May asawa sa record, pero hindi naman ikinasal

ni PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | November 7, 2026

Dear Chief Acosta,

Kumuha po ako ng Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) dahil plano na naming magpakasal ng nobyo ko. Ngunit laking gulat ko nang malaman na mayroon na palang nakarehistrong kasal sa aking ngalan at sa isang lalaki na hindi ko naman kilala. Hindi pa po ako nagpakasal at walang natatandaang pinirmahang marriage certificate kailanman. Ano po ang mga maaari kong gawin upang maitama ang nasabing record? Kailangan ko po bang dumaan sa proseso ng annulment kahit wala namang totoong kasal na naganap? — Bulma

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Dear Bulma, 

Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay maaaring matagpuan sa ating batas at kaugnay na mga desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Ayon sa Rule 108, Sections 1 at 2 ng Rules of Court:

“Section 1. Who may file a petition. — Any person interested in any act, event, order or decree concerning the civil status of persons which has been recorded in the civil register, may file a verified petition for the cancellation or correction of any entry relating thereto, xxx where the corresponding civil registry is located.

Section 2. Entries subject to cancellation or correction. — Upon good and valid grounds, the following entries in the civil register may be cancelled or corrected: (a) births: (b) marriage;." 

Kaugnay nito, sa kasong Republic of the Philippines vs. Merlinda L. Olaybar, G.R. No. 189538, February 10, 2014, sa panulat ni Hon. Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, kung saan natuklasan ng nasasakdal mula sa kanyang Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) na may rehistrado siyang kasal sa isang Korean national, bagaman hindi niya ito kilala at hindi siya kailanman nagpakasal sa nasabing indibidwal. Sa pagpapasya ng Korte Suprema, ipinaliwanag nito na:

"Rule 108 of the Rules of Court provides the procedure for cancellation or correction of entries in the civil registry. The proceedings may either be summary or adversary. If the correction is clerical, then the procedure to be adopted is summary. If the rectification affects the civil status, citizenship or nationality of a party, it is deemed substantial, and the procedure to be adopted is adversary. 

Rather, the respondent showed by overwhelming evidence that no marriage was entered into and that she was not even aware of such existence. The testimonial and documentary evidence clearly established that the only 'evidence' of marriage which is the marriage certificate was a forgery. While we maintain that Rule 108 cannot be availed of to determine the validity of marriage, we cannot nullify the proceedings before the trial court where all the parties had been given the opportunity to contest the allegations of respondent; the procedures were followed, and all the evidence of the parties had already been admitted and examined. Respondent indeed sought, not the nullification of marriage as there was no marriage to speak of, but the correction of the record of such marriage to reflect the truth as set forth by the evidence." 

Gayunman, mahalagang mapatunayan na hindi talaga naganap ang sinasabing kasal sa taong nakapangalan sa marriage certificate. Sa kasong Lizza C. Santos vs. Local Civil Registrar of Manila, et. al., G.R. No. 265114, February 3, 2026, sa panulat ni Hon. Senior Associate Justice Mario Victor F. Leonen, kung saan hindi pinagbigyan ang mampepetisyon na ikansela ang mga entrada sa kanyang marriage certificate dahil nabigo siyang maglahad ng sapat na ebidensiya na magpapatunay na peke ang kanyang pirma sa nasabing dokumento, at hindi siya ang taong nagpakasal, binigyang-diin ng Korte Suprema na:

"A marriage certificate is 'an official record in the custody of the Civil Registrar... [which] enjoys the presumption of regularity and authenticity.' Moreover, it is a public document. Under the Revised Rules on Evidence, its entries are prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated, and it is in itself evidence of the fact which gave rise to its execution and of the date of the latter. Therefore, for the marriage certificate to be deemed a forgery, petitioner needed to present no less than 'clear, positive[,] and convincing evidence. 

In cases involving the correction or cancellation of an entry in a marriage certificate which is not clerical in nature, a proper adversarial proceeding should be held, where both the civil registrar and the supposed spouse, as the person who has interest in the case, shall be impleaded. Moreover, the petitioner shall introduce independent evidence that no marriage involving the petitioner actually took place. When there is an allegation of forgery, such should be proven by clear and convincing evidence; self-serving allegations are not sufficient.

Olaybar also warns against the use of a petition for correction or cancellation of an entry in the marriage certificate as a substitute for a direct action to question the validity of a marriage. Petitioner cannot dissolve her marriage by the mere changing of the entries in the marriage certificate." 

Samakatuwid, maaari kang humingi ng tulong sa isang abogado upang maihain ang kaukulang petisyon ayon sa Rule 108 ng Rules of Court. Kinakailangan lamang na ikaw ay makapagpresenta ng sapat na ebidensiya upang patunayan na hindi ikaw ang taong nagpakasal, alinsunod sa mga nabanggit na desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Tandaan na ang petisyon sa pagtama o pagkansela ng entrada sa marriage certificate ay hindi maaaring gamitin bilang kapalit ng annulment o pagpapadeklara ng kawalan ng bisa ng isang kasal.

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.