Karapatan sa pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | November 13, 2022

Ang bawat mag-asawa ay may karapatang maging masaya sa kanilang buhay may-asawa. Kasama ang pagdadamayan sa lahat ng oras at pagkakataon. Sa katunayan, ang pabaon o bilin sa bawat mag-asawa kapag sila ay humarap sa dambana ay ang mga katagang, “Ang mag-asawa ay magsasama sa hirap at ginhawa, sa kalusugan at sa kahinaan, sa kasaganaan at sa kahirapan hanggang sa kamatayan ay magsasama.”

Subalit may mga pagkakataong dumarating sa buhay ng mag-asawa, na sa kabila ng kanilang pagsisikap gampanan ang kanilang mga obligasyon ay hindi ito sumasapat at hindi na sila nagiging maligaya sa isa’t isa.

Kapag dumating ang sitwasyong hindi na maligaya ang mag-asawa sa piling ng isa’t isa ay may karapatan din naman silang makamit ang kapayapaan ng kalooban at makawala sa tanikala ng kasal. Sa ngayon, may remedyo at karapatan sa ilalim ng batas ang asawa na maghain ng Petition for Annulment of Marriage sa ilalim ng Article 45 ng Family Code. Ayon sa nasabing probisyon ng batas, ang mga sumusunod ay maaaring maging basehan para maghain ng Petition for Annulment of 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.

Ang petisyon para mapawalang-bisa ang kasal gamit ang mga nabanggit na kadahilanan ay maaari lamang ihain ng mga partidong binabanggit at sa loob lamang ng panahong isinasaad sa Article 47 ng Family Code, na nagtatakda ng mga sumusunod:

(1) For causes mentioned in number 1 of Article 45 by the party whose parent or guardian did not give his or her consent, within five years after attaining the age of twenty-one, or by the parent or guardian or person having legal charge of the minor, at any time before such party has reached the age of twenty-one;

(2) For causes mentioned in number 2 of Article 45, by the same spouse, who had no knowledge of the other's insanity; or by any relative or guardian or person having legal charge of the insane, at any time before the death of either party, or by the insane spouse during a lucid interval or after regaining sanity;

(3) For causes mentioned in number 3 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years after the discovery of the fraud;

(4) For causes mentioned in number 4 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years from the time the force, intimidation or undue influence disappeared or ceased;

(5) For causes mentioned in number 5 and 6 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years after the marriage.

Makikita na kapag ang dahilan ng pagpapawalang-bisa ng kasal ay nagkaroon ng panlilinlang kaya pumayag ang tao para siya ay makasal o kaya nama'y siya ay tinakot o ginamitan nang hindi makatuwirang impluwensya para pumayag na makasal, siya ay mayroong limang taon mula nang matuklasan niya ang nasabing panlilinlang o panloloko o mula nang natigil ang pananakot, pamimilit o hindi makatwirang impluwensya para ipawalang-bisa ang kanyang kasal. Ang maghahain ng petisyon ay ang agrabyadong partido at hindi ang gumawa ng nasabing panlilinlang, panloloko o pananakot.

Kapag ang kadahilanan naman ay dahil hindi magampanan ang pisikal na konsumasyon ng pag-aasawa o pagkakaroon ng nakahahawang sakit na seksuwal, ang pagsasampa ng petisyon ay maaari lamang ihain sa loob ng limang taon matapos ang kasal ng agrabyadong partido.