Tenchavezvs.

Escano15SCRA355
FACTS:
27yearsoldVicentaEscanowhobelongtoaprominentFilipino
FamilyofSpanishancestrygotmarriedonFeburary24,1948with
PastorTenchavez,32yearsoldengineer,andexarmyofficerbefore
CatholicchaplainLt.MoisesLavares.Themarriagewasaculmination
oftheloveaffairofthecoupleandwasdulyregisteredinthelocalcivil
registry.AcertainPacitaNoelcametobetheirmatchmakerandgo
betweenwhohadanamorousrelationshipwithTenchavezaswritten
byaSanCarloscollegestudentwheresheandVicentaarestudying.
VicentaandPastoraresupposedtorenewtheirvows/marriageina
churchassuggestedbyVicentasparents.Howeveraftertranslating
thesaidlettertoVicentasdad,hedisagreedforanewmarriage.
VicentacontinuedleavingwithherparentsinCebuwhilePastorwent
backtoworkinManila.
Vicentaappliedforapassportindicatingthatshewassingleandwhen
itwasapprovedsheleftfortheUnitedStatesandfiledacomplaintfor
divorceagainstPastorwhichwaslateronapprovedandissuedbythe
SecondJudicialCourtoftheStateofNevada.Shethensoughtforthe
annulmentofhermarriagetotheArchbishopofCebu.Vicentamarried
RussellLeoMoran,anAmerican,inNevadaandhasbegotten
children.SheacquiredcitizenshiponAugust8,1958.Petitionerfiled
acomplaintagainstVicentaandherparentswhomheallegedtohave
dissuadedVicentafromjoiningherhusband.

ISSUE:WhetherthedivorcesoughtbyVicentaEscanoisvalidand
bindinguponcourtsofthePhilippines.

HELD:
CivilCodeofthePhilippinesdoesnotadmitdivorce.Philippinecourts
cannotgiverecognitiononforeigndecreesofabsolutedivorcebetween
FilipinocitizensbecauseitwouldbeaviolationoftheCivilCode.
Suchgrantwouldarisetodiscriminationinfavorofrichcitizenswho
canafforddivorceinforeigncountries.Theadulterousrelationshipof
EscanowithherAmericanhusbandisenoughgroundsforthelegal
separationprayedbyTenchavez.IntheeyesofPhilippinelaws,
TenchavezandEscanoarestillmarried.Aforeigndivorcebetween
Filipinossoughtanddecreedisnotentitledtorecognitionneitheristhe
marriageofthedivorceeentitledtovalidityinthePhilippines.Thus,
thedesertionandsecuringofaninvaliddivorcedecreebyonespouse
entitledtheotherfordamages.
WHEREFORE,thedecisionunderappealisherebymodifiedas
follows;
(1)AdjudgingplaintiffappellantPastorTenchavezentitledtoadecree
oflegalseparationfromdefendantVicentaF.Escao;
(2)SentencingdefendantappelleeVicentaEscaotopayplaintiff
appellantTenchaveztheamountofP25,000fordamagesandattorneys'
fees;
(3)SentencingappellantPastorTenchaveztopaytheappellee,
MamertoEscaoandtheestateofhiswife,thedeceasedMenaEscao,
P5,000bywayofdamagesandattorneys'fees