tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39517545548305758502024-03-19T02:42:01.455-07:00Lawyering's Ins and Outs...what it's like to be a lawyerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-48869982338186530012017-04-29T12:13:00.001-07:002018-10-19T09:15:25.766-07:00NULLITY OF MARRIAGE: Lack of Marriage License Due To False Affidavit of Cohabitation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1FyJRcya25hgJLIxXR7gt-DFoMf2ZB2bi-z1YtHQn9h85HjVxQ-LbrpIBeGBlF_m5yzGoqvhL4EchWmTkhoKr_05rxSEWfWUoO6CGXhCPH-RD1WMRNS7NkspYTWO68vaCro1HxJiVPgg/s1600/wedding+parents.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1FyJRcya25hgJLIxXR7gt-DFoMf2ZB2bi-z1YtHQn9h85HjVxQ-LbrpIBeGBlF_m5yzGoqvhL4EchWmTkhoKr_05rxSEWfWUoO6CGXhCPH-RD1WMRNS7NkspYTWO68vaCro1HxJiVPgg/s320/wedding+parents.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Interfering In-Laws Caused the Marriage Breakdown</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><complete id="goog_712206937">@Alain Atienza Tagpuno</complete></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
petition involves a Declaration of Nullity of Marriage between Petitioner </span>J<span style="font-weight: normal;"> and
Respondent </span>L<span style="font-weight: normal;"> on the ground t</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">hat the </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">marriage
was solemnized without a marriage license, </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">anchored on the falsity
of the period of five (5) consecutive years of cohabitation stated in the
Affidavit of cohabitation.</span></span></span></h4>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FACTUAL SCENARIO:</span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J,</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> is a cameraman for TV shows that air over PTV 4, while </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">was working </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">as the head writer for the same TV shows. </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">D</span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">uring their initial meeting, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">found </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">to be friendly, kind and intelligent, being a graduate of Mass Communications from the Ateneo de Manila University. </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">As </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">always worked together on the same production, </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">their mutual attraction for each other grew. With constant teasing from </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">M,</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> their Production Manager, and co-workers, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> became sweethearts sometime in the latter part of 2001. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sometime in April 2003, while </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J ,</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">M</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> were having lunch,</span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> M</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> told the couple that they should consider about marrying since they were both of age. </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> was then almost twenty six (26) years old, while </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> was already twenty three (23) years old then. </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">M </span></b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">said that if the </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> agree to marry each other, she would take care of all the expenses and arrangement for the wedding and all they have to do were to show up on </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">the appointed wedding day. </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> jokingly said “why not?”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Unknown to </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>L, </b></span></span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">M</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> has taken the joke as an express agreement for </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">to get married. Less than three (3) years after </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> met</span></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, </span></span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">M</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> arranged their "secret wedding". </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“Everything was all set” for their wedding which was scheduled in the morning of June 27, 2003 in a restaurant at F.B. Harrison in Pasay City. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After the wedding, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> returned back to the office to do their usual work. After a few days, </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">moved in to the rented apartment of the </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">in Mandaluyong City, without the knowledge of </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">’s mother and siblings. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sometime in November
2003, when </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">'s mother and her family learned of the clandestine wedding and
their marital relationship, they all got mad against
</span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Yet </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
still cohabited together and bravely face their trials
away from </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">’s family. During their cohabitation, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> are blessed with two children.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In 2009, when </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">’s </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">mother suffered a “stroke”, the couple was forced to move in to </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L’</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">s house. </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">While they were living together with </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">’s mother, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> often felt belittled and often treated with “cold” shoulders by </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">'s mother and siblings. Consequently, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">had misunderstandings with his wife. Worst, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">'s mother would even intervene in their marital problems and would always side with her daughter. Thus, after eight (8) months of misery, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> decided to move out and rent out a new place for his family. However, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> chose to stay with her mother. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In 2010, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>J</b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">L </span></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">parted ways and live their separate lives.</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> After more than four (4) years of being separated, </span><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">J</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">became resigned to the fact that reconciliation with his wife was already impossible, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">prompting</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">the Petitioner to file a petition for the nullity of their marriage. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px 0px 0px 72px; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0px 0px 0px 72px; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">COUNSEL'S EVALUATION:</span></b></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The marriage between the Petitioner and Respondent was done </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">without securing the required marriage license.</span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In lieu of a marriage license, </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Petitioner and Respondent </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">executed a sworn </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AFFIDAVIT OF A MAN AND A WOMAN WHO HAVE LIVED TOGETHER AS HUSBAND AND WIFE FOR AT LEAST FIVE (5) YEARS,</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">attesting that both of them had attained the age of maturity, and that being unmarried, they had lived together as husband and wife for at least five (5) years. Although Petitioner signed the sworn Affidavit stating that he and Respondent had lived as husband and wife for at least five years, there was no truth in that statement, as Petitioner and Respondent had </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">not cohabited as husband and wife for five (5) consecutive years before their marriage on June 27, 2003. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The falsity of the period of five (5) consecutive years of cohabitation stated in the Affidavit of cohabitation </span><span style="background: white; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">effectively renders the marriage </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">void ab initio</span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> for lack of a marriage license.</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Article 35 (3) of the Family Code of the Philippines provides that a marriage solemnized without a marriage license, save marriages of exceptional character, shall be void from the beginning.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Inasmuch as the marriage between the Petitioner and Respondent is not covered by the exception to the requirement of a marriage license, it is, therefore, void </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ab initio</span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> because of the absence of a marriage license.</span></span></span></span></div>
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></div>
</span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">COURT FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i>(quoted verbatim from the 18-page decision rendered by the Honorable Court on December 12, 2016)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The main issue to be resolved in this case:</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Whether or not the falsity of an affidavit of
marital cohabitation, where the parties have in truth fallen short of the
minimum five-year requirement, effectively renders the marriage void </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i>ab initio </i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i>for lack of a marriage license</i></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i> under Article 35 (3) of
the Family Code.</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Xxx. Under the circumstances of the case, the documentary and testimonial evidence presented by the Petitioner sufficiently established the lack of marriage license as required under Article 35 (3) of the Family Code.</span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> As ruled by the Supreme Court in the case of </span></i></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">SYED
AZHAR ABBAS vs. GLORIA GOO ABBAS, G.R. No. 183896, January 30, 2013, to wit:</span></span></b></div>
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">XXX</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Supreme Court resolves a
case solemnized under the Family Code of the Philippines, hinges on whether or
not a valid marriage license had been issued for the couple. In upholding the
decision of RTC 109, Pasay (and rejecting the position of the Court of Appeals),
the SC ruled that Article 4 of the Family Code is clear when it says, “The
absence of any of the essential or formal requisites shall render the marriage
void ab initio, except as stated in Article 35(2).” Article 35(3) of the Family
Code also provides that a marriage solemnized without a license is void from
the beginning, except those exempt from the license requirement under Articles
27 to 34, Chapter 2, Title I of the same Code. </span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-left: .25in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Again, this marriage cannot be
characterized as among the exemptions, and thus, having been solemnized without
a marriage license, is void ab initio. As to the motive of Syed in seeking to
annul his marriage to Gloria, it may well be that his motives are less than
pure, that he seeks to evade a bigamy suit. Be that as it may, the same does
not make up for the failure of the respondent to prove that they had a valid
marriage license, given the weight of evidence presented by petitioner. The
lack of a valid marriage license cannot be attributed to him, as it was Gloria
who took steps to procure the same. The law must be applied. As the marriage
license, a formal requisite, is clearly absent, the marriage of Gloria and Syed
is void ab initio.”</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Supreme Court also held in REPUBLIC OF THE
PHILIPPINES vs. JOSE DAYOT</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> G.R. No. 175581</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">March 28, 2008, to wit:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ES" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">XXX</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Supreme Court in
this case resolves the central </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">issue</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">whether the falsity of an affidavit of
marital cohabitation, where the parties have in truth fallen short of the
minimum five-year requirement, effectively renders the marriage void ab initio
for lack of a marriage license</span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> in the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">affirmative
</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">and states that:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“It is not contested
herein that the marriage of Jose and Felisa was performed without a marriage
license.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In lieu thereof, they executed
an affidavit declaring that “they have attained the age of maturity; that being
unmarried, they have lived together as husband and wife for at least five
years; and that because of this union, they desire to marry each other.”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Marriages
of exceptional character are, doubtless, the exceptions to the rule on the
indispensability of the formal requisite of a marriage license.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Under the rules of statutory construction,
exceptions, as a general rule, should be strictly</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">,</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> but reasonably construed.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">They extend only so far as their language
fairly warrants, and all doubts should be resolved in favor of the general
provisions rather than the exception. Where a general rule is established by
statute with exceptions, the court will not curtail the former or add to the
latter by implication.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">exception in Article 76</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">to apply, it is a </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">sine qua non </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">thereto that the man and the woman must have attained
the age of majority</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, and that</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, being
unmarried, they have lived together as husband and wife for at least five
years.</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">A
strict but reasonable construction of Article 76 leaves us with no other
expediency but to read the law as it is plainly written.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The exception of a marriage license under
Article 76 applies only to those who have lived together as husband and wife
for at least five years and desire to marry each other.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Civil Code, in no ambiguous terms, places
a minimum period requirement of five years of cohabitation.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">No other reading of the law can be had, since
the language of Article 76 is precise.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The minimum requisite of five years of cohabitation is an
indispensability carved in the language of the law.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For a marriage celebrated under Article 76 to
be valid, this material fact cannot be dispensed with.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It is embodied in the law not as a directory
requirement, but as one that partakes of a mandatory character.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It is worthy to mention that Article 76 also
prescribes that the contracting parties shall state the requisite facts in an
affidavit before any person authorized by law to administer oaths; and that the
official, priest or minister who solemnized the marriage shall also state in an
affidavit that he took steps to ascertain the ages and other qualifications of
the contracting parties and that he found no legal impediment to the
marriage.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It
is indubitably established that Jose and Felisa have not lived together for
five years at the time they executed their sworn affidavit and contracted
marriage.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Therefore,
the falsity of the affidavit dated 24 November 1986, executed by Jose and
Felisa to exempt them from the requirement of a marriage license, is beyond
question.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The
affidavit merely sets forth such fact, which if found false would only be a
mere scrap of paper, without force and effect.”</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Supreme Court also pronounced in</span><b><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Niñal v. Bayadog </span></i></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(384 Phil. 661,
667-668 (2000),</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">where the contracting
parties to a marriage solemnized without a marriage license on the basis of
their affidavit that they had attained the age of majority, that being
unmarried, they had lived together for at least five (5) years and that they
desired to marry each other, the Supreme Court ruled as follows:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“x x x In other words, the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">five-year common-law cohabitation period</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">,
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">which is counted back from the date of
celebration of marriage</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, should be a period of legal union had it not been
for the absence of the marriage.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This
5-year period should be the years immediately before the day of the marriage
and it should be a period of cohabitation characterized by exclusivity –
meaning no third party was involved at any time within the 5 years and
continuity – that is unbroken.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Otherwise, if that continuous 5-year cohabitation is computed without
any distinction as to whether the parties were capacitated to marry each other
during the entire five years, then the law would be sanctioning immorality and
encouraging parties to have common law relationships and placing them on the
same footing with those who lived faithfully with their spouse.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Marriage being a special relationship must be
respected as such and its requirements must be strictly observed.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The presumption that a man and a woman
deporting themselves as husband and wife is based on the approximation of the
requirements of the law.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The parties
should not be afforded any excuse to not comply with every single requirement
and later use the same missing element as a pre-conceived escape ground to
nullify their marriage.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There should be
no exemption from securing a marriage license unless the circumstances clearly
fall within the ambit of the exception.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It should be noted that a license is required in order to notify the
public that two persons are about to be united in matrimony and that anyone who
is aware or has knowledge of any impediment to the union of the two shall make
it known to the local civil registrar.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 2px 0px 24px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It
should be pointed out that under this exception, </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">what exempts the future spouses from the requirement of securing a
marriage license is not the execution of the affidavit of cohabitation, but
rather, the fact of cohabitation for at least five (5) years without legal
impediment to marry each other.</span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Its purpose is to avoid exposing the
parties to humiliation, shame and embarrassment concomitant with the scandalous
cohabitation of persons outside a valid marriage due to the publication of
every applicant’s name for a marriage license, which could discourage such
persons from legitimizing their status.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 2px 0px 24px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">WHEREFORE, the herein petition is hereby GRANTED. </span></span></span></div>
