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SusanNicdaoCariovs.SusanYeeCario
February2,2001
Thecase:
ThisisapetitionforreviewseekingtosetasidethedecisionoftheCourtofAppealswhichaffirmedin
totothedecisionoftheRegionaltrialCourtofQuezonCityorderingtherespondenttopaytheplaintiff
thesumof73,000halfoftheamountwhichwaspaidbyherintheformofdeathbenefitsarisingfrom
thedeathofSPO4SantiagoS.Cario.
Thefacts:
DuringthelifetimeofthelateSPO4SantiagoS.Cario,hecontractedtwomarriages,thefirstwason
June20,1969,withpetitionerSusanNicdaoCario,withwhomhehadtwochildren.Andthesecond
wasonNovember10,1992,withrespondentSusanYeeCariowithwhomhehadnochildrenintheir
almosttenyearcohabitationstartingwaybackin1982.InNovember23,1992,SPO4SantiagoCario
passedawayunderthecareofSusanYee,whospentforhismedicalandburialexpenses.Both
petitionerandrespondentfiledclaimsformonetarybenefitsandfinancialassistancepertainingtothe
deceasedfromvariousgovernmentagencies.OnDecember14,1993,respondentfiledtheinstantcase
forcollectionofsumofmoneyagainstthepetitionerprayingthatpetitionerbeorderedtoreturntoher
atleastonehalfoftheonehundredfortysixthousandpesos.Tobolsterheractionforcollectionof
sumofmoney,respondentcontendedthatthemarriageofpetitionerandthedeceasedisvoidabinitio
becausethesamewassolemnizedwithouttherequiredmarriagelicenseconfirmedbythemarriage
certificateoftedeceasedandthepetitionerwhichbearsnomarriagelicensenumberandacertification
datedMarch9,1994,fromtheLocalCivilRegistrarofSanJuan,Manilastatingthattheyhaveno
recordofmarriagelicenseofthespousesSantiagoCarioandSusanNicdaoCariowhoallegedly
marriedinthesaidmunicipalityonJune20,1969.
Theissue:
ValidityofthetwomarriagescontractedbythedeceasedSPO4SantiagoS.Carioindeterminingthe
beneficiaryofhisdeathbenefits.
Held:
UndertheCivilCodewhichwasthelawinforcewhenthemarriageofpetitionerSusanNicdaoandthe
deceasedwassolemnizedin1969,avalidmarriagelicenseisarequisiteofmarriageandtheabsence
thereof,subjecttocertainexceptions,rendersamarriagevoidabinitio.Inthecaseatbar,thereisno
questionthatthemarriageofpetitionerandthedeceaseddoesnotfallwithinthemarriagesexempt
fromthelicenserequirement.Amarriagelicensewasindispensabletothevalidityoftheirmarriage.
Therecordsrevealthatthemarriagecontractofpetitionerandthedeceasedbearsnomarriagelicense
numberandascertifiedbytheLocalCivilregistrarofSanJuan,MetroManila,theirofficehasno
recordofsuchmarriagelicense.Thecertificationissuedbythelocalcivilregistrarenjoysprobative
value,hebeingtheofficerchargedunderthelawtokeeparecordofalldatatotheissuanceofa
marriagelicense.Therefore,themarriagebetweenpetitionerSusanNicdaoandthedeceasedhaving
beensolemnizedwithoutthenecessarymarriagelicense,andnotbeingoneofthemarriagesexempt
fromthesaidrequirement,isundoubtedlyvoidabinitio.
Thedeclarationintheinstantcaseofnullityofthepreviousmarriageofthedeceasedandpetitioner
doesnotvalidatethesecondmarriageofthedeceasedwithrespondentSusanYee.Thefactremains
thattheirmarriagewassolemnizedwithoutfirstobtainingajudicialdecreedeclaringthemarriageof
petitionerSusanNicdaoandthedeceasedvoid.Hence,themarriageofrespondentSusanYeeandthe
deceasedis,likewise,voidabinitio.Toreiterate,underarticle40ofFamilyCode,forpurposesof
remarriage,theremustfirstbeapriorjudicialdeclarationofthenullityofapreviousmarriage,though
void,beforeapartycanenterintoasecondmarriage,otherwise,thesecondmarriagewouldalsobe
void.
Consideringthatthetwomarriagesarevoidabinitio,theapplicablepropertyregimewouldnotbe
absolutecommunityorconjugalpartnershipofproperty,butrather,isgovernedbytheprovisionsof
articles147and148oftheFamilyCode,wherein,thepropertiesacquiredbythepartiesthroughtheir

actualjointcontributionshallbelongtothecoownership.Byintestatesuccession,thesaiddeath
benefitsofthedeceasedshallpasstohislegalheirsandrespondent,notbeingthelegalwifeisnotone
ofthem.Conformably,evenifthedisputeddeathbenefitswereearnedbythedeceasedaloneasa
governmentemployee,Article147createsacoownership,entitlingthepetitionertoshareonehalf
thereof.Thereisnoallegationofbadfaithinthepresentcase,bothpartiesofthefirstmarriageare
presumedingoodfaith.Thus,onehalfofthesubjectdeathbenefitsunderscrutinyshallgotothe
petitionerashershareinthepropertyregime,andtheotherhalfpertainingtothedeceasedshallpass
by,intestatesuccession,tohislegalheirs,namely,hischildren.