DOCSHARE42567300

REPUBLICVCABANTUG-BAGUIOG.R.NO.171042JUNE30,2008
FACTS:PetitionforreviewonthedeclarationofthenullityofmarriagebetweenLynetteCabantug-
BaguioandMartiniDicoBaguio
August12,1997LynetteandMartiniweremarriedafterbeingpenpalssince1995
Initially,thecouplestayedwithLynettesparents.Martinionlystayedwithhiswifeduring
weekends,andonweekdayshewasathisparentshouse.Lynettesoondiscoveredthat
Martiniwasamamasboy
UpontheinsistenceofMartinismother,hisallotmentwasdividedequallybetweenherand
Lynette
January1999NoinformationaboutMartini.Lynettealsostoppedreceivinghershareof
theallotmentanduponinquirywithMartinisemployer,shefoundoutthathewasin
Alabang,Muntinlupa
October12,2000Lynettefiledacomplaintforthedeclarationofthenullityofmarriageon
thebasisofMartinispsychologicalincapacitytocomplywiththeessentialmaritalduties
andobligationsasstatedinArt.68-70oftheFamilyCode
SummonswereserveduponMartinitowhichhedidnotfileanyresponse.Nocollusionwas
alsoestablished.
October14,1999LynettelearnedthatMartinideclaredinhisemploymentrecordsthathe
wasSINGLEandnamedhismotherasprincipalallotee
Respondentpresentedtheletterofclinicalpsychologistwhoevaluatedthebehaviorof
Martini.Basedonthereport,Martinishowsimmaturepersonalitydisorder,dependency
patternsandself-centeredmotives.Thesituationisserious,grave,existingalreadyduring
theadolescentperiodandincurable.Assuch,Martiniispsychologicallyincapacitatedto
complywiththeessentialobligationsinmarriageandfamily
January2,2002CebuCityRTCdeclaredthatmarriagevoidsinceMartiniwas
psychologicallyincapacitatedtocomplywiththeessentialmartialobligationsofmarriage
andthatsameincapacityexistedatthetimeofthecelebrationofthemarriage
ISSUE:WhetherornotMartinisbeingamamasboyconstitutesasapsychologicalincapacity
underArt.36oftheFamilyCode
HELD:Art.36shouldnotbeconfusedwithadivorcelawthatcutsthematerialbondatthetimethe
causesmanifestthemselves,norwithlegalseparationinwhichthegroundsneednotberootedin

psychologicalincapacitybutonphysicalviolence,moralpressure,moralcorruption,civil
interdiction,drugaddiction,habitualalcoholismsexualinfidelity,abandonmentandthelike.
Theterm"psychologicalincapacity"tobeagroundforthenullityofmarriageunderArticle36ofthe
FamilyCode,referstoaseriouspsychologicalillnessafflictingapartyevenbeforethecelebrationof
themarriage.Itisamaladysograveandsopermanentastodepriveoneofawarenessoftheduties
andresponsibilitiesofthematrimonialbondoneisabouttoassume.Asallpeoplemayhavecertain
quirksandidiosyncrasies,orisolatedcharacteristicsassociatedwithcertainpersonalitydisorders,
thereishardlyadoubtthattheintendmentofthelawhasbeentoconfinethemeaningof
"psychologicalincapacity"tothemostseriouscasesofpersonalitydisordersclearlydemonstrativeof
anutterinsensitivityorinabilitytogivemeaningandsignificancetothemarriage.[T]herootcause
mustbeidentifiedasapsychologicalillness,anditsincapacitatingnaturemustbefullyexplained.
Forpsychologicalincapacitytorenderamarriagevoidabinitioitmustbecharacterizedby:
1.Gravitymustbegraveandserioussuchthatthepartywouldbeincapableofcarryingout
theordinarydutiesrequiredinamarriage
2.Juridicalantecedenceitmustberootedinthehistoryofthepartyantedatingthemarriage,
althoughovertmanifestationsmayemergeonlyafterthemarriage
3.Incurabilitymustbeincurable,orevenifitwereotherwise,thecurewouldbebeyondthe
meansofthepartyinvolved
Inpetitionsforthedeclarationofnullityofmarriage,theburdenofprovingthenullityofmarriage
liesontheplaintiff.Anydoubtshouldberesolvedinfavoroftheexistenceandcontinuationofthe
marriage,andagainstthedissolutionandnullity(semperpraesumiturpromatrimonio)
Asseeninthiscase,LynettefailedtoprovidesufficientevidencetoproveMartinispsychological
incapacity.Whilethecourtsympathizeswithherpredication,itsfirstandforemostdutyistoapply
thelaw.