Republic of the
Republic of the PhilippinesPhilippines Third Judicial Region
Third Judicial Region
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
Malolos, Branch VIII Malolos, Branch VIII
CHRISTOPHE
CHRISTOPHER R DELAS ALAS,DELAS ALAS, Petitioner, Petitioner,
v e r s u s v e r s u s
-MARIA CHRISTINA PERE! MARIA CHRISTINA PERE! DELAS ALAS,
DELAS ALAS,
Respondent. Respondent.
Civil Case No. 1234! Civil Case No. 1234! "or#
"or# Petition fo"Petition fo"
Decl#"#tion of Nullit$ Decl#"#tion of Nullit$ of M#""i#%e of M#""i#%e $ $ --- --- $$
MEMORANDUM &OR THE RESPONDENT MEMORANDUM &OR THE RESPONDENT
The R%&'(N)%NT, Maria Chris*ina 'ere+ )elas las, *hrough The R%&'(N)%NT, Maria Chris*ina 'ere+ )elas las, *hrough counsel, resec*ull/ s*a*e#
counsel, resec*ull/ s*a*e#
STATEMENT O& THE CASE STATEMENT O& THE CASE
This is a e*i*ion iled 0/ CRI&T('%R )%& & or This is a e*i*ion iled 0/ CRI&T('%R )%& & or )e
)eclclarara*a*ioion n o o NuNulllli*i*/ / o o heher r aarrrriaiage ge *o *o reressonondeden* n* MMRIRI CRI&TIN '%R%-)%
CRI&TIN '%R%-)%& &. The & &. The e*i*ioner 0rough* *his ac*ione*i*ioner 0rough* *his ac*ion 0ased on r*icle 3!
0ased on r*icle 3! o *he "ail/ Code o o *he "ail/ Code o *he 'hiliines as *he 'hiliines as aendedaended on *he ground *ha* *he resonden* is s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o on *he ground *ha* *he resonden* is s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o discharge *he 0asic and essen*ial o0liga*ions o arriage.
2
PROCEDURAL 'AC(GROUND
(n 15 &e*e0er 2612, suons and a co/ o *he e*i*ion and i*s anne$es 7ere served uon *he resonden*.
8on resonden*9s ailure *o ile an ans7er, *he cour* issued an (rder da*ed 12 (c*o0er 2612, direc*ing *he u0lic rosecu*or *o conduc* an inves*iga*ion *o ensure *ha* no collusion e$is*ed 0e*7een *he ar*ies and *o su0i* a reor* *hereon.
(n 36 Januar/ 2613, as er u0lic rosecu*or9s reor*, *here 7as no collusion 0e*7een *he ar*ies.
* *he re-*rial, *he ar*ies s*iula*ed on *he ac* o arriage. * *he *rial, e*i*ioner resen*ed hisel, idal/n Cru+ and clinical s/chologis* Ned/ Ta/ag as 7i*nesses.
MATERIAL &ACTS
'e*i*ioner Chris*oher )elas las and resonden* Maria Chris*ina 'ere+-)elas las go* arried on June 6:, 2666. Three ;3< on*hs a*er *he/ go* arried, resonden* gave 0ir*h *o *heir daugh*er dela Bea*ri+ '. )elas las. Their arriage 7as arred 7i*h cons*an* =uarrels and disagreeen*s. The ac* o *he resonden* during *heir ari*al union, 7herein she con*inued *o ac* and *hin> li>e an unarried 7oan, ro*ed *he e*i*ioner *o ile a e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage on *he ground o s/chological incaaci*/.
ISSUE
Is *he resonden* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h *he essen*ial ari*al o0liga*ions 7hich 7ould 7arran* a declara*ion o nulli*/ o her arriage 7i*h *he e*i*ioner?
DISCUSSION
Respon)ent M#"i# Ch"istin# is not ps$cholo%ic#ll$ inc#p#cit#te)*
Chris*oher9s e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage is anchored on r*icle 3! o *he "ail/ Code 7hich rovides#
@ A marriage contracted by any party who, at the time of the celebration, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage, shall likewise be void even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization.”
In Santos v. ourt of Appeals and !ulia Rosario "edia#Santos, $%& Phil. '% (%))*+, *he Cour* irs* declared *ha* s/chological
incaaci*/ us* 0e charac*eri+ed 0/ ;a< gravi*/A ;0< udicial an*ecedenceA and ;c< incura0ili*/. I* us* 0e conined *o *he os* serious cases o ersonali*/ disorders clearl/ deons*ra*ive o an u**er insensi*ivi*/ or ina0ili*/ *o give eaning and signiicance *o *he arriage.
