337 SCRA 122 (391 Phil.

809) Civil Law Family

Code Void a!!ia"e# $eed %o! &'di(ial
)e(la!a*io+ o% $'lli*y ,e%o!e Rema!!ia"e
C!imi+al Law ,i"amy -leme+*#
In April 1976, Dr. Vincent Mercado married Ma.
Thelma Oliva. But in June 1991, Mercado married a
econd time. !e married a certain "onuelo Tan.
In Octo#er 199$, Tan %iled a #i&am' cae a&aint
Mercado.
In (ovem#er 199$, Mercado %iled an action to have
hi %irt marria&e )ith Oliva #e declared void a.
i+i*io under Article *6 o% the +amil' "ode
,p'cholo&ical incapacit'-.
In Januar' 199*, the proecutor %iled a criminal
in%ormation %or #i&am' a&aint Mercado.
In Ma' 199*, Mercado. marria&e )ith Oliva )a
declared void a. i+i*io. Mercado no) ou&ht the
dimial o% the #i&am' cae %iled a&aint him. !e
contended that ince hi %irt marria&e )a declared
void a. i+i*io, there )a no %irt marria&e to pea/ o%,
hence, hi 0econd1 marria&e )ith Tan )a actuall'
hi %irt marria&e.
ISSUE: 2hether or not Mercado i correct.
HELD: (o. The element o% #i&am' are a %ollo)3
1. That the o%%ender ha #een le&all' married4
$. That the marria&e ha not #een le&all' diolved or,
in cae hi or her poue i a#ent, the a#ent poue
could not 'et #e preumed dead accordin& to the "ivil
"ode4
*. That he contract a econd or u#e5uent
marria&e4
6. That the econd or u#e5uent marria&e ha all the
eential re5uiite %or validit'
All the element are preent )hen Mercado married
Tan. 2hen he married Tan, hi %irt marria&e )a till
u#itin& and )a not declared void. In %act, Mercado
onl' %iled an action to declare hi %irt marria&e
void a%*e! Tan %iled the #i&am' cae. B' then, the
crime o% #i&am' had alread' #een conummated.
7nder Article 68 o% the +amil' "ode, a 9udicial
declaration o% nullit' o% a void previou marria&e mut
#e o#tained #e%ore a peron can marr' %or a
u#e5uent time. A#ent that declaration a peron
)ho marrie a econd time hall #e &uilt' o% #i&am'.
FACTS:
Dr. Vicent Mercado )a previoul' married )ith
Thelma Oliva in 1976 #e%ore he contracted marria&e
)ith "onuelo Tan in 1991 )hich the latter claim he
did not /no). Tan %iled #i&am' a&aint Mercado and
a%ter a month the latter %iled an action %or declaration
o% nullit' o% marria&e a&aint Oliva. The deciion in
199* declared marria&e #et)een Mercado and Oliva
null and void.
ISSUE: 2hether Mercado committed #i&am' in pite
o% %ilin& the declaration o% nullit' o% the %ormer
marria&e.
HELD:
A 9udicial declaration o% nullit' o% a previou marria&e
i necear' #e%ore a u#e5uent one can #e le&all'
contracted. One )ho enter into a u#e5uent
marria&e )ithout %irt o#tainin& uch 9udicial
declaration i &uilt' o% #i&am'. Thi principle applie
even i% the earlier union i characteri:ed #' tatute a
0void.1
In the cae at #ar, Mercado onl' %iled the declaration
o% nullit' o% hi marria&e )ith Oliva ri&ht a%ter Tan %iled
#i&am' cae. !ence, #' then, the crime had alread'
#een conummated. !e contracted econd marria&e
)ithout the 9udicial declaration o% the nullit'. The %act
that the %irt marria&e i void %rom the #e&innin& i not
a de%ene in a #i&am' char&e.
FACTS:
Vincent ;. Mercado, )hile till #ein& married to
Thelma Oliva, contracted another marria&e )ith Ma.
"onuelo Tan.
Tan %iled #i&am' a&aint Mercado and one month a%ter
the latter %iled an action %or declaration o% nullit' o%
marria&e a&aint Oliva. The <T" deciion declared
the marria&e #et)een Mercado and Oliva null and
void.
ISSUE:
2hether or not Mercado committed #i&am' in pite o%
%ilin& the declaration o% nullit' o% hi %irt marria&e.
RULING:
=e.
Article 68 o% the +amil' "ode e>prel' re5uire a
9udicial declaration o% nullit' o% the previou marria&e,
a %ollo)3 ?Article 68. The a#olute nullit' o% a
previou, , marria&e ma' #e invo/ed %or purpoe o%
remarria&e on the #ai olel' o% a %inal 9ud&ment
declarin& uch marria&e void.?
A declaration o% nullit' o% marria&e i no) necear'
#e%ore one can contract a econd marria&e. A#ent
that declaration, one ma' #e char&ed )ith and
convicted o% #i&am'. @uch declaration i alo
necear' even i% the earlier marria&e i characteri:ed
#' tatute ?void.?
In the cae at #ar, Mercado )a alread' married to
Tan #ut did not %ile a declaration o% nullit' o% marria&e
)ith Oliva until Tan %iled #i&am' cae. The crime had
alread' #een conummated #' then. To %ile a petition
to have hi %irt marria&e void a%ter Tan char&ed him
)ith #i&am' i not a de%ene in a #i&am' char&e.