Memorandum for the Respondent in LegForms

1

Republic of the Philippines Third Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Malolos, Branch VIII

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTOPHER DELAS ALAS,  Petitioner,

-versus-

Civil Case No. 1234! "or# Petition fo" Decl#"#tion of Nullit$  of M#""i#%e

MARIA CHRISTINA PERE! DELAS ALAS,  Respondent. $ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ MEMORANDUM &OR THE RESPONDENT The R%&'(N)%NT, Maria Chris*ina 'ere+ )elas las, *hrough counsel, resec*ull/ s*a*e#

STATEMENT O& THE CASE This is a e*i*ion iled 0/ CRI&T('%R )%& & or )ecl )eclar ara* a*io ion n o Null Nulli* i*/ / o her her arr arria iage ge *o res reson onde den* n* MRI MRI    CRI&TIN '%R%-)%& '%R%-)%& &. The e*i*ioner 0rough* *his ac*ion  0ased on r*icle 3! o *he "ail/ Code o *he 'hiliines as aended on *he ground *ha* *he resonden* is s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o discharge *he 0asic and essen*ial o0liga*ions o arriage.

2

PROCEDURAL 'AC(GROUND (n 15 &e*e0er 2612, suons and a co/ o *he e*i*ion and i*s anne$es 7ere served uon *he resonden*. 8on resonden*9s ailure *o ile an ans7er, *he cour* issued an (rder da*ed 12 (c*o0er 2612, direc*ing *he u0lic rosecu*or *o conduc* an inves*iga*ion *o ensure *ha* no collusion e$is*ed 0e*7een *he ar*ies and *o su0i* a reor* *hereon. (n 36 Januar/ 2613, as er u0lic rosecu*or9s reor*, *here  7as no collusion 0e*7een *he ar*ies.  * *he re-*rial, *he ar*ies s*iula*ed on *he ac* o arriage.  * *he *rial, e*i*ioner resen*ed hisel, idal/n Cru+ and clinical s/chologis* Ned/ Ta/ag as 7i*nesses.

MATERIAL &ACTS 'e*i*ioner Chris*oher )elas las and resonden* Maria Chris*ina 'ere+-)elas las go* arried on June 6:, 2666. Three ;3< on*hs a*er *he/ go* arried, resonden* gave 0ir*h *o *heir daugh*er dela Bea*ri+ '. )elas las. Their arriage 7as arred 7i*h cons*an* =uarrels and disagreeen*s. The ac* o *he resonden* during *heir ari*al union, 7herein she con*inued *o ac* and *hin>  li>e an unarried 7oan, ro*ed *he e*i*ioner *o ile a e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage on *he ground o s/chological incaaci*/.

3

ISSUE Is *he resonden* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h *he essen*ial ari*al o0liga*ions 7hich 7ould 7arran* a declara*ion o  nulli*/ o her arriage 7i*h *he e*i*ioner?

DISCUSSION Respon)ent M#"i# Ch"istin# is not ps$cholo%ic#ll$  inc#p#cit#te)* Chris*oher9s e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage is anchored on r*icle 3! o *he "ail/ Code 7hich rovides# @ A marriage contracted by any party who, at the time of the celebration, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital  obligations of marriage, shall likewise be void even if  such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization.”  In Santos v. ourt of Appeals and !ulia Rosario "edia#Santos,  $%& Phil. '% (%))*+, *he Cour* irs* declared *ha* s/chological incaaci*/ us* 0e charac*eri+ed 0/ ;a< gravi*/A ;0< udicial an*ecedenceA and ;c< incura0ili*/. I* us* 0e conined *o *he os* serious cases o ersonali*/ disorders clearl/ deons*ra*ive o an u**er insensi*ivi*/ or ina0ili*/ *o give eaning and signiicance *o *he arriage. In  imayuga#-aurena v. ourt of Appeals, .R. /o. %*)''&, '' September '&&0, *he Cour* e$lained#

4

@;a< Dravi*/ E I* us* 0e grave and serious such *ha* *he ar*/ 7ould 0e incaa0le o carr/ing ou* *he ordinar/  du*ies re=uired in a arriageA ;0< Judicial n*ecedence E I* us* 0e roo*ed in *he his*or/ o *he ar*/ an*eda*ing *he arriage, al*hough *he over* anies*a*ions a/ eerge onl/ a*er *he arriageA and ;c< Incura0ili*/ E I* us* 0e incura0le, or even i i*  7ere o*her7ise, *he cure 7ould 0e 0e/ond *he eans o  *he ar*/ involved.F Resonden*9s alleged s/chological incaaci*/ is reised on her 0eing *oo reoccuied in ulilling her dreas 7hich resul*ed in her neglec*ing her ail/. 'e*i*ioner also oin*s *ha* resonden* eno/ed ar*/ing 7i*h her riends 7i*hou* regard *o *heir daugh*er9s  7elare, con*inued *o 7or> as a call cen*er agen*, gave no considera*ion *o e*i*ioner9s oinion and develoed a se$ual rela*ionshi 7i*h her oicea*e. 'e*i*ioner9s or*ra/al o resonden* as 0eing a sel-cen*ered erson is no* enough. I* us* 0e sho7n *ha* *he souse is incaa0le o ee*ing hisGher resonsi0ili*ies and du*ies as arried erson, due *o soe s/chological illness. Hha* *he la7  re=uires *o render a arriage void on *he ground o s/chological incaaci*/ is do7nrigh* incaaci*/, no* reusal or neglec* or diicul*/, uch less ill 7ill. 1 I* is no* *he resonden*9s aul* i she onl/ 7an*ed *he 0es* or her ail/. Tha* is *he riar/ reason 7h/ she is 7or>ing so hard 0ecause *he e*i*ioner has no o0 *o suor* *heir ail/. 'ar*/ing 7i*h her riends does no* necessaril/ ean *ha* she disregards *heir daugh*er9s 1 Republic v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 108763, 13 Februar 1!!7.

