LEGAL RESEARCH SYLLABUS

MSU College of Law Iligan Extension Class

First Semester, AY 2022 – 202
Atty. Vogue Vernal B. Orcullo, CP

Part I – Introduction to Legal

Researc

A. De nition of Legal Researc

B. Importance of Legal Researc

C. Sources of Legal Researc

D. Sources of La
1. Primary Source
2. Secondary Source
3. Finding Tool

Part II – Introduction to Philippine

La

A. Historical Evolution of Philippine La

1. Pre-Spanis
2. Spanis
3. America
4. Japanes
5. Philippine Republi
6. Martial la
7. Republic Reviva

B. Overview of the Philippine legal syste

1. Executive
Presiden
- Section 1, Article VII, The 1987 Constitutio
o Marcos v. Manglapus, 177 SCRA 66
- Section 18, Article VII, The 1987 Constitutio
o David v. Arroyo, 489 SCRA 160
Vice – Presiden
Departments/Bureau
- Section 17, Article VII, The 1987 Constitutio

2. Legislativ
- Section 1, Article VI, The 1987 Constitutio
- Section 26 (2), Article VI, The 1987 Constitutio
w

fi
h

o Tio v. Videogram Regulatory Board, 151 SCRA 20

 - Section 27, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution

Senate of the Philippine
- Section 2, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
House of Representative
- Section 5 (1), Article VI, The 1987 Constitutio

3. Judiciar
- Section 5, Article VIII, The 1987 Constitutio
- Rule-making power
Supreme Cour
- Section 1, Article VIII, The 1987 Constitution
Court of Appeal
- Section 9, Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended by Republic Act No.790
Sandiganbaya
- Section 4, Article XI, The 1987 Constitution
Court of Tax Appeal
- Section 7, Republic Act No. 1125 as amended by Republic Act No.928
Regional Trial Court
- Batas Pambansa Blg. 12
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in cities, Municipal Trial Courts,
and Municipal Circuit Trial Court
- Batas Pambansa Blg. 12

4. Quasi – Judicial Agencie

5. Constitutional Commission
- Article IX – A, The 1987 Constitution
Civil Service Commissio
- Article IX – B, The 1987 Constitution
Commission on Election
- Article IX – C, The 1987 Constitution
Commission on Audi
- Article IX – D, The 1987 Constitutio

6. Local Government

Part III – Sources of La

A. Sources of La

Primary sources of law - recorded laws and rules enforced by the stat

1. Constitutio
- Preambl
- Article 7, The New Civil Code (NCC
o Angara v. Electoral Commission, G. R. No. L-45081, July 15, 1936
y

 2. Statutes or statutory la
a. Statutes or Legislative enactment
- Enactment of law
Section 26 (2), Article VI, The 1987 ConstitutionSection
27, Article VI, The 1987 Constitutio
- Repeal and amendment of law
- Presumption of validit
- Declaration of unconstitutionalit
o De Agbayani v. PNB, 28 SCRA 42
- Effectivity of
lawsArticle 2,
NC
o Tañada v. Tuvera, G. R. No. 63915, December 29, 198
o Honasan II v. The Panel of Investigating Prosecutors of the
Department of Justice, April 13, 200
- Article 3, NC
- Article 7, NC
- Article 8, NC
o Tawang Multipurpose Cooperative v. La Trinidad Water District
G. R. No. 166471, March 22, 201

b. Executive/Presidential and other issuances of the different government

agencies including GOCC
- Section 1, Chapter 1, Book III, Administrative Cod
- Section 2 to 7, Chapter 2, Book III, Administrative Cod
- Section 7, Chapter 2, Book IV, Administrative Cod
- Section 50, Chapter 11, Book IV, Administrative Cod

c. Treaties and international agreement

- Section 2, Article II, The 1987 Constitutio
o Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines v.Duque, G.
R. No. 173034, October 9, 200
- Section 21, Article II, The 1987 Constitutio
o Bayan Muna v. Romulo, G. R. No. 159618, February 1, 201

d. Administrative rules and regulation

e. Local ordinances and resolution

- Sections 1 to 2, Article X, The 1987 Constitutio
o Magtajas v. Pryce Properties, 234 SCRA 25
- Section 16, The Local Government Code (LGC
o City of Manila v. Laguio, G. R. No. 118127, April 12, 200
o White Light Corporation v. City of Manila, G. R. No. 122846,January
20, 200