</span></span></span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></div>
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
</span><i></i></span><i><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="color: #444444;"></span><br /></div>
</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-18532936941950872142016-10-28T17:08:00.009-07:002016-10-29T08:47:43.693-07:00Being A Location Independent Counsel: An Informational Interview and My Own Realization Of What I Am Currently Doing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiR2nJWNNTqIaj1Ou4xrX_52RpqeAUsGkIXDsOJGuwtZQw-v_l7DxluZmVF01WX0IkZtIYSO6KodDTaoP-spm9ZT4h8-IsMJ26UC69LaGQwBZ0aTLuM1zPhY3qvNdRz8ZRD-qjfzbQApHm/s1600/chucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiR2nJWNNTqIaj1Ou4xrX_52RpqeAUsGkIXDsOJGuwtZQw-v_l7DxluZmVF01WX0IkZtIYSO6KodDTaoP-spm9ZT4h8-IsMJ26UC69LaGQwBZ0aTLuM1zPhY3qvNdRz8ZRD-qjfzbQApHm/s400/chucks.jpg" width="307" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Map of the United States in Car Plates at Footworke in Cottonwood, Arizona</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Come December 14, 2016, we would be celebrating our year mark exploring the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>United States</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <i>(California, Washington, Utah, Nevada, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona</i>) and </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>South America </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(<i>Brazil and Peru</i>) together as a couple with short stint for me in the Philippines. It was our longest trip ever since our wedding day. Although we have been to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Vietnam, Cambodia </b>and <b>Taiwan</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in 2014, and </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Singapore, Malaysia </b>and<b> Thailand</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in 2015, both years' travel took only a month during the first year and a couple of months on the second year. To a lot of people they consider me very lucky that I could take "<i style="font-weight: normal;">vacation</i>" that long, which clearly shows the lack of understanding about being a <b style="font-style: italic;">location independent counsel, </b>which is actually<b style="font-style: italic;"> "work"</b> <b>while traveling anywhere in the world!</b> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This post is possibly the closest I could get in explaining the concept, thanks to the pretty and brainy, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Louell Jeanne Carman Lorzano</b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, who is graduating as Summa Cum Laude at Brigham Young University - Hawaii with a degree in Political Science minor in Public Management <i>(</i></span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>clap* clap*</i>)</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for this informational interview. She told me that this is their last paper to turn in before graduation and she has chosen me to be the professional interviewee since she is interested in what I do as her mentor. Hmm, MENTOR is such a big word!</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> So anyway, I thought I would share to you my answers both to the questions she asked, and those questions other asked of me! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7zaQSVdxHtgTKUIjTHJWiWMxAZ6LmAXelzr8_quJDBL9YdtAgXXngjLZZAidpoSpB4BKQfqchYUiCKcQQsQRHQpc8pQDmod83_Pjj3_x4YZgcQaGweaxXdkbkq0oNM-TDxCAsFBQ-kuD/s400/14800144_1336399076384462_435305221_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">BYU-Hawaii Graduating Class Photo courtesy of Louell Jeanne</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7zaQSVdxHtgTKUIjTHJWiWMxAZ6LmAXelzr8_quJDBL9YdtAgXXngjLZZAidpoSpB4BKQfqchYUiCKcQQsQRHQpc8pQDmod83_Pjj3_x4YZgcQaGweaxXdkbkq0oNM-TDxCAsFBQ-kuD/s1600/14800144_1336399076384462_435305221_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>What is your </b></span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Career/Job Title? </b></h2>
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<b style="color: #660000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I call myself a<b> Location
Independent Counsel</b>, for want of better term! I am a licensed lawyer in the
Philippines since May 1999 and the founding attorney of <b style="font-style: italic;">Mary Ann L. Ojeda Law
Office</b>, a traditional law firm housed in one room of our residence and registered in Valenzuela City (Philippines),</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> headquartered in Makati City
(Philippines) in a studio-type condo </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">manned by a paralegal and one assisting counsel, and is being operated as a</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> virtual law firm </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">throughout the Philippines, in the United States of America (USA) and
anywhere in the world where I and my husband cum paralegal are traveling.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What is it that you do on your job? Help me understand a little more about what
you actually do. </span></b></h2>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At present, I am a retained local counsel for the <b>Office of
General Counsel (OGC) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – Day Saints</b> for
the Philippines area, handling all major real estate transactions, family law
issues, visa issues and immigration matters. I am also a corporate secretary
and Director for three corporations – one engaged in employee placements in
Japan, jerseys and sports apparel </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">manufacturing</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> in Orem, Utah and a real
estate holding company with Swedish investors in El Nido, Philippines. I am
also a corporate secretary and Trustee of three 501c3 companies in the US where Philippines
is the beneficiary of their services so I have incorporated a foundation for
each of them in the Philippines, and a litigation attorney in the Philippines with
areas of practice in family law, civil law and commercial law.</span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What is a typical day like?</span></b></h2>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It honestly depends on where I am living at the time. </span>Since
I am currently here in <b>Orange County, California (USA)</b> with my husband, I wake
up at 8 in the morning (11 in the evening in the Philippines) and check my
emails to have an idea of what’s the day work would be. Then we hit the road to
see some sights, explore new places, meet some friends and do something
interesting, while my clients in the Philippines are still asleep! From 3 in the
afternoon until 12 midnight (6am – 3pm in the Philippines) is my regular work
schedule where I am either drafting a
court pleading and corporate documents, coaching my paralegal, teleconferencing with my clients,
emailing legal advice, or working with my assisting counsel on cases and other matters. I make
sure I get eight (8) hours of sleep no matter what and attend Church on
Sundays! Friday night is our movie dates (yes, Red is a sucker for movies!) and Saturday is my official shopping day whether Red likes it or not!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>The Bible Quote at the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA</b></span></td></tr>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What attracted you to this type of work?</span></b></h2>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I got interested to being a lawyer in general way back in
college when I did an immersion program and stayed with a farmer’s family in
Batangas. The family’s challenge then was legal in nature and an Education
major like me could not be of much help. So, I told myself, I am going to be a
lawyer and help the farmers in Batangas, which I was able to do after my
graduation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As to being a Location
Independent counsel, it is the flexibility of doing the two things I love - lawyering and traveling!. Maintaining a
virtual law firm, as an emerging business model, helps me simultaneously do just that. With
the technology, I am able to deliver legal services to clients (who pays the bill) while exploring new places and checking off bucket lists with hubby! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What training/education is needed to do what you do? </span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You need to take up a law degree, either a Bachelors or a J.D program after obtaining your college degree. Once you pass the bar examinations, choosing your practice areas is a self - imposed limitation! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What kind of formal education and college majors are most useful for preparation in this type of work?</span></b></h2>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Any pre-law course is
definitely useful in getting a law degree and ultimately becoming a lawyer. Personally though, I chose to finish a Bachelor’s
of Science in Education, major in English because it gives me a "degree" already
while in law school (<i>I am a licensed Elementary and High School teacher</i>), and my competence in English help me succeed in law school
since the discourses and bar examinations are all in English. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What is your most significant accomplishment this past year?</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Being able to close major real estate purchases while “<i>honeymoon-ing</i>” in <b>Brazil, Peru, Bolivia</b> in South America and the states of
California, Colorado, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Florida in
the United States. I was able to see as much of the Philippines too and other Asian countries while earning a good income and keeping our overhead expenses to a minimum. There were important litigation that were
successfully concluded while I was gone physically from the Philippines by
working with my team (i.e. assisting counsel and paralegal) who do the physical
representation while I do all the pleadings while exploring the world!. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How does this profession fit with family life?</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It fits perfectly with family life since Red and I have been able to travel together since our marriage and able to combine work and pleasure that strengthen our relationships! Once there is a baby in tow, we can choose to stay
put in one location, where I stay home with the kids while managing the law office while Red can apply for a regular day job if he wants to!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVXSCKpgZ5BlOpe2qYshwmIjC0JPNiZFayoCrUkadfQW_AJIUNCqEzZYhaeX3nO9nENBVlyZJ2Aoq3OlErzjEWL_oanQFFqHbGSsU6z7Lo-FdVfn5fDIEuPmMOFanK5sSG3iwqvDI9IJX/s1600/IMGP7626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVXSCKpgZ5BlOpe2qYshwmIjC0JPNiZFayoCrUkadfQW_AJIUNCqEzZYhaeX3nO9nENBVlyZJ2Aoq3OlErzjEWL_oanQFFqHbGSsU6z7Lo-FdVfn5fDIEuPmMOFanK5sSG3iwqvDI9IJX/s400/IMGP7626.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>In Copacabana Beach imitating the Rio De Janeiro Olympics poster </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What keeps you interested in the work?</span></b></h2>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The thought that my
husband and I can pretty much settle anywhere in the world with internet. In this digital age we live in, it is
becoming increasingly easy and profitable to have this small- sized law firm extends
to multi-lawyer, multi-jurisdiction law firm offering full-service
representation and online delivery of legal services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What does it take to become successful here?</span></b></h2>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To become a successful location independent counsel<span style="background: white;">, you need to establish yourself f</span>irst as an <span style="background: white;">expert in your chosen field and be that
“go-to-person”. That requires not only</span> prior skills and experience but
also being dependable and disciplined. When you commit to a deadline be sure to
deliver on the appointed time and communicate with clients promptly and
clearly. Since everything is online, much of the success depends on how well I use
the internet/social media and cloud-based technology to operate the firm and deliver
legal services.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What are the professional networks or organizations associated with
this career?</span></b></h2>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As an LDS lawyer, the most important network for me is the <b><a href="http://www.jrcls.org/">J.Reuben Clark Law Society </a></b>with more than 75 chapters all over the world. I am
the founding officer of the JRCLS Philippines Chapter and have met a lot of
lawyers with the same values and have helped a lot of people through
maintaining a network with the lawyers I met during annual conferences around the
US, Asia Pacific Conference in Australia and New Zealand and Leadership
Conference in Utah. Locally, I am a member of the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) and with networks among my classmates, professors and students who
are now lawyers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What advice do you have for a person who is interested in doing
this kind of work?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You are on the right track already by doing so well in your undergraduate studies. Just keep at it
and dream, dream BIG if you must – and have the guts to live your dream by being
disciplined and firmly grounded. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-16191901952843905382015-07-03T19:01:00.000-07:002018-10-19T09:12:40.036-07:00NULLITY OF MARRIAGE: Lady B's Bigamous Subsequent Marriage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUGedAACv00XhKKYgs37mHTTzs-cR146ALIgGz3trBv9TGAjAc6X7_qCERfcemyNb8BrBM_pyj8m6LJjMtGyXTISYOajdFmWnepGzEAUA8yt4PGP1gjhdxVudj7dtEjKv1xi1xROuMdHc/s1600/two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUGedAACv00XhKKYgs37mHTTzs-cR146ALIgGz3trBv9TGAjAc6X7_qCERfcemyNb8BrBM_pyj8m6LJjMtGyXTISYOajdFmWnepGzEAUA8yt4PGP1gjhdxVudj7dtEjKv1xi1xROuMdHc/s400/two.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>FACTUAL SCENARIO:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Lady B </b></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">came to know of <b>Guy A</b> through a common
friend. For several months of regular dating, the two became lovers. <b>B</b> married <b>A</b> in a civil
wedding held on April 3, 1998. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The union of <b>B </b>and <b>A</b> begot them two children namely – <b>V </b>and <b>S</b>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Unknown
to <b>B</b>, <b>A</b> was at the time of their marriage is still very much united in
a lawful wedlock with one <b>J </b>whom A married in 1997. <b>A</b> knew that during his marriage to <b>B</b> that <b>J </b>is still alive. In
one occasion, <b>B</b> saw <b>A </b>talking to <b>J</b> just
outside their house in San Juan. When <b>B</b> confronted <b>A </b>about the incident, <b>A</b> intimated that he contracted a “<i>secret marriage</i>” with <b>J </b>but said marriage
was not registered and thus not valid.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Regrettably, <b>B</b> later discovered the whole truth when <b>A</b> left her and her daughters. The twin marriages of <b>A</b> with both <b>B</b> and <b>J </b>were duly evidenced and supported by Certificates of Marriage, which is a matter of public record.</span></div>
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<b>COUNSEL'S EVALUATION:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>A</b>’s
deliberate disregard of the permanent and sacrosanct character of marriage
gives rise to a criminal prosecution for <b>Bigamy</b>. Likewise, the subsequent marriage to <b>B</b> without annulling his prior marriage with <b>J</b> has resulted in a <b>bigamous</b>
arrangement, which makes the subsequent marriage void from the beginning
pursuant to the provisions of <b>Article 2 (Par. 1) </b>in relation to<b> Article 35, Paragraph 4 </b>and<b> Article 41 </b>of the Family Code.</span></div>
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</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i> “<b>Article 2. </b>No marriage shall be valid
,unless these essential requisites are present:<br /> </i><i>(<b>1</b>)<!--[endif]-->Legal capacity of the
contracting parties who must be male and female. Xxx</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"<b>Article 35</b>. The following marriages shall be void from
the beginning: xxx <b>(4) </b>Those bigamous or polygamous marriages not falling under
Article 41 (declared presumptively dead</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">)."</span></span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But
regrettably for <b>B</b>, terminating her marriage to <b>A</b> given the
circumstances is still <span style="background: white;">very
unpopular in the Philippines due to very strong religious influence to the laws
and the courts. Under </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.6pt;">Article 40 of the
Family Code, </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.6pt;">“<b>the
absolute nullity of a previous marriage may be invoked for purposes of remarriage
on the basis solely of a final judgment declaring such previous marriage
void</b>”</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.6pt;">.</span><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.6pt;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Simply put, </span><b style="background-color: transparent;">B</b><span style="background-color: transparent;">’s only recourse to terminate her bigamous marriage to </span><b style="background-color: transparent;">A</b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> is through a petition asking the court to declare
the marriage void. </span><b style="background-color: transparent;">B</b><span style="background-color: transparent;">’s </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">petition for declaration of absolute
nullity of <b>void marriage</b> is
subjected to </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">a full blown trial where the presiding judge
personally conducts the trial of the case. The judge cannot delegate reception
of evidence to a commissioner and no judgment on the pleadings, summary
judgment, or confession of judgment shall be allowed. </span><b style="background-color: transparent;">B</b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> must prove the
grounds for </span><b style="background-color: transparent;">Nullity</b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> through
presentation of at least three witnesses including her as the petitioning
spouse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>COURT FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>(quoted verbatim from the decision rendered by the Honorable Court on January 7, 2013)</i></span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><b>"</b>Respondent (<b>A</b>)'s name is <b>A.R.A. </b>In his Certificate of Marriage with <b>B</b>, which was celebrated on April 3, 1998, his birth date is listed as April 12, 1973. Also in the same Certificate of Marriage, his parents are J.A and J.R and his birthplace is Manila. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In his Certificate of Marriage with <b>J, </b>which was officiated on April 14, 1997, the same details appear. Respondent's birth certificate shows identical personal circumstances. The NSO certification (re-marked Exhibit "N") points to respondent <b>A's </b>marriages to <b>J </b>and petitioner <b>B</b>.</span></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br />
This Court is convinced by <b>preponderance of evidence</b> that respondent who was married to petitioner (<b>B</b>) is one and the same person who had wedded <b>J</b>. <b>Preponderance of evidence</b> means "the greater weight of the evidence required in a civil (non-criminal) lawsuit for the trier of fact (jury or judge without a jury) to decide in favor of one side or the other". This preponderance is based on the more convincing evidence and its probable truth or accuracy, and not on the amount of evidence. Thus, one clearly knowledgeable witness may provide a preponderance of evidence over a dozen of witnesses with hazy testimony, or a signed agreement with definite terms may outweigh opinions or speculations about what the parties intended. Preponderance of evidence is required in a civil case and is contrasted by "<b>proof beyond reasonable doubt</b>", which is the more severe test required to convict in a criminal trial. No matter what the definition stated in various opinions, the meaning is somewhat subjected".</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Clearly, respondent (<b>A</b>)'s marriage to petitioner (<b>B</b>) is bigamous. There is no evidence on record that respondent's first marriage to had been nullified or dissolved before his marriage was officiated . The State and respondent offered no evidence on this score. </span>The Certificate of Marriage between respondent (<b>A</b>) and <b>J</b> and the NSO certification (re-marked Exhibit "N") are <b>prima facie evidence of their contents</b> - that is, a marriage still subsists between respondent and <b>J. </b>In the absence of contrary evidence, this Court gives force and effect to these documents as to what they each narrate.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br />
