in nonstock corporations—dead members excluded, only living voting members count.
Structural Integrity vs Superficial Damage: What Property Buyers Must Know About Warranties
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when cracks and leaks in a purchased property justify a refund or damages under the law.
Corporate Asset Purchases and Prior Presidential Approval: DBP v. COA
Explaining the Supreme Court ruling in DBP v. COA on prior presidential approval for government corporate vehicle purchases and disallowance.
Mortgage Foreclosure: Why Stipulated Notice Requirements Matter in Real Estate Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on extrajudicial foreclosure: stipulated notice requirements in mortgage contracts are mandatory and enforceable.
Substandard Deliveries in Government Contracts: When Penalties Apply
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a milling contractor can be held liable for substandard rice deliveries under government contracts.
Torrens Title vs. Laches: When Delay Bars a Quieting of Title Claim
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether laches can bar a quieting of title action over registered land, and the limits of Torrens title protection.
Timeliness Matters: Questioning Labor Execution Orders Beyond the Deadline
A Supreme Court ruling on why workers who questioned a labor execution writ beyond the 10-day period lost their claim.
Intestate Succession and Laches: Protecting Heirs' Rights to Family Property
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on heirs' rights to inherited property, extrajudicial settlement validity, and when laches cannot bar succession claims.
When Court Orders Are Enforced: Liability of Judges and Sheriffs in Demolition Cases
Explaining when judges and sheriffs can be held administratively liable for enforcing writs of demolition, based on a 2006 Supreme Court ruling.
Unfair Labor Practice Dismissals: Employee Rights to Moral and Exemplary Damages
Supreme Court ruling on unfair labor practice dismissals, moral damages, and the rule against splitting causes of action in the Philippines.
Family Home Exemption: Claiming Protection Before the Execution Sale
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when and how judgment debtors must claim the family home exemption from execution sale.
Public vs Private Land in the Philippines: Lessons from a Laguna de Bay Registration Case
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when land near Laguna de Bay is public domain and what applicants must prove to register title.