"

 7elare, uch less *ha* o having a se$ual rela*ionshi 7i*h ano*her erson. s *he Cour* ruled in a case, *he 7ie9s roiscui*/ and *he s/chia*ris*9s reor* *ha* she 7as suering ro social ersonali*/  disorder e$hi0i*ed 0/ 0la*an* disla/ o inideli*/, eo*ional ia*uri*/ and irresonsi0ili*/ canno* 0e e=ua*ed 7i*h s/chological incaaci*/.2 The isola*ed circus*ances *ha* *he e*i*ioner rovided as evidence o  resonden*9s alleged s/chological incaaci*/ does no* e=ua*e *o her incaaci*/ *o ulil her ari*al o0liga*ions enuera*ed in r*icles !: *o 51, 226, 221 and 22 o *he "ail/ Code, hence, canno* 0e considered *o 0e grave.  Hi*h resec* *o e$er* *es*ionies, al*hough i* is considered as e$*reel/ helul in evalua*ing *he 0ehavioural a**ern o *he erson alleged *o 0e s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed3, *he Cour* a/ or a/ no* acce* *he *es*ion/ o *he s/chologis* or s/chia*ris* 0ecause *he decision us* 0e 0ased on *he *o*ali*/ o *he evidence. 4 The *es*ion/  o *he e$er* 7i*ness, i credi0le and i consis*en* 7i*h *he *o*ali*/ o  *he evidence, 7hich is also credi0le, us* 0e given grea* 7eigh*. o7ever, in *he resen* case, *he *es*ion/ and *he reor* o *he e$er* 7i*ness are disroor*iona*e 7i*h *he *o*ali*/ o *he evidence resen*ed. The evidences resen*ed aear *o 0e e$aggera*ed e$*raola*ions derived ro isola*ed inciden*s ra*her *han ro 2 #e$el v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 1"1867, 2! %a&uar 2004. 3 'atias v. #a($a(, G.R. No. 10!!7", 0! Februar 2001. 4 )aras v. )aras, G.R. No. 147824, 02 Au(ust 2007.

6

con*inuing a**erns. The conclusions on *he reor* o *he e$er*  7i*ness, on *he o*her hand, are snasho*s ra*her *han a running accoun* o *he resonden*9s lie ro 7hich her 7hole lie is *o*all/   udged. Thus, such s/chological assessen* should no* 0e considered corehensive enough *o 0e relia0le. The e*i*ioner had *he 0urden o roving *he nulli*/ o his arriage 7i*h resonden* 0u* ailed *o discharge i*. This case does no* an/ore need an e$*ended arguen* *o sho7 *ha* resonden* is no* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h her ari*al du*ies as  7ie o *he e*i*ioner. In

conclusion,

*he

undersigned

counsel

su0i*s

*ha*

resonden* Maria Chris*ina is no* s/chologicall/ incaaci*a*ed *o col/ 7i*h *he essen*ial ari*al o0liga*ions. er 0eing *oo reoccuied 0/ *he ulilen* her o7n dreas, irresonsi0le and eo*ionall/ ia*ure does no* ean *ha* resonden* is suering ro grave s/chological aladies *ha* render her incaa0le o  col/ing 7i*h *he essen*ial o0liga*ions o arriage. Marriage is an inviola0le social ins*i*u*ion and *he ounda*ion o *he ail/  *ha* *he &*a*e cherishes and ro*ec*s. Hhile *he undersigned counsel e$resses s/a*h/ 7i*h e*i*ioner in his unha/ sousal rela*ionshi 7i*h resonden*, *o*all/ *erina*ing *ha* rela*ionshi, ho7ever, a/ no* necessaril/ 0e *he i**ing denoueen* *o i*.

" *ectio& 2, Article +, 1!87 Co&stitutio&.

7

 +HERE&ORE, in vie7 o *he oregoing, i* is resec*ull/  oved and ra/ed *o *he onora0le Cour* *ha* *he e*i*ion or declara*ion o nulli*/ o arriage 0e*7een Ch"istophe" Del#s Al#s and M#"i# Ch"istin# Pe"e!Del#s Al#s 0e DENIED* (*her relies, reedies, us* and e=ui*a0le in *he reises are li>e7ise ra/ed or. ue+on Ci*/ or Malolos, 23 March 261.

 ATT-* /AC(EL-N /O- PERNITE 'TR No. 1234!5GJan. 1:, 2613Gue+on Ci*/  IB' No. 12334!G ie*ieG ue+on Ci*/  Roll No. 1234 MC% Coliance No. III-1234!5

COP- &URNISHED ;*hrough ersonal service