The minor children <b>V</b> and <b>S, </b>shall be under the care and custody of petitioner. Respondent has been duly summoned in this case but he failed to appear. Further, as the evidence shows, he abandoned them when he left for places unknown until he was located when the summons was served on him. He failed to give support to petitioner and their minor children. He has been an absentee father and husband since he left the abode with petitioner <b>B</b> and their children.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">WHEREFORE, the petition for nullity of marriage is granted. Judgment is rendered nullifying the marriage between <span class="il"><b>B</b></span> and <b>A</b> under Article 35 and 41 of the Family Code. Further, the care and custody of daughters <b>V</b> and <b>S</b> are awarded to petitioner <span class="il"><b>B</b></span> without prejudice to respondent <b>A</b></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">'s visitation right</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">."</span></i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-63679240776866318642015-07-02T08:36:00.000-07:002015-07-03T20:42:23.923-07:00NULLITY OF MARRIAGE: Y, the Passive - Agressive and P, the Anti - Social<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosW4WXp1Iz_2Q-XrD3CR0ewE46yVzZo0SCcPMf5mhJuOvpe4dgD6Z6m_lx1Dq_hV0dtss3-k07gibfb71K08tEnZ3hSwnUQ6FVl55xpqDBPc-rTpcufIbus8rWSQXn5OS6ThKqeFffoaN/s1600/broken+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosW4WXp1Iz_2Q-XrD3CR0ewE46yVzZo0SCcPMf5mhJuOvpe4dgD6Z6m_lx1Dq_hV0dtss3-k07gibfb71K08tEnZ3hSwnUQ6FVl55xpqDBPc-rTpcufIbus8rWSQXn5OS6ThKqeFffoaN/s400/broken+heart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>FACTUAL SCENARIO: </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Lady Y </b>and <b>Guy P</b> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">were both in their late twenties when they </span>met<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">through a co-worker. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">here was instant attraction
between them on their first date. <b>Y </b>found <b>P </b>to be a man of
few words, quite reserved, seemed responsible, and intelligent. </span></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">P</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> was very sweet, always giving </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Y</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> flowers and fetching her whenever she went. These qualities made it e</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">asy for <b>Y</b> to agree to be in a relationships with <b>P</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> shortly thereafter. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">For </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">eight (8) months of dating, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Y</b> and <b>P</b> had a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">very mature relationship.<b> </b>They </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -30px;">were very open to each other’s feelings and ideas</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> and</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"> communicated well</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>P</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -30px;">devoted most of his time to <b>Y</b>,<b> </b>and very seldom go </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">out with friends unlike before they got engaged. Eventually,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><i> </i><b>Y</b> and<i> </i><b>P</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> mutually decided to get married after a few months of preparation. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">After the wedding</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">, <b>Y</b> and <b>P</b> rented </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">a small one-bedroom apartment owned by and located right behind <b>Y</b>’s parents’ home. </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><b>Y</b> didn’t like the idea of living close to her parents, but she </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">agreed to this arrangement since <b>P </b>promised that </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -30px;">they would eventually move to a bigger place away from </span><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -30px;">Y</b><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -30px;">’s parents, once they are able to </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">save money. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><b>Y</b> and <b>P</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">had a very peaceful and happy conjugal
life together. </span><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">P</b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> liked that </span><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Y </b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">knew how to cook various meals
and keep the house comfortable and in order. </span><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">P, </b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">who worked as a shift
manager in a call-center worked the night-shift, always coming home at
the expected time. </span><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Y</b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> did her best to keep their expenses within their
budget and have a little extra put away for savings. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">The couple decided that <b>Y</b> should stop working so that </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> <b>Y</b></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> could get pregnant right away.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Three (3) months into the
marriage, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Y</b> became pregnant. She</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><b> </b>excitedly told <b>P </b>about her pregnancy, but <b>P</b> just smiled and said something like “<i>really…</i>?”. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> In the weeks that followed, <b>P</b></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> became secretive and withdrawn. He refused to talk about things whenever <b>Y </b>asked
him if something was wrong. <b>P</b> spent less time at home and whatever
time he did spend at home he usually spent either just sleeping or playing
computer games.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> <b>P</b> also started coming home late and drunk and neighbors also reported that <b>P</b> was taking
drugs.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"> Soon after, petty issues became intense verbal arguments that eventually turned physical, with </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><b>P </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">displaying </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">erratic behavior, hurting Y even though she was heavy with a child. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">W</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hen <b>Y </b>was about 6-7 months pregnant, <b>Y</b> found a message on <b>P</b>’s mobile phone with the contact information
listed as “HR-etel” and a message saying “</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m
ready to finally let you go, and not worry about the baby</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">”. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Enraged when confronted, <b>P</b> pushed <b>Y </b>to grab his mobile
phone away from her which caused <b>Y</b> to fall backwards on the floor. <b> Y </b>sustained bruises on her arms, but refused to go to
the police to report domestic abuse. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To quell further troubles,<b> Y</b>’s parents came in
and intervened in the couple’s quarrels and
talked to <b>P</b>. They agreed that it was best that <b>P</b> leave <b>Y</b> alone for a while because <b>Y </b>was too stressed out and it
could affect her pregnancy. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After <b>Y</b> and <b>P</b>’s daughter was born, <b>P</b> moved back to their
apartment. However, weeks thereafter, <b>Y </b>observed that <b>P </b>returned to his usual habits - of being lazy and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;">often inconsiderate. Even though<b> Y </b>was exhausted from lack of sleep
because of breastfeeding the baby, <b>P</b> would usually come home later
than expected, eat, play some tunes on his electric guitar in high volume while <b>Y </b>was trying to sleep. O</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ne stormy
afternoon while <b>P </b>slept the entire day, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><b>Y,</b> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">with her daughter, decided to go back to her parents’ home </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. For three (3) days that <b>Y </b>and baby were gone, <b>P</b> didn’t even bother to visit
them just next door. That was the end of the <b>one and a half years</b> of marriage between <b>Y</b> and <b>P. </b>Before long, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;"><b>P</b> started
cohabiting with his then mistress and fathered a child out of wedlock.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -60px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: -60px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -60px;"><b>COUNSEL'S EVALUATION</b>: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -60px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: -60px;">A</span>fter three (3) years of physical separation from <b>P</b>, <b>Y</b> consulted this representation for a possible termination of her marriage to <b>P</b>. Counsel referred <b>Y</b> to a licensed clinical psychologist for the purpose of confirming that the physical manifestations - <i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">such that <b>P</b> has cracked up and suddenly became lazy, inconsiderate, irresponsible, lacks
ambition, physically and verbally abusive, womanizer, liar and shows no remorse
for his unacceptable actions</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>when <b>Y</b> became pregnant and after giving birth
to their child </i>- we</span>re indications that either or both of them are suffering from psychological incapacity that unable them to c</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">omply with the essential marital obligations of the marriage. Clinical psychologist found that both <b>Y</b> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">and <b>P</b> were suffering from a deep-seated, grave and incurable psychologically
incapacity that made them unable to assume the essential obligations of
marriage. Thus, we filed a </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">petition for nullity of marriage based on the provision of <b>Article 36 of the Family Code</b> of the
Philippines, which reads as follows:</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“</span><i style="text-align: justify;"><b>Art. 36</b>. 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 if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization</i><span style="text-align: justify;">”.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>COURT FINDINGS and CONCLUSION: </b><i>(quoted verbatim from the decision rendered by the Honorable Court on May 11, 2015)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b> "Xxx </b>v</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">iewed from the foregoing, Petitioner (<b>Y)</b> and Respondent (<b>P)</b> labor under an affliction </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">that makes conjugal life unbearable. For <b>Y</b>, the mere thought of <b>P</b> makes her feel very angry and resentful. <b>P</b>, at the time of the celebration of his marriage with <b>Y</b>, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations, and such incapacity became manifest only after the wedding.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Again, with this statement by Y, the Court now goes back to the provision of <b>Article 36 of the Family Code</b>, thus:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <i>"<b>Art. 36</b>. A marriage contracted by any party, who at the time of the celebration, </i></span></span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations </i><i style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">of marriage, shall likewise be void even if such incapacity becomes manifest only </i><i style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">after its solemnization."</i></blockquote>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Relevant to the above cited law, Clinical Psychologist in her testimony and clinical evaluation told the Court that </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">both parties are suffering from psychological incapacity. <b>Y</b> is suffering from <b>Passive - Agressive Personality Disorder </b>while <b>P</b> on the other hand is suffering from <b>Anti-Social Personality Disorder</b>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She further concluded that the psychological incapacity of both parties are characterized by juridical antecedence as it already started long before they entered marriage. Since it started early in life, it has been deeply embedded within their system and becomes an integral part of their personality structure, thereby rendering such to be permanent and incurable. It is egosyntonic, meaning, they are no longer directly affected by their behavior making them blinded to undergo treatment. With these premises considered, there is no doubt that reconciliation will no longer exist between the parties. Thus, the undersigned strongly recommends that their marriage be severed and declared null and void.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With the testimony of petitioner (<b>Y</b>) and the clinical psychologist, and based from the evidence as appearing in the record of the case, the Court believes that, p</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">etitioner (<b>Y</b>) preponderantly proved <b>her petition for declaration of her marriage be granted in the AFFIRMATIVE</b>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Declaring the marriage between Y and P which was solemnized on a certain date and place as <b>NULL and VOID</b> in accordance with Article 36 of the Family Code;</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">2. Allowing </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Y </b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">to use her maiden name at her option;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. Ordering that the parties' minor child shall continue to be under the custody of </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Y </b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">subject to visitation by </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">P</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4. Ordering the dissolution of their community property regime if there is any; and</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Further directing the Local Civil Registrar and Civil Registrar General, Philippine Statistics Authority to annotate / write as "ANNULLED" on the Certificate of Marriage of parties in their respective Register (Book of Marriage) and to render the same without force and effect. "<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-22700490854103139772014-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:002015-07-03T09:38:30.954-07:00MARRIAGE MATTER: Recording and Validity.<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n55GS_zb75puM0mCfTDUux8lZ1vW-emKWhqQ9YqHdEc8bS1Ft2Y8p-l0rhsE6VvO5LKrBoDDHl1V9S5OrB1zzbq5EZjzGZIz5zHm9OWEy6skv8zLJ9HCgTaF3-1OCuioSmh1f5_LQTjk/s1600/marriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7n55GS_zb75puM0mCfTDUux8lZ1vW-emKWhqQ9YqHdEc8bS1Ft2Y8p-l0rhsE6VvO5LKrBoDDHl1V9S5OrB1zzbq5EZjzGZIz5zHm9OWEy6skv8zLJ9HCgTaF3-1OCuioSmh1f5_LQTjk/s1600/marriage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><u><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Facts:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><u>B</u></b></span>,
widow, was married by a Solemnizing Officer to <b><u>S</u></b>, a woman who was previously married to <b><u>U</u></b> but had been separated for
many years. <b><u>S</u></b> and <b><u>U</u></b> were married prior to 1988 and
they have been separated for much longer than seven (7) years. The wedding
was performed in June 2012 but apparently the Solemnizing Officer was told it
could not be recorded and was not<span class="apple-converted-space"> legal
because <b><u>S</u></b>, had been
married before with no annulment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Issues</b>: (1) Should the marriage be
recorded? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (2) What are the Requirements for
Late Registration of Marriage?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-left: 58.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -58.5pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (3) Is the
Marriage between <b>B & S</b> valid,
considering that <b><u>S</u></b> was still
married to <b><u>U </u></b>who abandoned her
for more than seven (7) years?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Legal Advice</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">(1) The marriage performed should be recorded</span></u></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">. It shall be the duty of the solemnizing officer to report the
marriage to the office of the Civil Registrar where the marriage was solemnized
and the period of filing for registration depends on whether the Parties to the
marriage has a marriage license or not. If with marriage license or ordinary
marriage, the filing must be within fifteen, (15) days following the
solemnization of marriage while in marriage exempt from license requirement,
the prescribed period is thirty (30) days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>(2) Requirements for Late Registration of
Marriage.</u></b> In case the filing period had already lapsed and assuming that
the original or duplicate copy of the Certificate of Marriage still exists,
please comply with the following requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: #FDFDFD; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 35.25pt; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -21.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.<span style="line-height: normal;"> T</span>he solemnizing officer shall be required to execute and file an
affidavit in support thereof, stating the exact place and date of marriage, the
facts and circumstances surrounding the marriage and the reason or cause of
delay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: #FDFDFD; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 35.25pt; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FDFDFD; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -22.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. The submission of
the application for marriage license bearing the date when the marriage license
was issued, except for marriage exempt from marriage licenses shall be
required.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FDFDFD; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .25in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Facts did not indicate if the
parties to the marriage have a license or not. But I presumed from that the Solemnizing
Officer has performed the marriage without a marriage license under Article 34
of the Family Code - <b>In case of a man and woman who have lived together
as husband and wife for at least five (5) years and <u>without any legal impediment
to marry each other</u>. </b>I believe that the person who told the Solemnizing
Officer not to record the marriage for not being “legal” has knowledge of a legal impediment
to the marriage [i.e. <i>the existence of the first marriage of <b><u>S & U, </u></b>which has not been
judicially declared null, annulled or <b><u>U</u></b>
had not been declared presumptively dead as required under the Family Code of
the Philippines, the governing law for marriages since August 3, 1988
until the present</i>]. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>(3) Despite the alleged legal impediments,
the marriage already performed should be recorded and should be deemed “valid”
until it is annulled</u></b>. The act of recording a marriage under the Civil
Registration Law of the Philippines is ministerial and there is no
discretion involved. In fact even if the legal impediment is made
known or brought to the attention of the local civil registrar [during the
application for marriage license under Art. 18 of the Family Code, the
local civil registrar shall nonetheless issue the said license, unless ordered
otherwise by a competent court] . Further, a recorded marriage is deemed
“valid” and enjoys a presumption of “validity” and “regularity” of official
functions. Thus, the alleged “void marriage” can only be declared terminated
upon a petition to declare such marriage void filed by either the husband or
the wife. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>The second marriage is deemed “valid”
since U appeared to have become an Absentee Spouse that allowed “S” to remarry.</u></b><b> </b>Since the marriage between <b><u>S</u></b>
& <b><u>U</u></b> was entered into
prior to August 3, 1988, its validity is governed by the provisions of the <b>Civil
Code of the Philippines </b>[and not by the Family Code of the Philippines] as
regards the declaration of absentee spouse, to wit:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> “<b>Art. 83.</b> Any
marriage subsequently contracted by any person during the lifetime of the first
spouse of such person with any person other than such first spouse shall be
illegal and void from its performance, unless:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(1) The first marriage was annulled
or dissolved; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(2) The first spouse had been absent
for seven consecutive years at the time of the second marriage without the
spouse present having news of the absentee being alive, of if the absentee,
though he has been absent for less than seven years, is generally considered as
dead and believed to be so by the spouse present at the time of contracting
such subsequent marriage, or if the absentee is presumed dead according to
Articles 390 and 391. The marriage so contracted shall be valid in any of the
three cases until declared null and void by a competent court.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b> Article 390 of the Civil Code</b> states:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Art. 390. After an absence of seven
years, it being unknown whether or not the absentee still lives, he shall be
presumed dead for all purposes, except for those of succession.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The absentee shall not be presumed
dead for the purpose of opening his succession till after an absence of ten
years. If he disappeared after the age of seventy-five years, an absence of
five years shall be sufficient in order that his succession may be
opened.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please note that under <b>Art.
