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PALE - Affinity and Consanguinity As A Basis For Disqualification Under Canon 3 Section 5
PALE - Affinity and Consanguinity As A Basis For Disqualification Under Canon 3 Section 5
Cont…
Sec. 2. Objection that judge disqualified, how made and effect. - If it be claimed that an official is disqualified from
sitting as above provided, the party objecting to his competency may, in writing, file with the official his
objection, stating the grounds therefor, and the official shall thereupon proceed with the trial, or withdraw
therefrom, in accordance with his determination of the question of his disqualification. His decision shall be
forthwith made in writing and filed with the other papers in the case, but no appeal or stay shall be allowed
from, or by reason of, his decision in favor of his own competency, until after final judgment in the case.
CANON 3
A JUDGE SHOULD PERFORM OFFICIAL
DUTIES HONESTLY, AND WITH IMPARTIALITY AND DILIGENCE
RULE 3.12 - A judge should take no part in a proceeding where the judge's impartiality might reasonably be
questioned. These cases include among others, proceedings where:
(a) the judge has personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding;
(b) the judge served as executor, administrator, guardian, trustee or lawyer in the case or matter in controversy, or a
former associate of the judge served as counsel during their association, or the judge or lawyer was a material
witness therein;
…….
(c) the judge's ruling in a lower court is the subject of review;
(d) the judge is related by consanguinity or affinity to a party litigant within the sixth degree or to counsel within
the fourth degree;
(e) the judge knows the judge's spouse or child has a financial interest, as heir, legatee, creditor, fiduciary, or
otherwise, in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding, or any other interest that could be
substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding.
In every instance, the judge shall indicate the legal reason for inhibition.
Definition of affinity
Affinity is defined as "the relation which one spouse because of marriage has to blood relatives of the other. The
connection existing, in consequence of marriage between each of the married persons and the kindred of the other.
The doctrine of affinity grows out of the canonical maxim that marriage makes husband and wife one. The husband
has the same relation by affinity to his wife's blood relatives as she has by consanguinity and vice versa. – PP v.
Raul Berana, G.R. No. 123544 July 29, 1999
Relationship by affinity refers to a relation by virtue of a legal bond such as marriage. Relatives by affinity therefore
are those commonly referred to as "in-laws," or stepfather, stepmother, stepchild and the like. - PP v. Atop, G.R.
Nos. 124303-05 February 10, 1998
1
Affinity denotes "the relation that one spouse has to the blood relatives of the other spouse." It is a relationship by
marriage or a familial relation resulting from marriage. It is a fictive kinship, a fiction created by law in connection
with the institution of marriage and family relations. - Tiggangay v. Judge Wacas A.M. OCA IPI No. 09-3243-RTJ
[2013]
Art. 964. A series of degrees forms a line, which may be either direct or collateral.
A direct line is that constituted by the series of degrees among ascendants and descendants.
A collateral line is that constituted by the series of degrees among persons who are not ascendants and
descendants, but who come from a common ancestor.
In the direct line, ascent is made to the common ancestor. Thus, the child is one degree removed from the parent,
two from the grandfather, and three from the great-grandparent.
In the collateral line, ascent is made to the common ancestor and then descent is made to the person with whom
the computation is to be made. Thus, a person is two degrees removed from his brother, three from his uncle, who
is the brother of his father, four from his first cousin, and so forth.
Art. 967. Full blood relationship is that existing between persons who have the same father and the same mother.
Half blood relationship is that existing between persons who have the same father, but not the same mother, or
the same mother, but not the same father.
2 legal theories
1. The terminated affinity view holds that relationship by affinity terminates with the dissolution of the marriage
either by death or divorce which gave rise to the relationship of affinity between the parties.
Under this view, the relationship by affinity is simply coextensive and coexistent with the marriage that produced it.
Its duration is indispensably and necessarily determined by the marriage that created it.
Thus, it exists only for so long as the marriage subsists, such that the death of a spouse ipso facto ends the
relationship by affinity of the surviving spouse to the deceased spouse’s blood relatives.
The first view admits of an exception. The relationship by affinity continues even after the death of one spouse
when there is a surviving issue. The rationale is that the relationship is preserved because of the living issue of the
marriage in whose veins the blood of both parties is commingled.
Cont…
2.The continuing affinity view maintains that relationship by affinity between the surviving spouse and the kindred
of the deceased spouse continues even after the death of the deceased spouse, regardless of whether the
marriage produced children or not.
Under this view, the relationship by affinity endures even after the dissolution of the marriage that produced
it as a result of the death of one of the parties to the said marriage.
This view considers that, where statutes have indicated an intent to benefit step-relatives or in-laws, the “tie of
affinity” between these people and their relatives-by-marriage is not to be regarded as terminated upon the
death of one of the married parties. – Intestate Estate of Gonzales vda. De Carungcong v. PP, G.R. No.
