Pagpapawalang-bisa sa kasal ng edad 18 at 19

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Enero 15, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Nagpakasal ako noong 2019. Pareho kaming 19 years old ng aking asawa noong kami ay ikasal. Dahil pareho kaming nasa hustong gulang na ay itinuloy namin ang pagpapakasal kahit walang pahintulot ng aming mga magulang. Sa totoo lang ay pareho naming unang relasyon ang isa’t isa, kaya naging mapusok kami at nagdesisyon base sa akala naming tunay na pagmamahal. Ngunit sa mga dumaan na mga buwan ay napatunayan naming hindi kami magkasundo sa maraming bagay, kung kaya’t nauwi kami sa hiwalayan. Itatanong ko lang kung maaari bang ipawalang-bisa ang aming kasal dahil walang pahintulot ng aming mga magulang ang aming pagpapakasal? - Karlos

Dear Karlos,

Sa ilalim ng Artikulo 5 ng Family Code of the Philippines, ang mga partido na may edad labing-walo pataas at walang legal na balakid ay maaaring magpakasal:

“Art. 5. Any male or female of the age of eighteen years or upwards not under any of the impediments mentioned in Articles 37 and 38, may contract marriage.”

Gayunman, ang mga partido na nasa pagitan ng edad 18 hanggang 19 ay dapat mayroong pahintulot sa pagpapakasal mula sa kanilang mga magulang o legal na tagapangalaga. Ang naturang pahintulot ay rekisito na nakasaad sa Family Code of the Philippines at ang kawalan nito ay maaaring maging basehan upang ipawalang-bisa ang kasal, maliban na lamang kung malaya pa ring nagsama bilang mag-asawa ang mga partido matapos maabot ang edad na 21. Nakasaad sa ating Family Code of the Philippines:

“Art. 14. In case either or both of the contracting parties, not having been emancipated by a previous marriage, are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, they shall, in addition to the requirements of the preceding articles, exhibit to the local civil registrar, the consent to their marriage of their father, mother, surviving parent or guardian, or persons having legal charge of them, in the order mentioned. Such consent shall be manifested in writing by the interested party, who personally appears before the proper local civil registrar, or in the form of an affidavit made in the presence of two witnesses and attested before any official authorized by law to administer oaths. The personal manifestation shall be recorded in both applications for marriage license, and the affidavit, if one is executed instead, shall be attached to said applications.”

“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; x x x”

Sa iyong sitwasyon, maaari kang maghain ng pagpapawalang-bisa ng iyong kasal kung mapapatunayan mo na matapos maabot ang edad na 21, na hindi na kayo malayang nagsama ng iyong asawa. Kinakailangan din na maihain mo ang nasabing petisyon sa loob ng limang taon mula nang tumuntong ka sa edad na 21, alinsunod sa probisyon ng Artikulo 47 ng Family Code of the Philippines:

“Art. 47. The action for annulment of marriage must be filed by the following persons and within the periods indicated herein:

(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; x x x”

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

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.