3. Case Law or Jurisprudenc

- Article 4, NC
C

 - Article 8, NC
o Spouses Benzonan v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 97973, January27, 199
o Silverio v. Republic, G. R. No. 174689, October 19, 200
o Re: Resolution Granting Automatic Permanent Total Disability Bene ts to
Heirs of Justices and Judges Who Die in Actual Service, A.M. No. 02-12-01-
S

- Decisions Prope

- Subordinate Decision

- Special Tribunal

- Judicial System at presen

1. Trial courts of limited jurisdictio
2. Trial courts of general jurisdictio
3. Court of Appeal
4. Court of last resor

- Principles in studying case la

1. Doctrine of Preceden

2. Stare Decisis and Res Judicat

o Ting v. Velez-Ting, G. R. No. 166562, March 31, 200
o Philippine Farming Corporation, LTD. v. Llanos, et al., G. R.No.
L-21014 August 14, 196

3. Reversal of judgment and Overruling of decisio

Section 4 (3), Article VIII, The 1987 Constitutio
o Castro v. JBC, G. R. No. 191002, April 20, 201

4. Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dictu

o Obra v. Spouses Badua, G. R. No. 149125, August 9, 200
o Of ce of the Ombudsman v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No.160675,
June 16, 200

5. Binding authority and Persuasive authorit

- Forms of Decision

1. Dispositive or Fallo and Ratio Decidend

o Obra v. Spouses Badua, G. R. No. 149125, August 9, 200

2. Minute Resolutions and Decision

o Philippine Health Care Providers, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, G. R. No. 167330, September 18, 200
-
C

fi
6

fi
2

 3. Opinion and Decisio

o Disini v. Secretary of Justice, G. R. No. 203335, February 11,201

4. Regulations and rulings of administrative agencie

Secondary sources of la

B. Classi cation by authorit

1. Primary authorit
a. Mandatory primary authorit
b. Persuasive mandatory authorit
2. Secondary authorit

C. Classi cation by sourc

1. Primary source
2. Secondary source

D. Classi cation by Characte

1. Statute Law Book
2. Case Law Books or Law Report
3. Combination of Stature Law Books and Case Law Book
4. Law Finder

Part IV – Legal Research Process and Strategie

A. Systematic Approach to Legal Researc

a. Identify and analyze the signi cant facts surrounding the particular
proble
b. Formulate the legal issues to be researche
c. Research the issues presente
d. Update – determine if your legal bases have been repealed, altered, or
reverse

B. Search tools and nders, legal research system

1. Digest
2. Annotation
3. Indexe
4. Legal encyclopedia
5. Legal research system
6. Legal knowledge management system

C. Elements of legal researc

D. Common methods of searc

1. Topic metho
fi
fi
fi
m

fi
s

fi
s

 2. Fact word metho

3. Case metho
4. Dictionary metho
5. Popular name metho

E. Digesting case
o Keep it to a useful length but do not shortchange the fact
a. Fact
b. Issue
c. Rulin
d. Rati

o Orceo v. Comelec, G. R. No. 190779, March 26, 201

o Villamaria v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 165881, April 19, 200
o People v. Panis, 142 SCRA 66
o People v. Ortiz-Miyake, G. R. Nos. 115338-39, September 16, 199
o Mercidar Fishing Corporation v. NLRC, 297 SCRA 44
o Philippine Airlines v. NLRC, 302 SCRA 58
o Samson v. NLRC, G. R. No. 121035, April 12, 200
o PAL v. NLRC, 194 SCRA 13
o Judy Philippines v. NLRC, 289 SCRA 75
o National Bookstore v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 146741 February 27, 200

F. Synthesizing Case

o Santos v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 112019, January 4, 199

o Chi Ming Tsoi v. Court of Appeals and Lao-Tsoi, G. R. No. 119190, January 16, 199
o Republic v. Court of Appeals and Molina, G. R. No. 108763, February 13, 199
o Marcos v. Marcos, G. R. No. 136490, October 19, 200

Part V – Citation

A. Citation of statute
1. Constitutio
2. Session law
3. Code
4. Bills, Resolutions and Committee Report
5. Treaties and International Agreement
6. Presidential Act
7. Administrative Rules and Regulation
8. Ordinance
9. Court Rule

B. Citation of case law or jurisprudenc

1. Case Name
a. General rul
b. Exception
o

 2. Case Report
a. Supreme Court decision
b. Court of Appeals decision
c. Other Courts decision
d. Administrative Decision

-END-
s