181409 February 11, 2010
2
“Blood relatives”
Relatives by consanguinity or blood relatives encompassed the following:
(1) an ascendant;
(2) a descendant;
(3) a legitimate, natural or adopted brother or sister - PP v. Atop, G.R. Nos. 124303-05 February 10, 1998
No affinity
Indeed, "there is no affinity between the blood relatives of one spouse and the blood relatives of the other. A
husband is related by affinity to his wife’s brother, but not to the wife of his wife’s brother. There is no affinity
between the husband’s brother and the wife’s sister. - Tiggangay v. Judge Wacas A.M. OCA IPI No. 09-3243-
RTJ [2013]
Is the relationship by affinity created between the husband and the blood relatives of his wife (as well as between
the wife and the blood relatives of her husband) dissolved by the death of one spouse, thus ending the marriage
which created such relationship by affinity?
If marriage gives rise to one’s relationship by affinity to the blood relatives of one’s spouse, does the extinguishment
of marriage by the death of the spouse dissolve the relationship by affinity?
Case 1
Judge is respondent’s second cousin by affinity, the former’s [judge] aunt is married to an uncle of
respondent. The relationship notwithstanding, Judge did not inhibit himself from hearing said electoral case.
Judge, as alleged, are related within the sixth degree by affinity in that the aunt of the judge is married to the uncle
of respondent.
WON the judge is related by affinity to respondent.
3
Judge’s nephew is the husband of the daughter of the counsel for the accused
It is alleged that respondent should have inhibited himself from Criminal Case No. 207096, entitled “People v.
Crisostomo Yalung, Roy Manuel M. Villasor, SG Fernando Tagle, and SG Ronan Guerrero” because respondent’s
nephew, Atty. Cris Pascua Zafra, is married to the daughter of Atty. P. M. Castillo, complainants’ defense
counsel in that case. Complainants’ claim that although respondent’s relationship is to the husband of the
daughter of their counsel, they did not want respondent to try their case because they wanted “to [avoid] any stigma
and/or cloud of doubt on any order/decision” which respondent may render on the case.
Cont..
In this case, respondent judge failed to take into account the loss of trust on the part of the complainant as to
his impartiality.
When a judge exhibits actions that give rise, fairly or unfairly, to perceptions of bias, such faith and
confidence are eroded, and he has no choice but to inhibit himself voluntarily. A judge may not be legally
prohibited from sitting in a litigation, but when circumstances appear that will induce doubt on his honest
actuation and probity in favor of either party, or incite such state of mind, he should conduct a careful
self-examination. He should exercise his discretion in a way that the people’s faith in the courts of justice is not
impaired. The better course for the judge is to disqualify himself. - Latorre v. Judge Ansaldo, A.M. No. RTJ-00-
1563 [2001]
Cont…
In any event, the grounds relied upon by complainants to support their motion, i.e., that respondent’s nephew is
the husband of the daughter of the counsel for the accused; that they lacked confidence in respondent’s
impartiality xxx have no merit.
The first is not a ground for mandatory disqualification of judges under Rule 137, par. 1 since respondent is not
even related to counsel for the accused. - Yalung v. Judge Pascua, A.M. No. MTJ-01-1342 [2001]
Father-in-law of the judge present in the proceeding
The meat of this motion for inhibition is that the father-in-law of the Presiding Judge, herein respondent, was
conspicuously present in the proceedings during which time he gave consultation to the complainant who was
reportedly his political leader and protégée.
In this case, however, respondent did not simply fail to recuse himself from cases in which his relatives were either
involved or interested, the record shows he did so to favor or protect the parties. – Siawan v. Judge Inopiquez,
Jr., A.M. No. MTJ-95-1056. May 21, 2001
4
As aptly explained by respondent in his Comment, the grounds mentioned by complainant in her motions to inhibit
are not mandatory grounds for disqualification. He is related to Atty. Hermosisima, counsel in Civil Case No.
517 only by the fifth degree of affinity, which relationship is not included in Rule 137. Complainant failed to cite
any specific act that would indicate bias, prejudice or vengeance warranting his inhibition from the cases. – Reyes v.
Judge Paderanga, A.M. No. RTJ-06-1973, March 14, 2008
“Imputed Affinity”
Judge Doyon should have immediately inhibited himself from the case upon learning of the entry of appearance of
his son’s law firm. - The incorporators of Mindanao Institute Inc., et. al. v. The United Church of Christ in the
Philippines, et. al., G.R. No. 171765, March 21, 2012
- Petition for cancellation and correction of entries in the record of birth, G.R. No. 177861, July 13, 2010
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