May bisa ba ang kasal kahit walang record sa PSA?

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | December 12, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ako ay ikinasal noong taong 2015, ngunit tuwing kukuha ako ng kopya ng aming Marriage Certificate mula sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) ay walang lumalabas na record nito. Gusto kong malaman kung may bisa ba ang aking kasal gayong wala itong record? - Lumen

Dear Lumen,

Ang batas na sasaklaw patungkol sa iyong katanungan ay ang Executive Order No. 209, s. 1987 o mas kilala bilang The Family Code of the Philippines. Nakasaad sa Articles 2,3, at 4 nito na:

“Art. 2. No marriage shall be valid, unless these essential requisites are present:

(1) Legal capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female; and

(2) Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer.

Art. 3. The formal requisites of marriage are:

(1) Authority of the solemnizing officer;

(2) A valid marriage license except in the cases provided for in Chapter 2 of this Title; and

(3) A marriage ceremony which takes place with the appearance of the contracting parties before the solemnizing officer and their personal declaration that they take each other as husband and wife in the presence of not less than two witnesses of legal age.

Art. 4. The absence of any of the essential or formal requisites shall render the marriage void ab initio, except as stated in Article 35 (2).

A defect in any of the essential requisites shall not affect the validity of the marriage but the party or parties responsible for the irregularity shall be civilly, criminally and administratively liable.”

Kaugnay nito, inilahad rin ng Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Balogbog vs. Hon. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 83598 March 7, 1997, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Vicente V. Mendoza na:

“xxx Indeed, although a marriage contract is considered primary evidence of marriage, the failure to present it is not proof that no marriage took place. Other evidence may be presented to prove marriage. Here, private respondents proved, through testimonial evidence, that Gavino and Catalina were married in 1929; that they had three children, one of whom died in infancy; that their marriage subsisted until 1935 when Gavino died; and that their children, private respondents herein, were recognized by Gavino’s family and by the public as the legitimate children of Gavino.”

Samakatuwid, ang bisa ng isang kasal na ginanap sa Pilipinas ay nakasalalay sa mga rekisitong itinalaga ng batas. Ang nasabing pagtatala ay hindi isa sa mga essential o formal na rekisito ng isang lehitimong kasal. Kaya naman, ang hindi pagrehistro o kawalan ng tala ng iyong Marriage Certificate sa Philippine Statistics Authority o PSA ay hindi nangangahulugan na ang iyong kasal ay walang bisa. Ang kawalan nito ay hindi nangangahulugan na walang kasal na naganap, alinsunod sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas at ng deklarasyon ng Korte Suprema.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.

Kapangyarihan ng mayor na magkasal

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | December 11, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ako at ang aking nobya ay nagbabalak na magpakasal. Nabanggit ng aming kapitbahay na maaari kaming lumapit sa opisina ng aming mayor upang sa kanya magpakasal.

Nais ko sanang gawin ito nang tama kaya nagsaliksik ako sa batas na tinatawag na Family Code at hindi ko nakita roon na mayroong awtoridad ang mga mayor na magkasal. Mayroon ba talagang awtoridad ang mga mayor na magkasal? - Marlon

Dear Marlon,

Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay matatagpuan sa Section 444 (b)(1)(xviii) ng Local Government Code of the Philippines. Sang-ayon sa nasabing probisyon:

“SECTION. 444. The Chief Executive: Powers, Duties, Functions and Compensation. (a) The municipal mayor, as the chief executive of the municipal government, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as provided by this Code and other laws. 

(b) For efficient, effective and economical governance the purpose of which is the general welfare of the municipality and its inhabitants pursuant to section 16 of this Code, the municipal mayor shall: 

(1) Exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of the municipal government, and in this connection, shall: xxx

(xviii) Solemnize marriages, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding;” 

Kagayang probisyon din ang matatagpuan sa Section 455 (b)(1)(xviii) ng parehong batas.

Ito ang naglalatag ng awtoridad at nagbibigay kapangyarihan sa isang municipal o city mayor na magkasal ng mga indibidwal mula sa kani-kanilang hurisdiksyon. Dahil ito ay sumunod na batas na naipasa pagkatapos ng Family Code, ito ay makokonsiderang pag-amyenda sa Family Code.  Dahil dito, ang mga alkalde ng munisipalidad o siyudad ay kinikilalang may kapangyarihan na magkasal.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.

Karapatan at insentibo sa nangangalaga ng PWD

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | December 9, 2023

Malimit nating nakikita ang mga karapatan na iginagawad ng ating batas sa ating mga kapwa mamamayan na mayroong kapansanan o ang tinatawag nating mga Persons with Disability (PWDs). Paano naman kaya ang mga taong nangangalaga sa kanila? May mga karapatan din kaya sila na ibinabahagi ng batas?

Ayon sa Republic Act No. 10754 o mas kilala sa titulong “An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability (PWD)”:

“SECTION 1. Section 32 of Republic Act No. 7277, as amended, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability”, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

SEC. 32. Persons with disability shall be entitled to:

(a) At least twenty percent (20%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT), if applicable, on the following sale of goods and services for the exclusive use and enjoyment or availment of the PWD:

xxx

(8) On funeral and burial services for the death of the PWD: Provided, that the beneficiary or any person who shall shoulder the funeral and burial expenses of the deceased PWD shall claim the discount under this rule for the deceased PWD upon presentation of the death certificate. Such expenses shall cover the purchase of casket or urn, embalming, hospital morgue, transport of the body to intended burial site in the place of origin, but shall exclude obituary publication and the cost of the memorial lot.

xxx

SEC. 33. Incentives. – Those caring for and living with a PWD shall be granted the following incentives:

(a) PWD, who are within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the taxpayer, regardless of age, who are not gainfully employed and chiefly dependent upon the taxpayer, shall be treated as dependents under Section 35(b) of the NIRC of 1997, as amended, and as such, individual taxpayers caring for them shall be accorded the privileges granted by the Code insofar as having dependents under the same section are concerned;”

Kung ating pagninilayan ang mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas, ang taong nagbayad para sa funeral services at burial expenses ng namayapang PWD ay makakukuha ng 20% discount na para sa namatay na PWD. Marapat lamang na maipresenta nito ang death certificate ng huli para maibigay ang nabanggit na 20% na diskwento. 

Kasama sa diskwentong ito ang ibinayad sa ataul, sa abo (urn), pang-embalsamo, hospital morgue at pagbiyahe ng katawan ng namatay na PWD kung saan ito ihihimlay.

Hindi nga lang kasali sa diskwento ang obituary publication at ang presyo ng memorial lot.  

Malinaw din sa mga nabanggit na probisyon na mayroong insentibo na ibinabahagi ang estado sa mga nangangalaga ng mga PWD, sapagkat ikinokonsiderang dependent ng isang taxpayer ang isang walang trabahong PWD at ito ay lubos na umaasa sa suporta ng nangangalagang taxpayer.  Kinakailangan lamang na ang PWD ay kaanak hanggang sa ikaapat (4th) na antas ng pagkakamag-anak (consanguinity) o pagkakaugnay (affinity).