Dear Atty. Acosta,
MAY NOBYO AKO na apat na taon nang hiwalay sa kanyang asawa ngunit hindi pa napapawalang-bisa ang kanilang kasal. Plano naming magpakasal. Ano po ba ang dapat namin gawin? Nawa’y mabigyan n’yo kami ng payo sa aming problema. Maraming salamat.– Rose
Dear Rose,
HINDI KAYO MAAARING magpakasal ng iyong nobyo habang siya ay kasalukuyang kasal pa sa kanyang asawa. Mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ito ng ating batas at maaari siyang makasuhan ng Bigamy kung kayo ay magpapakasal. (Article 349, Revised Penal Code)
Marahil ay makabubuti na asikasuhin ng iyong nobyo ang pagpapawalang-bisa ng kanyang naunang kasal kung totoong nais ninyong magsimula ng inyong sariling pamilya. Magagawa niya ito sa pamamagitan ng pagsasampa ng petition for declaration of nullity of marriage. Ang mga batayan para rito ay nakasaad sa Artikulo 35, 36, 37 at 38 ng Family Code of the Philippines, at ito ay ang mga sumusunod: “(1) Those contracted by any party below eighteen years of age even with the consent of parents or guardians; (2) Those solemnized by any person not legally authorized to perform marriages x x x; (3) Those solemnized without a license, x x x; (4) Those bigamous or polygamous marriages fal-ling under Article 41; (5) Those contracted through mistake of one contracting party as to the identity of the other; (6) Those subsequent marriages that are void under Article 53 (Article 35, Family Code of the Philippines); (7) Marriage contracted by any party who, at the time of the celebration, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage x x x (Article 36); (8) Incestuous marriages (Article 37); and (9) Marriages that are void from the beginning for reasons of public policy (Article 37).”
Sa kabilang banda, maaari naman siyang magsampa ng petition for annulment of marriage. Ang mga basehan para rito ay ang mga sumusunod: “(1)That the party in whose behalf it is sought to have the marriage annulled was eighteen years of age or below twenty-one, and the marriage was solemnized without the consent of the parents, guardian or person having substituted parental authority over the party x x x; (2)That either party was of unsound mind, x x x; (3) That the consent of either party was obtained by fraud, x x x; (4) That the consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation or undue influence, x x x; (5) That either party was physically incapable of consummating the marriage with the other, and such incapacity continues and appears to be incurable; or (6) That either party was afflicted with a sexually-transmissible disease found to be serious and appears to be incurable.” (Article 45, Family Code of the Philippines)
Kung isa sa mga nabanggit ang dahilan ng pagsasampa ng petisyon ay maaari na niyang ihain ang kaso sa Regional Trial Court, na umuupo bilang Family Court, sa lugar kung saan siya ay residente, o sa lugar kung saan residente ang kanyang asawa, alinman dito ang kanyang pipiliin. (Section 2, Rule 4, Rules of Court) Maglalabas ng pinal na desisyon ang korte ukol sa pagpapawalang-bisa ng kanilang kasal matapos dinggin ang panig ng bawat partido. Matapos ito ay kinakailangan na sundin ng mga partido ang sumusunod: (1) Magkaroon ng legal na paghahati ng mga ari-arian ang dating mag-asawa, (2) Maihatid at maibigay ang presumptive legitimes ng mga anak nila, at (3) Maitala ang mga ito sa civil registry at registry of property. Kung ang lahat ng ito ay naisagawa na ay maaari na kayong magsimula ng inyong sariling pamilya at magpakasal.
Atorni First
By Atty. Persida Acosta