83 of the Civil Code</b>, <b>it is not necessary to have the former
spouse judicially declared an absentee for the purpose of remarriage</b>.
The declaration of absence made in accordance with the provisions of the Civil
Code has for its sole purpose to enable the taking of the necessary precautions
for the administration of the estate of the absentee. <b>For the
celebration of civil marriage, however, the law only requires that
the former spouse has been absent for seven (7) consecutive years at the time
of the second marriage</b>, that the spouse present does not know his or her
former spouse to be living, that such former spouse is generally reputed to be
dead and the spouse present so believes at the time of the celebration of the
marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under the Civil Code, the presumption
of death is established by law and no court declaration is needed for
the presumption to arise as death is presumed to have taken place by the
seventh year of absence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a gray area of the law, however, and either of
the spouses later on (if they so desire) can still file a petition to declare
their marriage void for being a “bigamous” marriage.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calisto MT","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-26869318210757443872014-08-01T08:13:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:36:33.462-07:00CORPORATE CHATS: Applicability of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) on Philippine Entities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGH6KBnLaQzIWgOAhIBfOY6ouFRSULpfXl5zS3atLXUErvAVuboQRZ3BGC_dlGhppuRgzCqILWKTIONhZi1mydYav83m_G_BK48WuuSIqUeuBa-UhVO5pm4BLyo276VZXeVbqA77_kL1c/s1600/CIMG4894.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406129585047498402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGH6KBnLaQzIWgOAhIBfOY6ouFRSULpfXl5zS3atLXUErvAVuboQRZ3BGC_dlGhppuRgzCqILWKTIONhZi1mydYav83m_G_BK48WuuSIqUeuBa-UhVO5pm4BLyo276VZXeVbqA77_kL1c/s400/CIMG4894.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Client inquired about the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)</span> and how the provisions of the law could apply to a Philippine company like their company.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FCPA </span>prohibits U.S persons and, in some cases, foreign persons from corruptly offering, authorizing, or making payments, or giving anything of value, to any foreign official or political parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FCPA</span> has two main provisions - the anti-bribery provisions which are enforced by the US Department of Justice and Accounting and Internal Controls Provisions enforced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anti-Bribery Offense</span>, the covered persons are: <span style="font-style: italic;">(i)</span> U.S. persons and companies, <span style="font-style: italic;">(ii)</span> "Issuer" (i.e. any company with shares listed on U.S. Stock exchanges and <span style="font-style: italic;">(iii)</span> any person - foreign companies, their officers, directors, employees, foreign national not resident in US that take an "act in furtherance" while in the U.S. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A domestic corporation with a foreign mother affiliated corporation is covered under the third group being a foreign company affiliate of US company and has expatriates or persons doing an act in furtherance of the U.S. company. With this in mind, we put the FCPA provisions on those contracts that will have involvement of U.S. persons or company in terms of actually releasing the money for the project.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the FCPA Accounting provisions, the company is required to keep detailed books, records, and accounts that fairly and accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and must maintain internal accounting controls to ensure financial records are accurate for external reporting,that access to assets is controlled, and that books are reasonably audited.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some specific problem areas that may implicate the company with the FCPA and thus contracts that would be executed must contain the FCPA provision. It includes ANY contract calling for:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <span style="font-style: italic;">use of a third party (consultant, agent, broker, contractor, service provider, vendors ) who will coordinate with government officials or government entity in providing the service</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">RED FLAGs:</span> Use of an intermediary who has a questionable reputation, is known to have connections with the government officials, holds government (even honorary) position or is related to someone who does, was recommended by government, charges fees in excess of fair market value for services provided, request payment in cash, in a third country or other unusual arrangements, or refuses to make representations required by the company.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">- charitable contributions</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">RED FLAGS</span>: Charities, projects or contractors recommended by government officials, donations under direction or suggestion of a government official, or charities headed or managed by government officials</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">- Hospitality (provision of meals, expensive entertainment and entertainment disquised as training/ seminars,overseas trips of government officials with lavish accommodations,sightseeing and per diems)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">RED FLAGS:</span> meals, lodging, transportation and entertainment, which are excessive or "lavish" under local standards, repeated instances of meals and entertainment of lesser value, requests to cover expenses for family members, or hospitality with no legitimate connection to promotion or demonstration of products or services, or the execution or performance of a contract.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-4865617107919748662014-01-28T02:29:00.000-08:002015-07-03T09:39:39.509-07:00MARRIAGE MATTER: Sri Lankans Marrying In The Philippines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdkH-FXZ-PEGqLGRc9rKb8RbrEMS1lAXYlwol-OdIUVSWd2oq5S2aphNnu408JwEDJ9bPFqC4qKyWNEwIdbALCdrR2qFIxAAPow3lfWsMaePwsXekMRMmijhRwUoJXY54Z9JRZB-11Nlj/s1600/wedding+rings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdkH-FXZ-PEGqLGRc9rKb8RbrEMS1lAXYlwol-OdIUVSWd2oq5S2aphNnu408JwEDJ9bPFqC4qKyWNEwIdbALCdrR2qFIxAAPow3lfWsMaePwsXekMRMmijhRwUoJXY54Z9JRZB-11Nlj/s400/wedding+rings.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Inquiry</b>: Two LDS Sri Lankan nationals are planning to have their Temple Marriage at the <b>Manila Philippines Temple</b> and they would like to inquire the arrangement and the requirements they needed to complete prior to the said marriage.
</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qtpG7nOO_eNEyyQuJkgjy-6w03a7mylp9z2-l_CKks3TGwxTtZZoEZvx2Q2fz2PofD2yFOxbVYRDqt99r5Pq6u4Mq4MBSqxCItzY0-nHxlzmP9AlQqPUQzX-JsiW1aX8czCQZRihSN6w/s1600/second+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Reply:</b> All parties to a marriage in the Philippines whether Filipinos or foreigners are required to secure a <b>Marriage License </b>unless exempt under Articles 27, 28, 33 & 34 of the Family Code of the Philippines (i.e. <i>in the point of death, in five - year cohabitation without legal impediments, no means of transportation, muslim marriages, etc</i>.) But in addition to the usual requirements for marriage license, the Philippine Government requires foreigners to obtain from his/her Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines, a “<b>Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage</b>” before applying for a marriage license. This certification affirms that there are no legal impediments to the intended marriage of the parties pursuant to the first paragraph of <b>Article 21</b> of the Family Code of the Philippines, which states:
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“When either or both of the contracting parties are citizens of a foreign country, it shall be necessary for them before a marriage license can be obtained, to submit a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage, issued by their respective diplomatic or consular officials.”</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Since both parties to the marriage are <b>Sri Lankan nationals</b>, they should contact the <b>Sri Lankan Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines </b>[srilanka@broline.com] for the requirements in securing this <b>Legal Capacity to Marry</b>.
Once the parties are already issued a <b>Legal Capacity to Marry</b>, they can go to the Local Civil Registrar of the place where they are found in the Philippines. Usually LDS foreigners apply for <b>Marriage License</b> at the Quezon City Local Civil Registrar, since the Manila Philippines Temple is in Quezon City.
At the <b>Office of the Quezon City Civil Registrar</b>, the parties will need to present their respective <b>Certificates of Legal Capacity</b>, <b>Birth certificates</b> with an English copy, <b>passports with appropriate 9A Temporay Visitors Entry visas</b> [from the consulate abroad since Sri Lankans are “<i><a href="http://https//www.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/site-administrator/visa-information">restricted nationals</a><b></b></i>”], <b>arrival stamps</b>, documentation regarding <b>parental consent</b> (if between 18-21 years old) or <b>parental advice</b> (if 21-25 years old) and <b>divorce decree</b> [if previously married or a death certificate if a widow or widower].
Please note that there is a <b>10 - day waiting period</b> before the <b>Marriage License</b> can be issued so the parties have to consider that in planning their length of stay in the Philippines. This waiting period is prescribed by law to inform the public about the pending license application and to give the local civil registrar an opportunity to entertain any objections to the upcoming marriage.
The marriage license, once issued, is valid in any part of the Philippines for <b>120 days</b>. If it has not been used during this 120-day period it will then automatically expire. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-26748637923473047022014-01-26T01:30:00.002-08:002015-07-03T09:40:26.826-07:00TAX TALKS: Importation of Disaster Relief Goods -Duties & VAT Exemptions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucnL8t9-wd7Ng0yXh2QcZzFlQD3I9FlFjJtNB1OkCrxQ80JlMBqnKNyVYxaSTTVziXMKb8QQJmjSIf4n-yCuVTg6qcmmAg7B0BiPboiB6WuhApEwMIolr57TddkOjY9ofvDa1jCncG96J/s1600/yolanda+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucnL8t9-wd7Ng0yXh2QcZzFlQD3I9FlFjJtNB1OkCrxQ80JlMBqnKNyVYxaSTTVziXMKb8QQJmjSIf4n-yCuVTg6qcmmAg7B0BiPboiB6WuhApEwMIolr57TddkOjY9ofvDa1jCncG96J/s400/yolanda+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My client is a consignee of 500 family tents and 5 sets of water purification equipment from the United States for Typhoon Yolanda disaster relief. Since my client is an accredited Resource Agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and what are being shipped are relief goods, the importations can enjoy both import duties and import VAT exemptions (and even warehouse storage fees waiver). All exemptions are processed at the <b>One - Stop - Shop</b> created by the Bureau of Customs pursuant to Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) dated November 11, 2013.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbR0EGOnFxfumAwE-uzBvcbKDq2XhoklwTdKAHtKHCZT_xdCyJrGmdMmLlzarPvh3LCxDTnoSIeR9_M7j8L-Jc8Qp_rvQTYxGuddsyzyu9QRfqXbhVyEx9rDPmg82ugIyGd6FIPUIzFhd/s1600/yolanda+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbR0EGOnFxfumAwE-uzBvcbKDq2XhoklwTdKAHtKHCZT_xdCyJrGmdMmLlzarPvh3LCxDTnoSIeR9_M7j8L-Jc8Qp_rvQTYxGuddsyzyu9QRfqXbhVyEx9rDPmg82ugIyGd6FIPUIzFhd/s400/yolanda+1.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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Pursuant to the CMO, the documentary requirements for the release of donated relief goods have been streamlined and simplified. To facilitate their immediate release, only a <b>letter of intent to donate goods</b> (<i>or Deed of Donation</i>), <b>original copy of the bill of Lading</b> or <b>airway bill</b>, and <b>a packing list and/or a commercial invoice</b> (among other documents as may be required), are needed provided that all donations shall only be to the account of the DSWD and/or any DSWD registered relief organization like my client.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mFmu0gXwCNZ_5l94BhAgoT8DNMYE9X2vnnX88WQZpVciEMsGUath1j5ezUJoNmYOW4QnMI2TcNnoYxVnln4viOsuXFPzZi5SnAR5kMrKiPv3blUOnvtzW5Vca5JP0mHo9PImVKMsK3FJ/s1600/yolanda+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mFmu0gXwCNZ_5l94BhAgoT8DNMYE9X2vnnX88WQZpVciEMsGUath1j5ezUJoNmYOW4QnMI2TcNnoYxVnln4viOsuXFPzZi5SnAR5kMrKiPv3blUOnvtzW5Vca5JP0mHo9PImVKMsK3FJ/s400/yolanda+4.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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Provided further that "<i><b>used clothing</b></i>" cannot be subject of any donations whether exempt or not from duties and taxes.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnK6RMAIX0WOgFoJyq21cNBJ5mTe45yZmt8fSsYj81cb20cyoBgziWDCbQaQrDH8s6SOPr0965KInGS9_TGaVAWHEYboNVan3sCdtPkfivr7vUex90egytRT5heZ9LoGNI6O-5t3MdSn-/s1600/yolanda+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnK6RMAIX0WOgFoJyq21cNBJ5mTe45yZmt8fSsYj81cb20cyoBgziWDCbQaQrDH8s6SOPr0965KInGS9_TGaVAWHEYboNVan3sCdtPkfivr7vUex90egytRT5heZ9LoGNI6O-5t3MdSn-/s400/yolanda+2.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to the above, there is also a need to submit (i) Notarized <b>Deed of Acceptance</b> by consignee; (ii)<b>Board Resolution</b> in favor of authorized representative (me) for file only;(iii)Notarized <b>Secretary's Certificate</b> with attached photocopy of signatory's I.D. and (iv)<b>Distribution Plan</b> for the donations.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsNYRSZSuw51oPLzbqvPwaiMBV2Aq86_7ua90dNw4-NKfkwgWfQahL2OqmRUMqCFdPpFyQax2ZFwz10bWSAOsZBculLpBxeOQkdY1dgPIQtdlloGp_X4efRNgPjOVzgkqXKIR3-5MN2sj/s1600/yolanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsNYRSZSuw51oPLzbqvPwaiMBV2Aq86_7ua90dNw4-NKfkwgWfQahL2OqmRUMqCFdPpFyQax2ZFwz10bWSAOsZBculLpBxeOQkdY1dgPIQtdlloGp_X4efRNgPjOVzgkqXKIR3-5MN2sj/s400/yolanda.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At the <b>One-Stop Shop</b>, there is a need to sign the following Pro-Forma Documents: (i) <b>Deed of Donation</b> by consignee in favor of DSWD; (ii)<b>Affidavit of Undertaking</b> (that consignee will be the one to distribute and submit Post Distribution Plan within one month); (iii) File Informal Entry; and (iv)Obtain <b>Gate Pass</b>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR15laiOOWBT7eOi-zYuKHJ6u_og06vP3lpOJXgPaYI5XABjrWsJy8SCk76c7s5gx6v_dmk6bbYRF4o80rR3PPAiimchsGrQsLIGSPUb3Za7FBNjM52n2Brk50czW2uwL14lnB9QV9PsS/s1600/yolanda+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR15laiOOWBT7eOi-zYuKHJ6u_og06vP3lpOJXgPaYI5XABjrWsJy8SCk76c7s5gx6v_dmk6bbYRF4o80rR3PPAiimchsGrQsLIGSPUb3Za7FBNjM52n2Brk50czW2uwL14lnB9QV9PsS/s400/yolanda+5.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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The process is fast since the signatories from the DSWD, Department of Finance (DoF) Revenue Group and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) are just table away from each other.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-91291720088339879612011-09-16T02:13:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:40:58.304-07:00IMMIGRATION ISSUES: Pakistani Working in the Philippines For A Month!<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got this email from a client:</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I have a question. Is the visa for Pakistan the same visa as that the other visiting language interpreters (i.e. Mongolian, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Cambodian, and Thai) get? What work visa is needed for the four - weeks employment of the language interpreter? How to obtain and how much is the fees?</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653662500637199954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvydODqMnMfMEO_wWs86w_Dx9If5okHbXtKg0aYOSVyPhiTBiUlW5X3ydUq1ilSHoNSnNj2PFBxTQTWhVnf4I9oRxhRP14hdGn7BUsEV5MaQEgN1_iJncB8TGWm0C2GTqqI7b2ojxyYn15/s400/various+files.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">My reply. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">A. Entry Visa to the Philippines</span></span><br />
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The entry visa required of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pakistani</span> language interpreter coming to the Philippines is the same as the entry visa required of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Taiwanese</span> since both nationalities are classified as "<span style="font-weight: bold;">restricted</span>" nationals by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). </span><br />
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As such, the Pakistani language interpreter need to secure from the Philippine Consulate/Embassy in their country a 9 (a) business visa for travel to the Philippines. The 9(a) business visa is valid for 59 days.</span><br />
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It takes <b><u>10 </u></b>working days for the 9(a) business visa to be secured by the Pakistani language interpreter from the <a href="http://www.isdpe.com.pk/consularservices.htm">Philippine Consulate/Embassy in Pakistan</a>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Click this link too for the requirements and fees for the visa</span>). </span><br />
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This entry visa, however, is not required for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mongolians, Cambodians, Thais</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Indonesians</span> who are "<span style="font-weight: bold;">non-restricted</span>" nationals and are allowed to travel to the Philippines for business and tourism purposes without visas for a stay not exceeding twenty-one (21) days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or next port of destination and their passports valid for a period of at least six (6) months beyond the contemplated period of stay</span><br />
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All teachers, whether "restricted" or "non-restricted", are required to secure a Special Work Permit (SWP) to engage in gainful employment in the country for a period not exceeding six (6) months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">B. Appropriate Work Visa for Pakistani Teacher/Translator</span></span><br />
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Immediately upon the arrival of the Pakistani language interpreter, the language interpreter/translator is required to obtain the proper work visa because the language interpreter will be performing work in the Philippines. </span><br />
