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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Morigo vs. People
*
G.R.No.145226.February6,2004.
PETITIONforreviewoncertiorariofthedecisionand
resolutionoftheCourtofAppeals.
ThefactsarestatedintheopinionoftheCourt.
Jordan M. Pizarras and Joselito T. Lopez for
petitioner.
The Solicitor GeneralforthePeople.
QUISUMBING,J.:
This petition
for review on certiorari seeks to reverse the
1
decision datedOctober21,1999oftheCourtofAppealsin
2
CAG.R.CRNo.20700,whichaffirmedthejudgment dated
August5,1996oftheRegionalTrialCourt(RTC)ofBohol,
Branch4,inCriminalCaseNo.8688.Thetrialcourtfound
herein petitioner Lucio Morigo y Cacho guilty beyond
reasonabledoubtofbigamyandsen
_______________
* SECONDDIVISION.
1 Rollo, pp. 3844. Penned by Associate Justice Eugenio S. Labitoria
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VOL.422,FEBRUARY6,2004
377
B,thecopyoftheirmarriagecontract.Records,p.10.
378
378
SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Morigo vs. People
OnOctober19,1993,appellantwaschargedwithBigamyinan
5
Information filedbytheCityProsecutorofTagbilaran[City],with
6
theRegionalTrialCourtofBohol.
Thepetitionermovedforsuspensionofthearraignmenton
thegroundthatthecivilcaseforjudicialnullificationofhis
marriage with Lucia posed a prejudicial question in the
bigamy case. His motion was granted, but subsequently
denieduponmotionforreconsiderationbytheprosecution.
Whenarraignedinthebigamycase,whichwasdocketedas
Criminal Case No. 8688, herein petitioner pleaded not
guiltytothecharge.Trialthereafterensued.
On August 5, 1996, the RTC of Bohol handed down its
judgmentinCriminalCaseNo.8688,asfollows:
WHEREFORE, foregoing premises considered, the Court finds
accused Lucio Morigo y Cacho guilty beyond reasonable doubt of
the crime of Bigamy and sentences him to suffer the penalty of
imprisonment ranging from Seven (7) Months of Prision
Correccional as minimum to Six (6) Years and One (1) Day of
Prision Mayorasmaximum.
SOORDERED.
reads:
That, on or about the 4th day of October, 1992, in the City of Tagbilaran,
Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above
namedaccusedbeingpreviouslyunitedinlawfulmarriagewithLuciaBarrete
on August 23, 1990 and without the said marriage having been legally
dissolved, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously contract a
secondmarriagewithMariaJecechaLimbagotothedamageandprejudiceof
LuciaBarreteintheamounttobeprovedduringtrial.
Acts committed contrary to the provisions of Article 349 of the Revised
PenalCode.
6Rollo,pp.3840.
7Records,p.119.
8G.R.No.104818,17September1993,226SCRA572.
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VOL.422,FEBRUARY6,2004
379
the fact that one does not know that his act constitutes a
violation of the law does not exempt him from the
consequencesthereof.
Seasonably,petitionerfiledanappealwiththeCourtof
Appeals,docketedasCAG.R.CRNo.20700.
Meanwhile, on October 23, 1997, or while CAG.R. CR
No.20700waspendingbeforetheappellatecourt,thetrial
courtrenderedadecisioninCivilCaseNo.6020declaring
themarriagebetweenLucioandLuciavoidab initiosince
no marriage ceremony actually took place. No appeal was
taken from this decision, which then became final and
executory.
OnOctober21,1999,theappellatecourtdecidedCAG.R.
CRNo.20700asfollows:
WHEREFORE,findingnoerrorintheappealeddecision,thesame
isherebyAFFIRMEDin toto.
11
SOORDERED.
mayorshallbeimposed
380
SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Morigo vs. People
condition and legal capacity of persons are binding upon citizens of the
Philippines,eventhoughlivingabroad.