In imayuga#-aurena v. ourt of Appeals, .R. /o. %*)''&, '' September '&&0, *he Cour* e$lained#
4
@;a< Dravi*/ E I* us* 0e grave and serious such *ha* *he ar*/ 7ould 0e incaa0le o carr/ing ou* *he ordinar/ du*ies re=uired in a arriageA
;0< Judicial n*ecedence E I* us* 0e roo*ed in *he his*or/ o *he ar*/ an*eda*ing *he arriage, al*hough *he over* anies*a*ions a/ eerge onl/ a*er *he arriageA and
;c< Incura0ili*/ E I* us* 0e incura0le, or even i i* 7ere o*her7ise, *he cure 7ould 0e 0e/ond *he eans o
*he ar*/ involved.F
Resonden*9s alleged s/chological incaaci*/ is reised on her 0eing *oo reoccuied in ulilling her dreas 7hich resul*ed in her neglec*ing her ail/. 'e*i*ioner also oin*s *ha* resonden* eno/ed ar*/ing 7i*h her riends 7i*hou* regard *o *heir daugh*er9s 7elare, con*inued *o 7or> as a call cen*er agen*, gave no considera*ion *o e*i*ioner9s oinion and develoed a se$ual rela*ionshi 7i*h her oicea*e. 'e*i*ioner9s or*ra/al o resonden* as 0eing a sel-cen*ered erson is no* enough. I* us* 0e sho7n *ha* *he souse is incaa0le o ee*ing hisGher resonsi0ili*ies and du*ies as arried erson, due *o soe s/chological illness. Hha* *he la7 re=uires *o render a arriage void on *he ground o s/chological incaaci*/ is do7nrigh* incaaci*/, no* reusal or neglec* or diicul*/, uch less ill 7ill.1
I* is no* *he resonden*9s aul* i she onl/ 7an*ed *he 0es* or her ail/. Tha* is *he riar/ reason 7h/ she is 7or>ing so hard 0ecause *he e*i*ioner has no o0 *o suor* *heir ail/. 'ar*/ing 7i*h her riends does no* necessaril/ ean *ha* she disregards *heir daugh*er9s
7elare, uch less *ha* o having a se$ual rela*ionshi 7i*h ano*her erson. s *he Cour* ruled in a case, *he 7ie9s roiscui*/ and *he s/chia*ris*9s reor* *ha* she 7as suering ro social ersonali*/ disorder e$hi0i*ed 0/ 0la*an* disla/ o inideli*/, eo*ional ia*uri*/ and irresonsi0ili*/ canno* 0e e=ua*ed 7i*h s/chological incaaci*/.2
The isola*ed circus*ances *ha* *he e*i*ioner rovided as evidence o resonden*9s alleged s/chological incaaci*/ does no* e=ua*e *o her incaaci*/ *o ulil her ari*al o0liga*ions enuera*ed in r*icles !: *o 51, 226, 221 and 22 o *he "ail/ Code, hence, canno* 0e considered *o 0e grave.
Hi*h resec* *o e$er* *es*ionies, al*hough i* is considered as e$*reel/ helul in evalua*ing *he 0ehavioural a**ern o *he erson alleged *o 0e s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed3, *he Cour* a/ or a/ no*
acce* *he *es*ion/ o *he s/chologis* or s/chia*ris* 0ecause *he decision us* 0e 0ased on *he *o*ali*/ o *he evidence.4 The *es*ion/
o *he e$er* 7i*ness, i credi0le and i consis*en* 7i*h *he *o*ali*/ o *he evidence, 7hich is also credi0le, us* 0e given grea* 7eigh*.
o7ever, in *he resen* case, *he *es*ion/ and *he reor* o *he e$er* 7i*ness are disroor*iona*e 7i*h *he *o*ali*/ o *he evidence resen*ed. The evidences resen*ed aear *o 0e e$aggera*ed e$*raola*ions derived ro isola*ed inciden*s ra*her *han ro
2 #e$el v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 1"1867, 2! %a&uar 2004. 3 'atias v. #a($a(, G.R. No. 10!!7", 0! Februar 2001.
6
con*inuing a**erns. The conclusions on *he reor* o *he e$er* 7i*ness, on *he o*her hand, are snasho*s ra*her *han a running accoun* o *he resonden*9s lie ro 7hich her 7hole lie is *o*all/ udged. Thus, such s/chological assessen* should no* 0e
considered corehensive enough *o 0e relia0le.
The e*i*ioner had *he 0urden o roving *he nulli*/ o his arriage 7i*h resonden* 0u* ailed *o discharge i*. This case does no* an/ore need an e$*ended arguen* *o sho7 *ha* resonden* is no* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h her ari*al du*ies as 7ie o *he e*i*ioner.
In conclusion, *he undersigned counsel su0i*s *ha* resonden* Maria Chris*ina is no* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h *he essen*ial ari*al o0liga*ions. er 0eing *oo reoccuied 0/ *he ulilen* her o7n dreas, irresonsi0le and eo*ionall/ ia*ure does no* ean *ha* resonden* is suering ro grave s/chological aladies *ha* render her incaa0le o col/ing 7i*h *he essen*ial o0liga*ions o arriage. Marriage is an inviola0le social ins*i*u*ion and *he ounda*ion o *he ail/ *ha* *he
&*a*e cherishes and ro*ec*s. Hhile *he undersigned counsel e$resses s/a*h/ 7i*h e*i*ioner in his unha/ sousal rela*ionshi 7i*h resonden*, *o*all/ *erina*ing *ha* rela*ionshi, ho7ever, a/ no* necessaril/ 0e *he i**ing denoueen* *o i*.
+HERE&ORE, in vie7 o *he oregoing, i* is resec*ull/ oved and ra/ed *o *he onora0le Cour* *ha* *he e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage 0e*7een Ch"istophe" Del#s Al#s and M#"i# Ch"istin# Pe"e!Del#s Al#s 0e DENIED*
(*her relies, reedies, us* and e=ui*a0le in *he reises are li>e7ise ra/ed or.
ue+on Ci*/ or Malolos, 23 March 261.
COP- &URNISHED ;*hrough ersonal service<.
P"osecuto" M#%noli# P* Nestle (ice o *he 'rovincial 'rosecu*or
Att$* /ose C#"lo Monte0#$o" Counsel or *he e*i*ioner
ATT-* /AC(EL-N /O- PERNITE
'TR No. 1234!5GJan. 1:, 2613Gue+on Ci*/ IB' No. 12334!G ie*ieG ue+on Ci*/ Roll No. 1234
8
Att$* (#tl$n A%uil#"!'il%e"# " dviser