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Given that the language interpreter/translator will work in the Philippines on a one-time basis and will stay in the Philippines for a period of only four weeks, it would be sufficient for the language interpreter/translator to obtain a Special Work Permit ("SWP") valid for three months (and renewable for another three months) from the Bureau of Immigration. There should be a local petitioner for the SWP application.</span><br />
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The requirements that must be submitted in connection with an application for an SWP are as follows:</span><br />
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<b>a</b>) Photocopy of the pertinent pages of the passport of the expatriate;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>b</b>) Signed bio-data/curriculum vitae;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>c</b>) Photocopy of SEC Certificate of Registration, By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation of the petitioning company;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>d</b>) Contract of Employment/Appointment Letter (Fixed Period Employment Contract); </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>e</b>) Duly signed and notarized Application Form and cover Letter Application for SWP; and</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>f</b>) As per M. O. No. ELM-083, where the applicant shall receive compensation from Philippine sources, there shall be submitted an Affidavit of Undertaking to Withhold and Remit to the Bureau of Internal Revenue taxes due on all income.</span><br />
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The processing period to obtain an SWP is around one week from the submission of the complete documentary requirements; while the estimated government fees are approximately PhP 7,000.00 per application.</span><br />
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Under the current guidelines of the Bureau of Immigration, <b>Special Work Permits (SWPs)</b> are valid only for the duration of the holder’s current stay and are automatically cancelled upon departure from the Philippines. Thus, MTC language interpreter returning either to resume an assignment, or to start a new one, must apply for a new SWP after re-entry, provided that the total project or assignment period does not exceed six (6)months (or 180 days in a year ).</span><br />
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As holder of an SWP, the language interpreter/translator will be exempted from obtaining an alien employment permit from the Department of Labor and Employment. However, please note that the language interpreter/translator' "authorized stay" (i.e., 9[a] visa which will be stamped on the teachers/translators' passports at the airport) must always be extended and updated during her entire stay in the Philippines.</span><br />
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Please be informed further that the Bureau of Immigration implemented the Alien Certificate Of Registration Immigration Card Project (“ACR I-Card Project”).</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The ACR I-Card Project automates the entire process of alien registration and integrates the issuance of various paper-based alien documentations into a microchip-based identification card called the ACR I-Card.</span><br />
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The <b>ACR I-Card</b> is a microchip-based credit card-sized identification card issued to registered alien replacing the paper-based ACR. It has an embedded computer chip with biometric security features capable of data management and can be updated electronically. It is fraud and tamper-proof/resistant valid until the death of the holder but RENEWABLE every year.</span><br />
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The ACR I-Card likewise serves as the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC), Re-entry Permit (RP) and Special Return Certificate (SRC) of the holder upon payment of the required fees.</span><br />
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In view of this ACR I-Card Project, the Pakistani Teacher will pay $50 (or its peso equivalent at the time of payment) for the ACR I-Card valid for a year.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-32814126444055940162010-08-10T09:17:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:41:36.191-07:00JRCLS Philippines Chapter: Making A Difference!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvFiaAavpESfSakZg_Of-b7VF7C4GJ2SPcJX3Ze1XKybCKG31dbtZh_3eMmMXCBuGP5OYHzafzt342iDy89TMMtt2Q5VvsQeZgr5hyK2gIJw9pCNSByE0KGQVL7q-IcVGiF6t59Bh2-x8/s1600/100_4014.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508446651431111586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvFiaAavpESfSakZg_Of-b7VF7C4GJ2SPcJX3Ze1XKybCKG31dbtZh_3eMmMXCBuGP5OYHzafzt342iDy89TMMtt2Q5VvsQeZgr5hyK2gIJw9pCNSByE0KGQVL7q-IcVGiF6t59Bh2-x8/s320/100_4014.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Starfish</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"An old man was walking along the beach.In the distance he saw someone who seemed to be dancing along the waves. As he got closer, he saw a woman picking up starfish and tossing them back into the ocean. "What are you doing?" The old man asked. "The sun is coming out.If I don't throw them in they will die". "But woman, there are many miles and miles of beach with starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference". The woman bent down,picked up a starfish and threw it back past breaking waves". <span style="font-weight: bold;">"It made a difference to that one!"</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like the woman in the story, the wonderful members of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society Philippines Chapter (JRCLS) desire to make a difference in the lives of those LDS members who stand injured and unprotected legally.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since its formation, the members of the Philippines Chapter have extended legal aid services under the society’s legal aid program to a number of qualified recipients. To date, there are 40 individual cases terminated and on-going where the Law Society Members have handled or assisted the clients. Members of the Law Society who render pro-bono legal assistance best epitomize the virtues that the Law Society espouses. In a variety of ways, Law Society members are actively seeking to care for the poor, the needy, and the disadvantaged and have helped the plight of many who, without pro bono assistance, would stand injured and unprotected.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The success of the Legal Aid program is demonstrated in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippines Chapter First Case - The Annabel's Case </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Handled by: Atty.Rodrigo Reyna, Atty.Robert Cauilan and Atty. Ernesto San Juan</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">FACTS:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Annabel</span> is a single mother to an 11 year old daughter, an active member of a Ward in Las Pinas Stake. She is an Immigration Facilitator of American Dream Immigration Consultancy Inc. for 4 years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On March 15, 2008 she was arrested while giving seminar on immigration in an entrapment planned by the Public Employment Service Office of Baler, Aurora and jailed without bail.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She was charged with Illegal Recruitment Large Scale/Syndicated Estafa before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.The lawyer engaged by her company did not show up after the lawyer’s first meeting with her.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her co-accused, the person who asked and arranged for the seminar, is a brother-in-law of the Vice-Governor who is a political enemy of the Governor.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The arrest was aired on local radio and touted a victory against illegal recruiters.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Baler, Aurora is too far, with roads almost not passable to small vehicle.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On 21 May 2008, the law society took her case upon representation by her bishop in her behalf. On July 1, 2008 or about one (1) month from the first visit, Annabel was free on bail. Subsequently, the complaints were dismissed. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">CONCLUSION:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Annabel has a good cause and she was faithful despite her sufferings, maintaining gospel standards while availing the pro-bono legal services. The priesthood leaders supported her in many ways. Resources for leg work, transportation, food, lodging, bail and other expenses were made available by kind-hearted members and friends.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Volunteer Lawyers dispense legal services with the “energies of their soul”.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Everyone involved put his trust in the Lord.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">OUR PLEA</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Annabel Case tells us that there is no reason pro bono legal services on other worthy case referrals cannot be dispensed with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The performance of the needed legal services is and must be a shared responsibility of the client and his family or relatives, the priesthood leaders and the handling lawyers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With this year’s Second Anniversary celebrations slated on <span style="font-weight: bold;">August 20-21, 2010</span>, we adopted the theme, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Awake and Arise: Improving Lives Through Legal Aid Service</span>“, with the hope of awakening and arousing every faculties, as described in Alma 32:27 and rolling up our sleeves with a new commitment, putting our trust in the Lord that we can do better than we have ever done before.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-58657874069330194072010-07-01T05:01:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:42:06.461-07:00PROPERTY POINT: Boracay Case<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This month is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Couchsurfing (CS) Manila Boracay Escapade</span> of which I am invited to attend. It is in celebration of CS Lyn birthday (July 13) and the opening of her new home from <span style="font-weight: bold;">July 10-15,2010</span>. I'm sure it will be fun so too bad I can't attend. My sadness,however,could not be compared to the sadness felt by several resort owners way back in October 2008, when the Supreme Court (SC) declared that some 400-hectare of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boracay Island</span> as reserved forestland that cannot be subject to private ownership.</span><br />
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In its <span style="font-weight: bold;">October 8,2008</span> decision, the SC declared that Boracay Island is owned by the state and ruled that private claimants are ineligible to apply for a judicial confirmation of title over their occupied portions in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boracay</span> even with their continued possession and considerable investment in the land.</span><br />
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The SC en banc dismissed the claim of the affected residents, mostly owners of various resorts in the island, that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Proclamation 1801</span> and its implementing circular issued by the late President Ferdinand Marcos did not place Boracay beyond the commerce of man since it was classified as a tourist zone, thus can be a subject of private ownership.</span><br />
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Private claimants, insisted that under <span style="font-weight: bold;">Commonwealth Act (CA) 141</span> or the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Public Land Act</span>, they had the right to have the lots registered in their names through judicial confirmation of imperfect titles.However, the SC agreed with the government's position that the reliance of the claimants on Presidential Decree (PD) 1801 was misplaced as their right to judicial confirmation of title was governed by Commonwealth Act 141 and PD 705 issued by Marcos.</span><br />
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Based on CA 141 and PD 705, except lands covered by existing titles, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boracay </span>was an unclassified land of the public domain prior to Proclamation 1064.Such unclassified lands are considered public forest under PD 705.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-77442840923645869802010-06-01T06:35:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:45:09.959-07:00PERSONAL PICK: My Book On Securities Cited By Supreme Court In A 2006 Case<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPlyNz5Tx4CdzL9AlgvL-MR26Crp5ZG23mmNDVwdvk9wGWcBgyXPB1CH-4BYKyKMn1Qtp5qrRo7UR6gNq0ECjvIixdBgRmNEpT_efimD2RDw1wfsDzldtPYaMEIwqcYllWG-8TrAaGPPb/s1600/src+002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479421649117881378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPlyNz5Tx4CdzL9AlgvL-MR26Crp5ZG23mmNDVwdvk9wGWcBgyXPB1CH-4BYKyKMn1Qtp5qrRo7UR6gNq0ECjvIixdBgRmNEpT_efimD2RDw1wfsDzldtPYaMEIwqcYllWG-8TrAaGPPb/s320/src+002.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I got a request for legal advice on Facebook from a girl whom I do not know. She said in her email that she found my name through the internet search engine. I find it interesting and I became curious what I would find if I do search for my name. And curiosity killed the cat! </span><br />
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There were <span style="font-weight: bold;">72,200</span> matches for <span style="font-weight: bold;">mary ann l.ojeda</span> in (0.16 seconds). Lotza stuff huh! One thing that I find interesting was the citation by no less than the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Supreme Court</span> of my book <span style="font-style: italic;">"Securities and Regulation Code With Annotations"</span> in a case entitled " <span style="font-style: italic;">ABACUS SECURITIES CORPORATION versus RUBEN U. AMPIL </span>docketed as G.R. No. 160016 promulgated last February 27, 2006. The decision was penned by then <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Facts:</span></span><br />
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Petitioner - Abacus Securities Corporation ("<span style="font-style: italic;">Abacus</span>') is engaged in business as a broker and dealer of securities of listed companies at the Philippine Stock Exchange Center.Sometime in April 1997, Respondent Ruben Ampil (1) opened a cash account with Abacus for his transactions in securities;[10] (2) Ampil’s purchases were consistently unpaid from April 10 to 30, 1997;[11] (3) Ampil failed to pay in full, or even just his deficiency,[12] for the transactions on April 10 and 11, 1997;[13] (4) despite Ampil’s failure to cover his initial deficiency, Abacus subsequently purchased and sold securities for Ampil’s account on April 25 and 29;[14] (5) Abacus did not cancel or liquidate a substantial amount of respondent’s stock transactions until May 6, 1997.[15] </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Issues:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1) Whether the pari delicto rule is applicable in the present case, and </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2) Whether the trial court had jurisdiction over Abacus alleged violation of the Revised Securities Act.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruling</span>: (<span style="font-style: italic;">copied exactly from the decision to show the citations which are highlighted</span>) </span><br />
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The Petition is partly meritorious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Main Issue:Applicability of the Pari Delicto Principle</span></span><br />
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The provisions governing the above transactions are Sections 23 and 25 of the RSA[16] and Rule 25-1 of the RSA Rules, which state as follows: </span><br />
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“SEC. 23. Margin Requirements. – </span><br />
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(b)It shall be unlawful for any member of an exchange or any broker or dealer, directly or indirectly, to extend or maintain credit or arrange for the extension or maintenance of credit to or for any customer –</span><br />
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(1)On any security other than an exempted security, in contravention of the rules and regulations which the Commission shall prescribe under subsection (a) of this Section;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(2)Without collateral or on any collateral other than securities, except (i) to maintain a credit initially extended in conformity with the rules and regulations of the Commission and (ii) in cases where the extension or maintenance of credit is not for the purpose of purchasing or carrying securities or of evading or circumventing the provisions of subparagraph (1) of this subsection.</span><br />
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“SEC. 25. Enforcement of margin requirements and restrictions on borrowings. – To prevent indirect violations of the margin requirements under Section 23 hereof, the broker or dealer shall require the customer in non margin transactions to pay the price of the security purchased for his account within such period as the Commission may prescribe, which shall in no case exceed three trading days; otherwise, the broker shall sell the security purchased starting on the next trading day but not beyond ten trading days following the last day for the customer to pay such purchase price, unless such sale cannot be effected within said period for justifiable reasons. The sale shall be without prejudice to the right of the broker or dealer to recover any deficiency from the customer. x x x.”</span><br />
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xxx. The law places the burden of compliance with margin requirements primarily upon the brokers and dealers.[22] Sections 23 and 25 and Rule 25-1, otherwise known as the “mandatory close-out rule,”[23] clearly vest upon petitioner the obligation, not just the right, to cancel or otherwise liquidate a customer’s order, if payment is not received within three days from the date of purchase. The word “shall” as opposed to the word “may,” is imperative and operates to impose a duty, which may be legally enforced. For transactions subsequent to an unpaid order, the broker should require its customer to deposit funds into the account sufficient to cover each purchase transaction prior to its execution. These duties are imposed upon the broker to ensure faithful compliance with the margin requirements of the law, which forbids a broker from extending undue credit to a customer.</span><br />
