LEGAL RESEARCH

School of Law and Governance

1st Semester, 2014-2015
Atty. Romeo Raymond C. Santos
1.

INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Definition of Legal Research
1.2.
Need for Legal Research
De Roy vs. Court of Appeals, 157 SCRA 757 (1988)
Re Subpoena Duces Tecum Dated 11 January 2010 of Acting Director Aleu
A.Amante, PIAB-C, Office of the Ombudsman, 614 SCRA 1 (2010)
Re Subpoena Duces Tecum Dated 11 January 2010 of Acting Director Aleu
A.Amante, PIAB-C, Office of the Ombudsman, 668 SCRA 468 (2012)
1.3.
Sources of Legal Research
1.4.
Legal Research and Legal Bibliography
1.5.
Importance of Legal Bibliography
1.6.
Aim of Legal Bibliographyand Research

2.

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
2.1. Pre-Spanish (before 1569)
2.2. Spanish (1569-1898)
2.3. American (1898-1946)
2.4. Japanese (1942-1945)
2.5. Early Independence (1946-1972)
2.6. Marcosian (1972-1986)
2.7. Democratic Restoration (1986-)
2.7.1 Executive
2.7.2 Legislative
2.7.3 Judicial
2.7.4 Constitutional Commissions
2.7.5 Local Governments
2.7.6 Other Agencies and Instrumentalities

3.

PHILIPPINE LEGAL SYSTEM

3.1. Definition of Legal System
3.2. Legal Systems in the World
3.3. Basis and Influences on the Philippine Legal System
3.3.1 Native, Indigenous and Customary
3.3.2 Islamic
3.3.3 Spanish and Roman Law
3.3.4 American and Common Law
3.3.5 Other influences: French, Australian, English, etc.

4.

LAWS
4.1. Definition of Law
4.2. Characteristics
4.3. Effectivity of Laws: Article 2, New Civil Code
Tanada vs. Tuvera, 136 SCRA 27 (1985), 146 SCRA 446 (1986)

4.5.

Umali vs. Estanislao, 209 SCRA 446 (1992)

Bengzon vs. Drilon, 208 SCRA 33 (1992)
Farinas vs. Executive Secretary, 417 SCRA 503 (2003)
La Bugal-b'laan Tribal Association, Inc. vs. Ramos, 421 SCRA 148, 215 (2004)
Classification of Laws
4.5.1 Acts of Public Acts (1900-1935)
4.5.2 Commonwealth Acts (1935-1946)
4.5.3 Republic Acts (1946-1972)
4.5.4 Presidential Decrees (1972-1986)
4.5.5 Executive Orders (1986-1987)
4.5.6 Republic Acts (1987-present)

5.

STATUTES
5.1.
Definition of Statutes
5.2.
Classes of Statutes
5.2.1 Constitution
5.2.2 Treaty
5.2.3 Statutes Proper: Parts
5.2.3.1 Title: Lidasan vs.COMELEC, 21 SCRA 496 (1967)
5.2.3.2 Preamble:
People vs. Edravez, 95 SCRA 663 (1980)
Aglipay vs. Ruiz, 64 Phil 201
5.2.3.3 Enacting Clause
5.2.3.4 Purview or Body of the Statute
5.2.3.5 Repealing Clause
5.3.3.6 Separability Clause
5.3.3.7 Effectivity Clause
5.3.
Law-Making: The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law

6.

CASE LAW
6.1.
Classes of Case Law
6.1.1 Decisions Proper
6.1.2 Subordinate Decisions
6.2.
Philippine Judicial System
6.2.1 Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction
6.2.2 Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction
6.2.3 Appellate Courts
6.2.4 Court of Last Resort
6.3. Decisions of the Supreme Court: En Banc and Division Decisions
Republic vs. Express Telecommunications Co., Inc. 373 SCRA 316 (2002)
Apo Fruits Corp. vs. Court of Appeals, 541 SCRA 117 (2007)
Olympic Mines vs. Platinum Group, 596 SCRA 314 (2009)
Lim vs. Pacquing, 240 SCRA 649 (1995)
Cabuay vs. Malvar, 389 SCRA 493 (2002)
6.4.
Parts of a Decision
6.5.
Effects of a Decision
6.6.
The Doctrine of Precedent
6.7.
Stare decisis and Res judicata
6.8.
Reversal and Overruling

6.9.
6.10.
6.11.

