February 2026

This case examines whether heirs may still invoke the family home exemption after the property was waived in favor of one heir, mortgaged to a bank, and was later subject to foreclosure due to loan default. The Supreme Court clarified the limits of the family home exemption, emphasized the importance of timely invocation before the sheriff, and outlined the protection afforded to a mortgagee acting in good faith.

Marital infidelity was specifically mentioned in Section 3(a)(C) Republic Act No. 9262 as constitutive of psychological violence, which evidently falls under the phrase any form of harassment or violence under Section 5(i) of the same law.

The Court revisited the purpose of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and examined whether age at the time of judgment should outweigh age at the time the offense was committed..