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“The main purpose is to give a [g]overnment credit agency an effective method of reducing the aggregate amount of the nation’s credit resources which can be directed by speculation into the stock market and out of other more desirable uses of commerce and industry x x x.”[19]</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">A related purpose of the governmental regulation of margins is the stabilization of the economy.[20] </span> Restrictions on margin percentages are imposed “in order to achieve the objectives of the government with due regard for the promotion of the economy and prevention of the use of excessive credit.”[21] </span><br />
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Otherwise stated, the margin requirements set out in the RSA are primarily intended to achieve a macroeconomic purpose -- the protection of the overall economy from excessive speculation in securities. Their recognized secondary purpose is to protect small investors. </span><br />
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The law places the burden of compliance with margin requirements primarily upon the brokers and dealers.[22] Sections 23 and 25 and Rule 25-1, otherwise known as the “mandatory close-out rule,”[23] clearly vest upon petitioner the obligation, not just the right, to cancel or otherwise liquidate a customer’s order, if payment is not received within three days from the date of purchase. The word “shall” as opposed to the word “may,” is imperative and operates to impose a duty, which may be legally enforced. For transactions subsequent to an unpaid order, the broker should require its customer to deposit funds into the account sufficient to cover each purchase transaction prior to its execution. These duties are imposed upon the broker to ensure faithful compliance with the margin requirements of the law, which forbids a broker from extending undue credit to a customer.</span><br />
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It will be noted that <span style="font-weight: bold;">trading on credit (or “margin trading”</span>) allows investors to buy more securities than their cash position would normally allow.[24] Investors pay only a portion of the purchase price of the securities; their broker advances for them the balance of the purchase price and keeps the securities as collateral for the advance or loan.[25] Brokers take these securities/stocks to their bank and borrow the “balance” on it, since they have to pay in full for the traded stock. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hence, increasing margins[26] i.e., decreasing the amounts which brokers may lend for the speculative purchase and carrying of stocks is the most direct and effective method of discouraging an abnormal attraction of funds into the stock market and achieving a more balanced use of such resources. </span></span><br />
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“x x x [T]he x x x primary concern is the efficacy of security credit controls in preventing speculative excesses that produce dangerously large and rapid securities price rises and accelerated declines in the prices of given securities issues and in the general price level of securities. Losses to a given investor resulting from price declines in thinly margined securities are not of serious significance from a regulatory point of view. When forced sales occur and put pressures on securities prices, however, they may cause other forced sales and the resultant snowballing effect may in turn have a general adverse effect upon the entire market.”[27] </span><br />
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The nature of the stock brokerage business enables brokers, not the clients, to verify, at any time, the status of the client’s account.[28] Brokers, therefore, are in the superior position to prevent the unlawful extension of credit.[29] Because of this awareness, the law imposes upon them the primary obligation to enforce the margin requirements. </span><br />
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In securities trading, the brokers are essentially the counterparties to the stock transactions at the Exchange.[35] Since the principals of the broker are generally undisclosed, the broker is personally liable for the contracts thus made.[36] Hence, petitioner had to advance the payments for respondent’s trades. Brokers have a right to be reimbursed for sums advanced by them with the express or implied authorization of the principal,[37] in this case, respondent. </span><br />
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It should be clear that Congress imposed the margin requirements to protect the general economy, not to give the customer a free ride at the expense of the broker.[38] Not to require respondent to pay for his April 10 and 11 trades would put a premium on his circumvention of the laws and would enable him to enrich himself unjustly at the expense of petitioner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Issue:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Jurisdiction<br /> </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is axiomatic that the allegations in the complaint, not the defenses set up in the answer or in the motion to dismiss determine which court has jurisdiction over an action.[44] Were we to be governed by the latter rule, the question of jurisdiction would depend almost entirely upon the defendant.[45]</span><br />
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The instant controversy is an ordinary civil case seeking to enforce rights arising from the Agreement (AOF) between petitioner and respondent. It relates to acts committed by the parties in the course of their business relationship. The purpose of the suit is to collect respondent’s alleged outstanding debt to petitioner for stock purchases. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Citations:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">[20]Mary Ann L. Ojeda, Securities Regulation Code with Annotations, 2002, p. 92.</span></span></span><br />
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[26]<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Margin refers to the percentage of the value which must be paid in cash by the purchaser. (Ojeda, supra at note 20).</span></span></span><br />
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The citation of my book <span style="font-style: italic;">Securities Regulation Code With Annotations</span> and the "few" original ideas expressed therein by the Supreme Court makes me feel like I am an authority on the subject. And why am I surprised? it is worth sharing how the Book came about which will be in another blog entry.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-66427798929641250762010-05-27T17:13:00.000-07:002015-06-27T07:44:19.732-07:00PERSONAL PICK: Expunge the Legalese in Me...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwc9N4lKWPKV-WdBl5z1_vqe6KWR2JlzZlbGWoocHPcVzf2A4CPawwd7tMSeAFsTWyofxr_LlejYwHhP7L_R5rBeP6U05YxAIzSkXtPyy0vBXznzOcHnsC7vxqrM0WlY6aX1EtWl9JpmBX/s1600/various+019.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476324174458099138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwc9N4lKWPKV-WdBl5z1_vqe6KWR2JlzZlbGWoocHPcVzf2A4CPawwd7tMSeAFsTWyofxr_LlejYwHhP7L_R5rBeP6U05YxAIzSkXtPyy0vBXznzOcHnsC7vxqrM0WlY6aX1EtWl9JpmBX/s400/various+019.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am currently attending a <strong>Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)</strong>classes to complete my Compliance 3 which ended last April 14, 2010. Yea, I am late and cramming! But after this Series 49 (a full package of 36 units with <strong>Legal Advantage </strong> plus 4 units on Legal Ethics with <strong>Chan Robles Lawnet</strong>, MCLE providers), I will have 23 units credited for MCLE 4 and only need 13 units until April 14, 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MCLE</span> is a continuing legal education required of members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to complete at least thirty-six (36) hours of legal education activities every three (3) years. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first session of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legal Advantage Series 49 </span>is on <strong>Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy</strong> which is a part of my lacking units for MCLE 3. <span style="font-style: italic;">Atty. Rose Marie King - Dominguez</span>, a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan is the lecturer. She said that effective legal writing must be <span style="font-weight: bold;">clear</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">useful</span> which means discarding the "<strong>legalese</strong>". </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong>Legalese</strong> is a law jargon, a language that is typically used in legal documents and is generally considered by lay people to be difficult to understand. Looking at the blog "<em>Party of the First Part</em>", I guess I am guilty as charged! In contracts I still use some legalese like:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>ab initio </i>- use "from the beginning"</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Null and void</i> - use "ineffective, cancelled"</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Know All Men By These Presents </i>- remove it. it simply means "look out here comes a legal document".</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Witnesseth</i> - remove it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For a complete list of legalese,checkout the blog <span style="font-style: italic;">"<b>Party of the First Part</b>"</span> which in itsef is a legalese.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-49865369906794151992010-04-14T21:13:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:44:36.258-07:00FAMILY FIX: Correction of Erroneous Gender/Sex on Birth Certificate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today I had a walked - in - client who visited me at home. She is my first client to do so since I moved in our village almost 4 years ago. I don't really take on individual clients except for a few friends and those assigned to me by the J.Reuben Clark Law Society Philippines Chapter given the very busy corporate practice. </span><br />
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Anyway, the client is a very concerned mom, who is a mother of a 7-year old girl whose SEX/GENDER was erroneously entered as MALE in her Certificate of Live Birth. She is seeking to change said minor's sex / gender before she begins school and she has been looking for a lawyer for almost two months now until she met my sister-in-law Amy who suggested that she visits me.</span><br />
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I accepted the case.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
The petition is pursuant to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Article 412 </span>of the Civil Code of the Philippines which was amended by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9048</span> in so far as clerical or typographical errors are involved, to wit: </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“<b>ART. 412</b>. No entry in the civil register shall be changed or corrected without a judicial order.</i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Section 2(c) of <b>RA 9048</b> defines what a "clerical or typographical error" is:</i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>SECTION 2.</b> Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:</i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>xxx xxx xxx</i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>(<b>3</b>) "Clerical or typographical error" refers to a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing or typing an entry in the civil register that is harmless and innocuous, such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth or the like, which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and can be corrected or changed only by reference to other existing record or records: Provided, however, <span style="font-weight: bold;">That no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner</span>. (emphasis supplied).”</i></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
Under <b>RA 9048</b>, a correction in the civil registry involving the change of sex is not a mere clerical or typographical error. It is a substantial change for which the applicable procedure is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rule 108 of the Rules of Court</span>, to wit:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“<b>Rule 108, Section 2</b>.Entries subject to cancellation or correction.- Upon good and valid grounds, the following entries in the civil register may be canceled and corrected:(a) Births; (b) marriages; (c) deaths; (d) legal separations; (e) judgments of annulments of marriage; (f) judgments declaring marriages void from the beginning; (g) legitimations; (h) adoptions; (i) acknowledgments of natural children; (j) naturalization, (k) election, loss, or recovery of citizenship; (l) civil interdiction; (m) judicial determination of filiation; (n) voluntary emancipation of a minor; and (o) changes of name.”</i></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
Hence, the Petition under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>1)</b> the mistake was an oversight not attributable to the petitioner nor the minor and something which they have no control;</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2)</b> as a mother of the MINOR, she can attest that she has given birth to a female, and she has been and still a female as of date; </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3)</b> the sex of the MINOR is female as visually seen by the birth attendant who has examined the genitals of the infant at the time of birth. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4)</b> the medical records of the MINOR when she was one (1) day old and admitted at the the hospital indicated the SEX of the MINOR as FEMALE. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5)</b> the X-ray film taken of the MINOR when she was one (1) day old and admitted at the hospital would readily show the female organ of the MINOR. Further, the hospital file (Case No.) indicated the SEX of the MINOR as F (which stands for FEMALE).</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6)</b> the medical records of the MINOR when she was three (3) years old and admitted indicated the following remarks “Patient delivered to a live baby girl by normal spontaneous delivery. Baby, however, brought to hospital because of difficulty of breathing”. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>7)</b>The MINOR does not have any outstanding judgments, has never been convicted of a crime, and is not involved in any pending legal actions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>8)</b>The MINOR has been born as a “female” and that she had always identified herself as girl since childhood and has not undergone any sex/gender transformation from "male" to “female”.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>9)</b>The Petition is filed by petitioner not to evade any law or judgment or any infraction thereof or for any unlawful motive but solely for the purpose of making the birth records of her MINOR daughter compatible with her actual sex of being a FEMALE since a person’s sex is an essential factor in marriage and family relations, legal capacity and civil status.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-83400902434031010362010-03-10T01:45:00.000-08:002015-06-27T07:16:43.996-07:00MARRIAGE MATTER: Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Divorce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU3QOllx1_yHbB8LJI9x3W3I6zP_Cr9pcq-_S3VpZAt0r7AiDTsEB3KEvHVwkFpmhSJHAnWYypNxsKtbkyBD6p-9slV6e8kcAlC5UiHHO47BOYJCjqzARGh8IgIBoV236r856COM88xo-/s1600-h/teddy+bear+002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446520158173170050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCU3QOllx1_yHbB8LJI9x3W3I6zP_Cr9pcq-_S3VpZAt0r7AiDTsEB3KEvHVwkFpmhSJHAnWYypNxsKtbkyBD6p-9slV6e8kcAlC5UiHHO47BOYJCjqzARGh8IgIBoV236r856COM88xo-/s200/teddy+bear+002.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I received a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Request For Legal Assistance Form</span> from a sister <span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span> of Marikina City. She is asking the <span style="font-weight: bold;">J. Reuben Clark Law Society Legal Aid</span> to assist her in filing a nullity of marriage against her former husband, <b>J</b>. However, the review of the facts of the case finds the application of the relative divorce provision found in the second Paragraph of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Section 26, of the Family Code</span> which states:</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Art. 26. All marriages solemnized outside the Philippines, in accordance with the laws in force in the country where they were solemnized, and valid there as such, shall also be valid in this country, except those prohibited under Articles 35 (1), (4), (5) and (6), 3637 and 38. (17a)</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have capacity to remarry under Philippine law. (<i>As amended by Executive Order 227</i>)" </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Facts:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>J</b>, a Filipino, married <b>A</b>, who was likewise a Filipino citizen, in Quezon City, on June 5, 1970. They lived together as husband and wife in the Philippines. Sometime in 1989, <b>J </b>left for the United States and never returned since then. In 1992, a notice of filing of divorce commenced by <b>J</b> against Adela was received by <b>A</b> asking her to sign the documents. <b>A</b> did not sign the documents. Sometime in 1993, a notice of judgment purportedly dissolving the marriage, was issued by the Los Angeles County Court of California, USA. The judgment states that "spouses can remarry after August 20, 1993". </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On November 2001, <b>A </b>married <b>F</b>. Now, in order to fully serve in the Church and be sealed to <b>F</b>, <b>A</b> sought the Law Society's help in securing a termination of her marriage with <b>J </b>through the known mode of Petition for a Nullity of Marriage based on Article 36 - Psychological Incapacity.