TodayisThursday,December10,2015

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
ENBANC
G.R.No.L7426February5,1913
MARIAQUINTANA,plaintiffappellee,
vs.
GELASIOLERMA,defendantappellant.
Singson,LedesmaandLim,andTirsodeIruretaGoyena,forappellant.
JoseMa.deMarcaida,forappellee.
PERCURIAM:
Thisisanappealfromajudgmentinfavoroftheplaintiffforasumofmoneydueuponacontractbetweenthe
plaintiffanddefendanthusbandandwife,forsupport.
Theactionisbyawifeagainstherhusbandforsupport.Itisbaseduponawrittencontract.Theevidenceshows
thatthepartieswerelawfullymarriedin1901andthatinFebruary,1905,theyenteredintoawrittenagreementof
separation whereby each renounced certain rights as against the other and divided the conjugal property
betweenthem,thedefendantundertakinginconsiderationofthepremisestopaytheplaintiffwithinthefirstthree
daysofeachmonththesumofP20forhersupportandmaintenance.
Intheoriginalanswer,thedefendantsetupasaspecialdefensethatthewifehadforfeitedherrighttosupportby
committing adultery. This allegation was stricken out by the court on motion, upon the ground that under the
provisionsofarticle152oftheCivilCodethecommissionofadulteryisnotrecognizedasagrounduponwhich
theobligationtosupportceases.Notwithstandingthatsuchspecialdefensewasstrickenoutbyorderofthecourt,
the defendant, after plaintiff had filed an amended complaint, inserted the same defense in his answer to the
amended complaint. The court upon the trial, however, refused to recognize such defense or to permit any
evidencetobeintroducedinsupportthereof,towhichthedefendantdulyexcepted.
Article1432oftheCivilCodeprovides:"Indefaultofexpressdeclarationsinthemarriagecontract,theseparation
ofthepropertyoftheconsorts,duringmarriage,shallonlytakeplacebyvirtueofajudicialdecree,exceptinthe
caseprovidedbyarticle50."
Underthisarticletheagreementinsuitisvoid.Thewife,however,hasarightofactionagainstherhusbandfor
support under the provisions of the Civil Code and, although the contract in question is void, her right of action
doesnotforthatreasonfail.
We are of the opinion that the special defense of adultery set up by the defendant in his answer both to the
original and the amended complaint is a good defense, and if properly proved and sustained will defeat the
action.
Thejudgmentofthecourtbelowisreversedandthecauseremandedforanewtrial,withinstructionstopermit
theinterpositionofthespecialdefenseofadulteryandsuchamendmentsofthecomplaintandanswerasmaybe
necessarytocarrythisjudgmentintoeffect.Soordered.
Arellano,C.J.,Torres,Johnson,Moreland,andTrent,JJ.,concur.
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