Epekto ng pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal sa mga anak

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | August 29, 2025

Dear Chief Acosta, 

Kung maghahain ba ako ng petisyon upang ipawalang-bisa ang aking kasal, magiging hindi lehitimo ba ang mga anak namin ng aking asawa? Matagal ko na pong nais dumulog sa hukuman upang ipawalang-bisa ang kasal naming mag-asawa bunsod ng matagal na ring problema sa aming pagitan, ngunit lagi kong inaalala ang magiging estado ng aming mga anak sakaling ipagkaloob sa akin ang aking petisyon. Sana ay malinawan ninyo ako. -- Paul

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Dear Paul,

Ang pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal ay mayroong epekto sa legal na tali na nag-uugnay sa mag-asawa at maaari ring makaapekto sa legal na ugnayan o filiation ng mga magulang sa kanilang anak.

Para sa kaalaman ng lahat, ang isang tao na ipinagbuntis o ipinanganak sa panahon ng kasal ng kanyang mga magulang ay itinuturing na lehitimong anak. (Artikulo 164, Family Code of the Philippines) Ang lehitimo na estado ng naturang anak ay mananatili, kahit pa kalaunan ay maipagkaloob ng hukuman sa kanyang magulang ang petisyon ng pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal, kung ang batayan ng naturang petisyon ay psychological incapacity ng mga magulang, alinsunod sa Artikulo 36 ng ating Family Code, o alinman sa mga sanhi o causes na nakasaad sa Artikulo 45 ng nasabing Code para sa annulment of marriage. Ito ay alinsunod sa Artikulo 54 ng ating Family Code na malinaw na nagsasaad:

“Art. 54. Children conceived or born before the judgment of annulment or absolute nullity of the marriage under Article 36 has become final and executory shall be considered legitimate. x x x”

Para na rin sa higit na kaalaman ng lahat, ang probisyon ng Artikulo 36 at 45 ng nasabing batas ay ang sumusunod:

“Art. 36. 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.

xxx

Art. 45. A marriage may be annulled for any of the following causes, existing at the time of the marriage: 

(1) That the party in whose behalf it is sought to have the marriage annulled was eighteen years of age or over but below twenty-one, and the marriage was solemnized without the consent of the parents, guardian or person having substitute parental authority over the party, in that order, unless after attaining the age of twenty-one, such party freely cohabited with the other and both lived together as husband and wife;

(2) That either party was of unsound mind, unless such party after coming to reason, freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife;

(3) That the consent of either party was obtained by fraud, unless such party afterwards, with full knowledge of the facts constituting the fraud, freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife;

(4) That the consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation or undue influence, unless the same having disappeared or ceased, such party thereafter freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife;

(5) That either party was physically incapable of consummating the marriage with the other, and such incapacity continues and appears to be incurable; or

(6) That either party was afflicted with a sexually-transmissible disease found to be serious and appears to be incurable.”

Sa kabilang banda, kung ang batayan sa pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal ay kawalan ng essential o formal requisites ng balidong kasal alinsunod sa Artikulo 35 ng Family Code, o kung ang kasal ay incestuous o kaya naman ay against public policy alinsunod sa Artikulo 37 at 38 ng nasabing Code, magiging hindi lehitimo ang mga anak sakaling ipagkaloob ng hukuman ang pagdeklarang walang bisa ang kasal. Sa ilalim ng mga nasabing probisyon, itinuturing na void ab initio o void from the beginning ang kasal. Ibig sabihin, mula pa sa simula ay walang bisa ang kasal na naganap. Kung kaya’t ang anak na ipinanganak sa loob ng naturang pagsasama ay itinuturing na hindi lehitimo. Ang mga sanhi ng pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal sa ilalim ng Artikulo 35, 37 at 38 ng Family Code ay ang mga sumusunod:

“Art. 35. The following marriages shall be void from the beginning:

1. hose contracted by any party below eighteen years of age even with the consent of parents or guardians;

2. Those solemnized by any person not legally authorized to perform marriages unless such marriages were contracted with either or both parties believing in good faith that the solemnizing officer had the legal authority to do so;

3. Those solemnized without license, except those covered the preceding Chapter;

4. Those bigamous or polygamous marriages not falling under Article 41;

5. Those contracted through mistake of one contracting party as to the identity of the other; and

6. Those subsequent marriages that are void under Article 53.

xxx

Art. 37. Marriages between the following are incestuous and void from the beginning, whether relationship between the parties be legitimate or illegitimate:

1. Between ascendants and descendants of any degree; and

2. Between brothers and sisters, whether of the full or half blood.

Art. 38. The following marriages shall be void from the beginning for reasons of public policy:

1. Between collateral blood relatives whether legitimate or illegitimate, up to the fourth civil degree;

2. Between step-parents and step-children;

3. Between parents-in-law and children-in-law;

4. Between the adopting parent and the adopted child;

5. Between the surviving spouse of the adopting parent and the adopted child;

6. Between the surviving spouse of the adopted child and the adopter;

7. Between an adopted child and a legitimate child of the adopter;

8. Between adopted children of the same adopter; and

9. Between parties where one, with the intention to marry the other, killed that other person's spouse, or his or her own spouse.” 

Sa sitwasyon na iyong nabanggit, dedepende sa magiging legal na batayan sa pagpapawalang-bisa ng iyong kasal ang maaaring maging estado ng iyong mga anak. Maaaring gamitin na gabay ang mga panuntunan na aming nabanggit sa itaas. Ganoon pa man, ang payo na 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 inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.