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Jurisprudence:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">In GRACE J. GARCIA, a.k.a. GRACE J. GARCIA-RECIO vs. REDERICK A. RECIO,[G.R. No. 138322. October 2, 2001]</span></span>, the Supreme Court through <span style="font-style: italic;">Justice J. Panganiban</span> states that "A divorce obtained abroad by an alien may be recognized in our jurisdiction, provided such decree is valid according to the national law of the foreigner. However, the divorce decree and the governing personal law of the alien spouse who obtained the divorce must be proven. Our courts do not take judicial notice of foreign laws and judgments; hence, like any other facts, both the divorce decree and the national law of the alien must be alleged and proven according to our law on evidence".</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So long as it can be verified that Jaime is already a naturalized American citizen in 1992 when he filed for divorce, then the Divorce he obtained in America was valid and can be recognized in Philippine jurisdiction through a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Divorce Decree under Rule 39, Section 48 of the Rules of Court</span>. This is so because Jaime was no longer a Filipino citizen when the Divorce Decree was issued. This issue was already settled by the Supreme Court in <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Llorente versus Court of Appeals G.R. No. 124371. November 23, 2000.</span></span> This also entitles Adela to marry again. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Republic v. Orbecido III</span>,</span> the Supreme Court spelled out the twin elements for the applicability of the second paragraph of Art. 26, thus:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">x x x [W]e state the twin elements for the application of Paragraph 2 of Article 26 as follows:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. There is a valid marriage that has been celebrated between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner; and</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. A valid divorce is obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The reckoning point is not the citizenship of the parties at the time of the celebration of the marriage, but their citizenship at the time a valid divorce is obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating the latter to remarry.[45]</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Both elements obtain in the instant case. We hope to find a Certification of Jaime's naturalization from the American Services Division of the US Embassy.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-25494802952938578072009-12-15T00:32:00.000-08:002015-06-27T07:41:18.369-07:00TAX TALKS: Are Jeepneys considered Automobiles?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBOI2OmQVqSmsoeYPEQ7kAevs0gLCyovcL8WX2Pv3pvQ_ax4Sac9Vmt-mRRQz0FxxFqj-8EN36Ieq2kNngEM6UbURf1b4-Od672OAjXKTXcS7G76H7dAlB3iokoVfze78fG990dPEGbpV/s1600/pic+jeep.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455764437388750178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBOI2OmQVqSmsoeYPEQ7kAevs0gLCyovcL8WX2Pv3pvQ_ax4Sac9Vmt-mRRQz0FxxFqj-8EN36Ieq2kNngEM6UbURf1b4-Od672OAjXKTXcS7G76H7dAlB3iokoVfze78fG990dPEGbpV/s400/pic+jeep.JPG" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In Wikipedia, an </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">automobile</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">automobiles</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With the above definition, No doubt that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeepney</span> is an <span style="font-weight: bold;">automobile</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeepneys</span> are everywhere in Manila - all shapes, sizes and colour configurations. It is the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines particularly in the cities and towns. In fact, <span style="font-weight: bold;">jeepney</span> is the most efficient and cheapest mode of transportation in big cities including Metro Manila and Cebu, and for long distance destinations in the provinces. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">So why am I asking whether the jeepney is considered an automobile?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, under <span style="font-weight: bold;">Republic Act No. 9224</span> which was approved into law last <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 29, 2003</span></span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeep/jeepney/jeepney substitutes</span> are not considered <span style="font-weight: bold;">automobile</span> for the purpose of excise tax.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under the Act, there shall be levied, assessed and collected an <span style="font-style: italic;">ad valorem tax</span> on <span style="font-weight: bold;">automobiles</span> based on the manufacturer's or importer's selling price, net of excise and value-added taxes. As used in the Act, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Automobile</span> shall mean any four (4) or more wheeled motor vehicle regardless of seating capacity, which is propelled by gasoline, diesel, electricity or any other motive power: provided, that for purposes of this Act, buses, trucks, cargo vans, <span style="font-weight: bold;">jeeps/jeepneys/jeepney substitutes</span>, single cab chassis, and special-purpose vehicles shall <span style="font-weight: bold;">not be considered as automobiles.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thus, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippine jeep or jeepney</span>" as defined in the Act as the jitney type locally designed and manufactured generally from surplus parts and components as well as jeepney substitutes that are manufactured from brand-new single cab chassis or cowl chassis and locally customized rear body that has continuous sideway row seats with open rear door and without retractable glass windows are not considered <span style="font-weight: bold;">automobiles</span>. And no ad valorem tax can be levied or collected.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-32751981411623925682009-11-27T01:44:00.000-08:002015-06-27T07:49:35.113-07:00PERSONAL PICK: Maguindanao Massacre<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I joined the Facebook group </span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>We Condem the Maguindanao Massacre, Justice for the Victims!</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like the almost three (3) thousand members of the group, I share the group description </span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"<i>All Filipinos should come out and condemn the Maguindanao massacre. let us not let this pass, let the world know, specially the Philippine government that we will not stop until justice is delivered to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>We have come to be known to ourselves and to the world as a nation that suffered from the Ondoy and Pepeng, came together as one to help each other, drew strength from each other then to a glorious and magnificent definition of a Filipino capable of being a champion boxer making world boxing history admired by all to a simple man in Cavite who on his own efforts took the pains of educating his neighbors by pushing a push cart through the streets and becoming the CNN hero of the year.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>From that lofty and admirable high spot we are now, we Filipino are now reduced to this - inhumane, barbaric, monstrous killers of helpless men and women - killing, raping, putting bullets on all parts of the body of now 57 people.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>They are wives, fathers and siblings of Filipinos, they are also our brothers and sisters. We must not stop. We must demand for justice. Let us save the Filipino</i>".</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maguindanao massacre</span>, also known as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ampatuan massacre</span> (after the town where the mass graves were found), occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The victims were about to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town. Mangudadatu was challenging <span style="font-weight: bold;">Andal S. Ampatuan, Jr</span>., son of the incumbent Maguindanao governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr., in the forthcoming Maguindanao gubernatorial election,[1] part of the national elections in 2010. Those killed included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, lawyers, and aides.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="clear: right; color: #660000; float: right; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408727537260629490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDKk8JsoRmk-L5iY8CADNdXAafBTP_-yW4Dqddtg7d8Q5LTBZkmSCB1j6Qt3p9ENtviQ-9BgWveKLI5NSLVnUlOFeb5KQVqRnGMbZu-Q0OJAjjllMdLg9yksD3Kx0BGxU_Si3FjtZbeut/s400/maguindanao.jpg" style="height: 282px; width: 200px;" width="283" /></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The massacre occurred after about 100 Ampatuan gunmen allegedly abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, plus a group of journalists.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The victims were snatched as they were travelling in a six-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for provincial governor in next year's elections.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They were shot at close range, some with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan name.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fifty-seven bodies have been recovered so far.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ampatuan Jr. is the son of Maguindnao's governor, a Muslim clan chief of the same name who commands his own private army and until this week was a close ally of President Gloria Arroyo's ruling coalition.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maguindanao is a part of the lawless Mindanao island, where Muslim clans rule vast areas backed by their own private armies, often out of the national government's control.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ampatuan Sr. had been grooming his son, currently a local mayor, to take over as governor of Maguindanao.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The victims' relatives alleged the Ampatuans organised the murders so that Mangudadatu would not run for that post.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The killing was really horrifying and the deadliest attack to humanity.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It reminds me of the horror of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holocaust</span>. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holocaust</span> began in 1933 when <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hitler </span>came to power in Germany and ended in 1945 when the Nazis were defeated by the Allied powers. The term "Holocaust," originally from the Greek word "holokauston" which means "sacrifice by fire," refers to the Nazi's persecution and planned slaughter of the Jewish people. The Hebrew word "Shoah," which means "devastation, ruin, or waste," is also used for this genocide.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408724966402762610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOJXYGiOQnJ2410y1ANkuifBcHj2bvOaYXia-Exq0CdSUOF8eFSJMytP9upLxDAMo8OqopCH2siqb_T5qWGi2nUcoXbt_YD46xGNHozcALwRKA9wTN39O-bSq4uylXf91NfAr2U5AXkK4/s400/holocaust.JPG" style="height: 213px; width: 320px;" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In San Francisco, there is a Holocaust Memorial which I visited in February 2009. The Holocaust ideals are embodied in the wall inscriptions.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-27821764048943699212009-11-15T01:14:00.000-08:002015-06-27T07:59:27.016-07:00PROPERTY POINT: Salvage Zones Utilization<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LbJyRbsOYf0UvNw17C-V8hzRXWiwsmDvvVFYpqUYEgiz3SGR8GchsxoHtTA0DntbUxZzNpoXussucleEHDFFFxiKp-znRKRGHLT9erNo3E1MLJhSPWsfVS23tNOSpJhLdctLhJqQYKS5/s1600/DSC03184.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="225" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406118780653068658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LbJyRbsOYf0UvNw17C-V8hzRXWiwsmDvvVFYpqUYEgiz3SGR8GchsxoHtTA0DntbUxZzNpoXussucleEHDFFFxiKp-znRKRGHLT9erNo3E1MLJhSPWsfVS23tNOSpJhLdctLhJqQYKS5/s400/DSC03184.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> <br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Client wants to know if it can utilize an area constituting a <span style="font-weight: bold;">salvage zone.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under <span style="font-weight: bold;">Article 51 of the Presidential Decree No. 1067</span>, otherwise known as “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Water Code of the Philippines</span>”, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salvage Zone</span></span> is defined as <span style="font-style: italic;">“the zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins, subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing and salvage. No person shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary for recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing or salvage or to build structures of any kind</span>”. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippine Ports Authority</span> has jurisdiction over all shorelines or salvage zones. It cannot, however, grant an exemption for the individual personal use of the shoreline. Based on our representation with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR</span>), we learned that the available option is for client to file a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foreshore Land Application. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By definition, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Foreshore land</span></span> is “t<span style="font-style: italic;">hat part of the land immediately in front of the shore; that part which is between the high and the low water marks and alternately covered with water or left dry by the flux or reflux of the tide.</span>” Thus, a foreshore could be the twenty (20) meters of salvage zone in agricultural areas. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under the <span style="font-weight: bold;">1973 and 1987 Constitutions</span>, an individual may lease not more than 500 hectares and a corporation may lease not more than 1000 hectares. The term of a foreshore lease is twenty-five (25) years renewable for another 25 years. Like any other public land applications, foreshore lease applications should be filed at the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office within whose jurisdiction the land applied for is located.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Section 13 of the DENR Administrative Order No. 99-34</span> provides the procedure for applying for the Foreshore Lease.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Filing of the application with the CENRO;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Preliminary Investigation and Appraisal;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Survey of the Land;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Recommendation to the official concerned for the approval of the appraisal and request for the authority to lease the land through bidding;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Approval of Appraisal and grant of Authority to Lease the land through bidding;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Payment of the publication expense if the appraise value of the land exceeds P240.00;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Publication of the Notice of right to lease the land;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. Public auction and submission of report of bidding;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Order of Award;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Preparation of the Lease Contract;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">11. Letter to the Applicant enclosing copy of the Lease contract for signature;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">12. Letter forwarding the lease contract to official concerned for his approval and notarization;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">13. Letter transmitting to applicant the approved Lease Contract.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-58890099451574386612009-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:10:16.980-07:00CORPORATE CHATS: Surveillance Cameras in Workplace - An Intrusion of Privacy?<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was recently asked about the legality in the Philippines of putting video surveillance cameras and setting up some “bait” in order to deter and/or learn the culprits of on-going thefts in the workplace. His question actually is anchored on the existence of privacy laws in the Philippines and if the setting up of surveillance cameras would be violative of said privacy laws, if there be any? Also,if an employee who committed theft in the workplace as seen in the surveillance cameras, could be dismissed?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">I replied, in part, as follows:<br /> </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Zones of privacy are recognized and protected under Philippine laws. The Civil Code provides that "<span style="font-style: italic;">[e]very person shall respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and other persons" and punishes as actionable torts several acts for meddling and prying into the privacy of another. Xxx. Invasion of privacy is an offense in special laws like the Anti-Wiretapping Law.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moreover, the right of privacy is recognized and enshrined in several provisions of the Philippines Constitution. It is expressly recognized in Section 3(1) of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bill of Rights : </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. 3</span>. (1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise as prescribed by law." </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Other facets of the right to privacy are protected in various provisions of the Bill of Rights, viz:ry </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. 1</span>. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sec. 2 .</span> The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The right to privacy is one of the most threatened rights of man living in a mass society. The threats emanate from various sources-- governments, journalists, employers, social scientists, etc”. In no uncertain terms, the right to privacy does not bar all incursions into individual privacy. Xxx. The right is not intended to stifle scientific and technological advancements that enhance public service and the common good. </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Within the zones of privacy, any form of intrusion is impermissible unless excused by law and in accordance with customary legal process. Xxx the right to privacy is a 'constitutional right and 'the right most valued by civilized men, xxx adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which mandates that 'no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy and 'everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Based on the foregoing discussion, I believe that the intended installation of hidden video surveillance cameras to primarily “bait” its employees is an intrusive invasion of privacy of the employees and is in violation of Philippine privacy laws particularly <b>Republic Act No. 4200</b>, and otherwise known as “<i>An Act To Prohibit And Penalize Wire Tapping And Other Related Violations Of The Privacy Of Communication, And For Other Purposes</i>” (for brevity “<b>Anti-Wire Tapping Law</b>”).