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People vs. Bustos

8th March 1918

ak959486
37 Phil. 731 , G.R. No. 12592
Primary Holding
A communication made in good faith upon any subject-matter in which the party communicating has an interest, or in reference to which he has a duty, is privileged if made to a person having a corresponding interest or duty, even if it contains criminatory matter which would otherwise be slanderous or libelous; this qualified privilege applies to complaints against public officials addressed to the proper authorities for redress, and malice cannot be presumed but must be proven by the prosecution.
Background
In late 1915, numerous citizens of Pampanga, concerned about the alleged misconduct of Roman Punsalan, the justice of the peace of Macabebe and Masantol, prepared a petition detailing charges of malfeasance and asking for his removal from office. This petition, along with supporting affidavits, was submitted to the Executive Secretary, the proper authority for handling such complaints against justices of the peace at the time, through the law office of Crossfield & O'Brien.
Constitutional Law II
Freedom of Expression

United States vs. Guendia

20th December 1917

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37 Phil. 337 , No. 12462
Primary Holding
The Supreme Court ruled that Guendia was insane at the time of the commission of the crime and thus exempt from criminal liability under subsection 1 of Article 8 of the Penal Code.
Background
Simeon Guendia was charged with frustrated murder for attacking his querida. The lower court found him guilty, though it acknowledged his apparent insanity. Upon appeal, the Supreme Court examined the evidence regarding his mental state at the time of the offense and during the trial.
Philosophy of Law

The United States vs. Santos

10th September 1917

ak917783
36 Phil. 853 , No. 12779
Primary Holding
A peace officer who arrests a person without a warrant based on reasonable suspicion and in good faith is not liable, even if the arrested person is later found innocent.
Background
Dionisio Santos, a policeman in Pateros, Rizal, was tasked with preventing pilfering in a certain area. While patrolling, he saw two individuals near an uninhabited house and arrested them without a warrant, detaining them for six to seven hours before releasing them. The trial court convicted Santos of coercion, but the Supreme Court reviewed the case to determine if his actions were justified.
Philosophy of Law

Mendoza vs. De Leon

15th February 1916

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33 Phil. 508 , No. 9596
Primary Holding
The municipal council members are held jointly and severally liable for damages sustained by Marcos Mendoza due to the unlawful rescission of his ferry lease contract because their actions were not in good faith and were not a mere error in judgment, but a clear disregard of Mendoza's contractual rights for no valid reason.
Background
Marcos Mendoza was granted an exclusive ferry privilege by the municipality of Villasis under Act No. 1634. After operating the ferry for over a year, the municipal council, composed of the defendants, revoked his lease and awarded a franchise to another person, leading to Mendoza's forcible ejection. Mendoza then sued the individual council members for damages.
Property and Land Law

Legarda and Prieto vs. Saleeby

2nd October 1915

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31 Phil. 590 , No. 8936
Primary Holding
In cases of double registration under the Torrens system, the certificate of title earlier in date prevails over the later one; registered title holders are not obligated to continuously monitor subsequent land registration proceedings to protect their already registered title.
Background
Two owners of adjacent lots in Manila, Legarda and Saleeby, both registered their lands under the Torrens system. A stone wall situated on Legarda's property was mistakenly included in both their initial registration and Saleeby's subsequent registration, leading to conflicting claims over the wall and the land it occupied.
Property and Land Law

Herrera vs. Barretto and Joaquin

10th September 1913

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25 Phil. 245 , No. 8692
Primary Holding
he Supreme Court will not assess damages arising from an injunction issued by it in a certiorari proceeding; such damages, if any, must be claimed and proven in the court trying the main action where the merits of the case are ventilated, as certiorari is limited to reviewing jurisdictional errors and does not involve a "final trial" on the merits for the purpose of assessing damages under Section 170 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Background
The underlying dispute involved an action for mandamus in the Court of First Instance (CFI) where Constancio Joaquin sought to compel the issuance of a cockpit license and obtained a mandatory injunction. Godofredo B. Herrera, the Municipal President, then filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court challenging the CFI's jurisdiction. During this certiorari proceeding, a member of the Supreme Court issued an injunction restraining Joaquin from operating his cockpit. The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed Herrera's certiorari petition and dissolved the injunction.
Civil Procedure I

Carlos vs. Ramil

5th September 1911

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20 Phil. 183 , No. 6736
Primary Holding
An agreement to transfer land in exchange for future lifetime care constitutes an onerous donation (donacion con causa onerosa) governed by contract law, and is valid and enforceable upon fulfillment of the care obligation.
Background
An elderly couple, Agustin and Juliana Carlos, needed care and made an agreement with their adopted daughter and her husband, Antonio Ramil, to give them land if they stayed and cared for them for life, fearing the husband would take the daughter away.
Property and Land Law

United States vs. Toribio

26th January 1910

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15 Phil. 85 , G.R. No. 5060
Primary Holding
Act No. 1147 prohibits the slaughter of large cattle for human consumption anywhere in the Philippines without a permit, regardless of the presence of a municipal slaughterhouse. The law is a valid exercise of police power and not an infringement on private property rights.
Background
The case arose during a period when a contagious disease threatened the carabao population in the Philippines, impacting agriculture and the economy. Act No. 1147 was enacted to regulate the registration, branding, and slaughter of large cattle, aiming to protect the ownership and use of these animals.
Constitutional Law II
Police Power

Reynolds vs. United States

6th January 1879

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98 U.S. 145
Primary Holding
The First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion protects religious beliefs and opinions but does not protect overt acts that violate generally applicable criminal laws, even if those acts are committed in pursuance of a religious duty; thus, a religious belief cannot be a defense to a charge of bigamy.
Background
The case arose from the conflict between federal anti-bigamy laws and the practice of polygamy by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church) in the Utah Territory. The federal government sought to suppress polygamy, viewing it as detrimental to social order, while many Mormons considered it a religious obligation. This tension led to prosecutions under federal statutes, with defendants often invoking religious freedom as a defense.
Constitutional Law II
Freedom of Religion

American Print Works vs. Lawrence

15th October 1847

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21 N.J.L. 248 (N.J. 1847)
Primary Holding
The defendant, Mayor Cornelius W. Lawrence, was not guilty of trespass because the destruction of the plaintiff's goods was a necessary and lawful act to prevent the spread of the Great Fire of 1835, justified under both a New York statute and common law necessity.
Background
In December 1835, a devastating fire broke out in New York City, rapidly spreading and threatening to consume a large portion of the city. Mayor Cornelius W. Lawrence, in consultation with city officials and military experts, ordered the destruction of several buildings using gunpowder to create firebreaks and halt the conflagration. Among the destroyed buildings were stores containing goods belonging to American Print Works.
Constitutional Law II
Police Power