6.12.
6.13.
6.14.

6.15.

6.16.
6.17.

Ratio decidendi and Obiter dictum: Aglipay vs. Ruiz, supra.

Binding vs. Persuasive Authority
Domino Method of Adjudication
People vs. Malngan, 503 SCRA 294 (2006)
People vs. Lauga, 615 SCRA 548 (2010)
Echegaray vs. Secretary of Justice, 301 SCRA 96 (1999)
Re: Petition for Recognition of the Exemption of the GSIS, 612 SCRA 193
(2010)
Baguio Market Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative vs. Cabato-Cortes, 613
SCRA 733 (2010)
In Re: Exemption of the National Power Corporation, 615 SCRA 1 (2010)
Re: In the Matter of Clarification of Exemption from Payment of All Court and
Sheriffs Fees of Cooperatives, 668 SCRA 1 (2012)
Decision vs. Resolution
Minute Resolutions
Split Decisions, Pluralities and Precedential Value
Lambino vs. COMELEC, 505 SCRA 160 (2006): Dissenting Opinion of Justice
Puno
Chavez vs. Public Estates Authority, 403 SCRA 1 (2003): Dissenting Opinion of
Justice Sandoval-Gutierrez
Case Law Materials
6.15.1 Decisions Proper
6.15.1.1 Decisions of the Supreme Court
Official Repositories of Decisions of the Supreme Court
Unofficial Reporting of Decisions of the Supreme Court
6.15.1.2 Decisions of the Court of Appeals
Silva vs. Mationg, 499 SCRA 724 (2006)
Nepomuceno vs. City of Surigao (2008)
Ayala Corporation vs. Rosa-Diana Realty, 346 SCRA 663 (2000)
Siliman vs. Fontelo-Paalan, 525 SCRA 759 (2007)
6.15.1.3 Decisions of the Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, Regional
Trial Courts, Metropolitan/Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal
Trial Courts in Cities
6.15.2 Subordinate Decisions
6.15.2.1 Senate Electoral Tribunal and House of Representatives Electoral
Tribunal
6.15.2.2 Administrative Agencies Exercising Quasi-Judicial Powers
6.15.2.3 Publications of Administrative Agencies
Computerized Legal Research Services
Foreign Jurisprudence
6.17.1 Reliance on Foreign Jurisprudence
PDIC vs. Citibank, N.A., 669 SCRA 191 (2012)
6.17.2 Caveat on Foreign Jurisprudence
Sanders vs. Veridiano, 162 SCRA 88 (1988)
Garcia vs. COMELEC, 227 SCRA 100 (1993)
Francisco vs. House of Representatives, 415 SCRA 44 (2003)
6.17.3 Citation and Adoption of Foreign Case Law
MMDA vs. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay, 574 SCRA 661 (2008)
Secretary of National Defense vs. Manalo, 568 SCRA 1 (2008)

7.

SECONDARY AUTHORITIES
7.1.
Case Digests
7.2.
Treatises and Textbooks
7.3.
Bar Reviewers
7.4.
Legal Periodicals
7.5.
Legal Encyclopedia
7.6.
Law Dictionaries

8.

BASIC LEGAL CITATION

8.1.
Purpose of Legal Citation
8.2.
Constitutions
8.3.
Statutes
8.4.
Administrative Materials and Regulations
8.5.
Court Decisions
8.6.
Foreign Legal Materials
8.7.
Repeating Citations

9.

ELECTRONIC RESEARCH
9.1.
Internet
9.1.1 Case Law
Reno vs. American Civil Liberties Union, 521 US 844, 138 L. Ed. 2D 874,
117 S Ct 2329 (1997)
Garcia-Rueda vs. Pascasio, 278 SCRA 769 (1997)
9.1.2 Caveat
Razon vs. Tagitis, Jr., 606 SCRA 598 (2009)
9.2.
Other Electronic Research Materials