14 Art. 17. The forms and solemnities of contracts, wills, and other
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VOL.422,FEBRUARY6,2004
381
Toourmind,theprimordialissueshouldbewhetherornot
petitionercommittedbigamyandifso,whetherhisdefense
ofgoodfaithisvalid.
Thepetitionersubmitsthatheshouldnotbefaultedfor
relyingingoodfaithuponthedivorcedecreeoftheOntario
court.Hehighlightsthefactthathecontractedthesecond
marriage openly and publicly, which a person intent upon
committing bigamy would not be doing. The petitioner
furtherarguesthathislackofcriminalintentismaterialto
a conviction or acquittal in the instant case. The crime of
bigamy,justlikeotherfeloniespunishedundertheRevised
PenalCode,ismala in se,andhence,goodfaithandlackof
criminal intent are allowed as a complete defense. He
stresses that there is a difference between the intent to
commit the crime and the intent to perpetrate the act.
Hence, it does not necessarily follow that his intention to
contract a second marriage is tantamount to an intent to
commitbigamy.
_______________
17Id.,atpp.2021.
382
382
SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Morigo vs. People
Fortherespondent,theOfficeoftheSolicitorGeneral(OSG)
submitsthatgoodfaithintheinstantcaseisaconvenient
but flimsy excuse. The Solicitor18General relies upon our
rulinginMarbellaBobis v. Bobis, whichheldthatbigamy
can be successfully prosecuted provided
all the elements
19
concur,stressingthatunderArticle40 oftheFamilyCode,
ajudicialdeclarationofnullityisamustbeforeapartymay
remarry. Whether or not the petitioner was aware of said
Article40isofnoaccountaseveryoneispresumedtoknow
thelaw.TheOSGcountersthatpetitionerscontentionthat
hewasingoodfaithbecausehereliedonthedivorcedecree
oftheOntariocourtisnegatedbyhisactoffilingCivilCase
No. 6020, seeking a judicial declaration of nullity of his
marriagetoLucia.
Beforewedelveintopetitionersdefenseofgoodfaithand
lackofcriminalintent,wemustfirstdeterminewhetherall
the elements of bigamy
are present in this case. In
20
MarbellaBobis v. Bobis we laid down the elements of
bigamythus:
(1) theoffenderhasbeenlegallymarried;
(2) thefirstmarriagehasnotbeenlegallydissolved,or
incasehisorherspouseisabsent,theabsentspouse
hasnotbeenjudiciallydeclaredpresumptivelydead;
(3) hecontractsasubsequentmarriage;and
(4) thesubsequentmarriagewouldhavebeenvalidhad
itnotbeenfortheexistenceofthefirst.
Applyingtheforegoingtesttotheinstantcase,wenotethat
duringthependencyofCAG.R.CRNo.20700,theRTCof
BoholBranch1,handeddownthefollowingdecisioninCivil
CaseNo.6020,towit:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered
decreeingtheannulmentofthemarriageenteredintobypetitioner
LucioMorigoandLuciaBarreteonAugust23,1990inPilar,Bohol
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383
SOORDERED.
_______________
21CARollo,p.38.
22Art.3.Theformalrequisitesofmarriageare:
(1) Authorityofthesolemnizingofficer;
(2) A valid marriage license except in the cases provided for in
Chapter2ofthisTitle;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
wifeinthepresenceofnotlessthantwowitnessesoflegalage.
23 Art. 4. The
384
384
SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Morigo vs. People
26
earlierunionischaracterizedbystatutesasvoid.
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385
REVERSEDandSETASIDE.ThepetitionerLucioMorigo
yCachoisACQUITTEDfromthechargeofBIGAMYonthe
ground that his guilt has not been proven with moral
certainty.
SOORDERED.
Puno (Chairman), AustriaMartinez, Callejo, Sr.and
Tinga, JJ.,concur.
Petition granted, judgment and resolution set aside.
Note.Ajudgeoughttoknowthatasubsistingprevious
marriageisadirimentimpediment,whichwouldmakethe
subsequent marriage null and void. (BorjaManzano vs.
Sanchez,354SCRA1[2001])
o0o