Inside 1990, Lucia came back towards the Philippines and you may recommended so you can petition appellant to participate the girl for the Canada


Inside 1990, Lucia came back towards the Philippines and you may recommended so you can petition appellant to participate the girl for the Canada

MORIGO Versus. Somebody

FACTS: Both agreed to get married, thus they were married on August 30, 1990 at the Iglesia de Filipina Nacionalat Catagdaan, Pilar, Bohol.

On August 19, 1991, Lucia recorded for the Ontario Judge (Standard Office) an effective petition to have separation facing appellant that was provided of the court on January 17, 1992 and to take effect on February 17, 1992.

On October 4, 1992, appellant Lucio Morigo hitched Maria Jececha Lumbago at the Virgen sa Barangay Parish, Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

On September 21, 1993, accused filed an ailment to possess official statement of nullity of marriage on the Local Demonstration Legal away from Bohol, docketed due to the fact Civil Circumstances Zero. 6020. The fresh ailment look for (sic) among others, the brand new declaration out of nullity regarding accused’s relationships which have Lucia, on the floor one no wedding party in reality occurred.

ISSUE: Acquired Morigo need recorded report for the nullity out of his wedding that have Barrete just before his 2nd y circumstances.

RATIO: In principle of retroactivity of a wedding getting proclaimed gap ab initio, the two was in fact never partnered right from the start. Brand new bargain of relationships was null; they contains no court feeling. Bringing it dispute so you can its logical achievement, for judge purposes, petitioner wasn’t married to help you Lucia at the time he contracted the wedding with Maria Jececha. The lifetime and the legitimacy of one’s earliest matrimony being an enthusiastic important part of new offense off bigamy, it’s however, analytical one to a conviction having said crime never become suffered in which there isn’t any earliest relationship to speak away from. Brand new petitioner, must, perforce feel acquitted of one’s quick fees.

The present case is analogous to, but must be distinguished from Mercado v. Tan . . In the latter case, the judicial declaration of nullity of the first marriage was likewise obtained after the second marriage was already celebrated. We held therein that:

An official statement of nullity regarding an earlier relationships is needed prior to a following one can possibly become legally contracted. Which principle is applicable even if the earlier commitment was described as regulations since the emptiness.

They contains stressing even though you to definitely inside the Mercado, the original marriage was solemnized not merely immediately after, but double: basic in advance of a courtroom where a wedding certificate are duly awarded and once again six months later on before an excellent priest within the spiritual rites. Evidently, about, the original matrimony appeared to enjoys took place, though afterwards declared void ab initio.

Person who switches into a following relationships as opposed to earliest getting like judicial y

On quick circumstances, but not, zero marriage service anyway is performed by the a properly licensed solemnizing manager. Petitioner and you can Lucia Barrete merely finalized a wedding offer on the own. New mere personal work from signing a marriage package contains no semblance to help you a valid relationship which means, means zero judicial statement of nullity. https://datingranking.net/local-hookup/reno/ Such as for instance operate by yourself, versus much more, can’t be deemed in order to constitute an evidently valid wedding by which petitioner could well be held responsible for bigamy except if the guy very first protects an official declaration from nullity just before the guy agreements a following marriage.

The law abhors an injustice and the Court is mandated to liberally construe a penal statute in favor of an accused and weigh every circumstance in favor of the presumption of innocence to ensure that justice is done. Under the factors of one’s present situation, we stored one petitioner has never enough time bigamy. Further, we also find that we need not tarry on the issue of the validity of his defense of good faith or lack of criminal intent, which is now moot and academic.