</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under the statute, however, there is a way to make the installation of video surveillance lawful and not in violation of the right to privacy of the employees. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Anti – Wire Tapping Law makes it </span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"<i>unlawful for any person, not being authorized by all the parties to any private communication or spoken word, to tap any wire or cable, or by using any other device or arrangement, to secretly overhear, intercept, or record such communication or spoken word by using a device commonly known as a dictaphone or dictagraph or detectaphone or walkie-talkie or tape recorder, or however otherwise described. </i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>It shall also be unlawful for any person, be he a participant or not in the act or acts penalized in the next preceding sentence, to knowingly possess any tape record, wire record, disc record, or any other such record, or copies thereof, of any communication or spoken word secured either before or after the effective date of this Act in the manner prohibited by this law; or to replay the same for any other person or persons; or to communicate the contents thereof, either verbally or in writing, or to furnish transcriptions thereof, whether complete or partial, to any other person: Provided, That the use of such record or any copies thereof as evidence in any civil, criminal investigation or trial of offenses mentioned in Sec. 3 hereof, shall not be covered by this prohibition</i>. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Any person who wilfully or knowingly does or who shall aid, permit, or cause to be done any of the acts declared to be unlawful in the preceding Sec. or who violates the provisions of the following Sec. or of any order issued thereunder, or aids, permits, or causes such violation shall, upon conviction thereof.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Any communication or spoken word, or the existence, contents, substance, purport, effect, or meaning of the same or any part thereof, or any information therein contained obtained or secured by any person in violation of the preceding Section of this Act shall not be admissible in evidence in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative or administrative hearing or investigation." </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thus, in accordance with the above-quoted provisions of the Anti-Wire Tapping Law, surveillance cameras can be set up and used for a variety of different security applications in the workplace, provided that the same is authorized by all the parties. “Parties” can include employees, officers, visitors, contractors and all persons who come in the building. The way to get the authorization of these “Parties” is through posting of “signs” on the wall and “notices” on conspicuous places. The fact that employees might have already known the existence of the surveillance cameras around is not enough. There should be a sign legible enough for ALL the Parties (not just employees) to know that surveillance cameras are actually in placed and is working. Lacking these required notices makes the recording a real “bait” or a “fishing expedition" and the same is inadmissible in evidence in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative or administrative hearing or investigation as provided for in the Anti-Wire Tapping Law.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.) If an employee is committing theft in the workplace, could he/she be dismissed?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Yes.</b> The Philippine Labor Code authorizes an employer to terminate the services of an employee for loss of trust and confidence, provided that the loss of confidence arises from particular proven facts. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Article 282(c) of the Labor Code</b>, provides that “employer may terminate an employment for “fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or his duly authorized representative.” </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One jurisprudence provides that <span style="font-style: italic;">“A company has the right to dismiss its erring employees if only as a measure of self-protection against acts inimical to its interest”</span>. In another decision of the Supreme Court, it states that “<span style="font-style: italic;">Loss of confidence is established as a valid ground for the dismissal of an employee. The law does not require proof beyond reasonable doubt of the employee’s misconduct to invoke such a justification. It is sufficient that there is some basis for the loss of trust or that the employer has reasonable grounds to believe that the employee is responsible for the misconduct and his participation therein renders him unworthy of the tru</span>st and confidence demanded of his position”. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dismissal of an employee caught of committing theft (by means of a video surveillance) is a recognized right of the employer as a measure of self-protection against acts inimical to its interest. An employer cannot be compelled to continue in employment an employee guilty of acts inimical to its interest, justifying loss of confidence in him.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">May I reiterate, however, that in view of the right to privacy of the employees again as sanctioned under the Bill of Rights, due process has to be observed in cases of termination. Due process in terminating employee on this ground (or any ground for that matter) demands that the employer should furnish the worker whose employment is sought to be terminated a written notice containing a statement of the cause[s] for termination and afford him ample opportunity to be heard and to defend himself with the assistance of a representative if he so desires. Specifically, the employer must furnish the worker with two written notices before termination of employment can be legally effected: [<b>1</b>] notice which apprises the employee of the particular acts or omissions for which his dismissal is sought; and [<b>2</b>] the subsequent notice which informs the employee of the employer's decision to dismiss him.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-38681439475475017502009-10-15T10:17:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:04:12.856-07:00PROPERTY POINT: CONSULTA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtqa4WYUB2cUjBbT4d3-lO6NtZKlvLAN7pDWHN59cKxmS_d-uBpe34l8Xog6egqUHmQvZUXzD7eIDZ-VyTF6y4yDZDBt6wsUgnjsml-oM-3wRnaZ5vNSpl_NKzrCFinOhMB38R1DoZX2d/s1600/Banawe+-Sagada+trip+052.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406126665919328754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtqa4WYUB2cUjBbT4d3-lO6NtZKlvLAN7pDWHN59cKxmS_d-uBpe34l8Xog6egqUHmQvZUXzD7eIDZ-VyTF6y4yDZDBt6wsUgnjsml-oM-3wRnaZ5vNSpl_NKzrCFinOhMB38R1DoZX2d/s400/Banawe+-Sagada+trip+052.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A certain <span style="font-weight: bold;">Register of Deeds</span> denied the registration of the Deed of Absolute Sale executed by a corporation sole on the ground that “Court Approval is necessary since the Vendor being a corporation sole pursuant to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Section 113 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 68</span>, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Corporation Code of the Philippines</span>.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pursuant to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Section 117 of Presidential Decree No. 1529</span>, otherwise known as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Property Registration Decree</span>, we elevate the matter to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Land Registration Authority (LRA)</span> by way of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">consulta</span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">BASIS OF CONSULTA:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Section 117 of the Property Registration Decree reads –</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Section 117. Procedure. When the Register of Deeds is in doubt with regard to the proper step to be taken or memorandum to be made in pursuance of any deed, mortgage or other instrument presented to him for registration, or where any party in interest does not agree with the action taken by the Register of Deeds with reference to any such instrument, the question shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Land Registration by the Register of Deeds, or by the party in interest thru the Register of Deeds. Where the instrument is denied registration, the Register of Deeds shall notify the interested party in writing, setting forth the defects of the instrument or legal grounds relied upon, and advising him that if he is not agreeable to such ruling, he may, without withdrawing the documents from the Registry, elevate the matter by consulta within five days from receipt of notice of the denial of registration to the Commissioner of Land Registration.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Register of Deeds shall make a memorandum of the pending consulta on the certificate of title which shall be cancelled motu proprio by the Register of Deeds after final resolution or decision thereof, or before resolution, if withdrawn by petitioner.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Commissioner of Land Registration, considering the consulta and the records certified to him after notice to the parties and hearing, shall enter an order prescribing the step to be taken or memorandum to be made. His resolution or ruling in consultas shall be conclusive and binding upon all Registers of Deeds, provided, that the party in interest who disagrees with the final resolution, ruling or order of the Commissioner relative to consultas may appeal to the Court of Appeals within the period and in manner provided in Republic Act No. 5434. </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">STATEMENT OF MATERIAL DATES:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Include a statement that the corporation sole has until a particular date (it should be within five days)to elevate the matter by consulta to the Land Registration Authority.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">STATEMENT OF FACTS:<br /><br /><br />ISSUE:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whether or not the Deed of Absolute Sale is registrable, despite the absence of a Court Approval allowing the corporation sole, to sell the Property?</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">DISCUSSION:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Section 113 of the Corporation Code of the Philippines was the basis for the denial of registration by the Register of Deeds. Section 113 is hereto quoted in full, as follows:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>“Acquisition and alienation of property.</b> - Any corporation sole may purchase and hold real estate and personal property for its church, charitable, benevolent or educational purposes, and may receive bequests or gifts for such purposes. Such corporation may sell or mortgage real property held by it by obtaining an order for that purpose from the Court of First Instance of the province where the property is situated upon proof made to the satisfaction of the court that notice of the application for leave to sell or mortgage has been given by publication or otherwise in such manner and for such time as said court may have directed, and that it is to the interest of the corporation that leave to sell or mortgage should be granted. The application for leave to sell or mortgage must be made by petition, duly verified, by the chief archbishop, bishop, priest, minister, rabbi or presiding elder acting as corporation sole, and may be opposed by any member of the religious denomination, sect or church represented by the corporation sole: Provided, That in cases where the rules, regulations and discipline of the religious denomination, sect or church, religious society or order concerned represented by such corporation sole regulate the method of acquiring, holding, selling and mortgaging real estate and personal property, such rules, regulations and discipline shall control, and the intervention of the courts shall not be necessary. (portions in bold are added for emphasis)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Basing only on the first paragraph of the above – quoted Section 113 of the Corporation Code, the Register of Deeds is correct in his denial. However, he erroneously missed the proviso on the same Section 113 that states “Provided, That in cases where the rules, regulations and discipline of the religious denomination, sect or church, religious society or order concerned represented by such corporation sole regulate the method of acquiring, holding, selling and mortgaging real estate and personal property, such rules, regulations and discipline shall control, and the intervention of the courts shall not be necessary.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. A corporation sole was organized and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the following provision of the Corporation Code of the Philippines (“Corporation Code”):</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“SECTION 110. Corporation Sole. — For the purpose of administering and managing, as trustee, the affairs, property and temporalities of any religious denomination, sect or church, a corporation sole may be formed by the chief archbishop, bishop, priest, minister, rabbi or other presiding elder of such religious denomination, sect or church.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. For the purpose of this consulta, it is instructive to note that corporation sole described in Section 113 of the Corporation Code, may purchase, hold and dispose of real estate and personal property for its church, charitable, benevolent or educational purposes. Moreover, corporation sole has rules, regulations and discipline which regulates the method of acquiring, holding, selling and mortgaging real estate and personal property, such that the existence of said rules, regulations and discipline, the intervention of the courts shall not be necessary as said rules, regulations and discipline would control.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Since corporation sole rules, regulations and discipline regulate the method of selling real estate property, such rules, regulations and discipline shall control, and the intervention of the courts shall not be necessary. Hence, the Deed of Absolute Sale is registrable, despite the absence of a Court Approval allowing LDS, being a corporation sole, to sell the Property.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">PRAYER:</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We therefore request that:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. The Land Registration Authority directs the Register of Deeds to register the Deed of Absolute Sale between the parties--</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. The Register of Deeds be further directed to cause the cancellation of Transfer Certificate of Title No. and the issuance of a new title covering the ---square meters subject of the sale in favor of the buyer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Based on <b>LRA CIRCULAR No. 04-2005</b> otherwise known as the <i><b>Supplement to Rules and Procedure on Consulta</b></i>, it is directed that all Consulta shall be filed directly with the Register of Deeds concerned who shall endorse the same to the LRA after payment of the required fees. No consulta shall be entertained by LRA without the required endorsement from the Register of Deeds.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-36039772307168015592009-09-15T10:35:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:50:35.230-07:00FAMILY FIX: Parental Authority and General Contracting Principles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZUParUEAA1gOH25BF49IPQXUVQaJLE4vPsh-Fod09zMu1piD2JfIQYGuTZeRqs_IOvDSLwAZ7pH5EW5vYCrcXGVrtuhr7pp6DmiLxhQay2-ONBpRjRDoXr8JK6ja9SuDb0X9VU7uxi3-/s1600/mitch+29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406133267561883554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZUParUEAA1gOH25BF49IPQXUVQaJLE4vPsh-Fod09zMu1piD2JfIQYGuTZeRqs_IOvDSLwAZ7pH5EW5vYCrcXGVrtuhr7pp6DmiLxhQay2-ONBpRjRDoXr8JK6ja9SuDb0X9VU7uxi3-/s400/mitch+29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A foreign lawyer requested me to review a contract that will be used by a foreign corporation to engage local volunteers to assist with audiovisual productions in the Philippines. The last page of the disclosure statement refers to the Parental consent where the Volunteer is a minor and thus he wants me to review the consent language as it applies in the context of the agreement and if it complies with local law. He further requested that if it does not comply with local law, that I provide him with the appropriate language. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">I replied as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Under Articles 211 -216 of the Family Code of the Philippines, both spouses exercise parental authority over their children and in case of disagreement the father’s decision shall prevail unless there is a judicial rule to the contrary. In case of absence or death of either parent, the surviving parent shall continue exercising parental authority. In case of separation of parents, parental authority shall be exercised by the parent designated by the court. In default of parents or judicially appointed guardian, the following persons shall exercise substitute parental authority, namely: (1) the surviving grandparents; (2) the oldest brother or sister over 21 years old, unless unfit or disqualified; and (3) the child’s actual custodian unless unfit or disqualified. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under <b>Article 220 of the Family Code</b>, the parents and those exercising parental authority shall have with respect to their minor (unemancipated children), the right to represent them in all matters affecting their interests. Parents and other persons exercising parental authority shall be civilly liable for the injuries and damages caused by the acts or omissions of their minor children. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In this regard, it would be well to ensure that the person who gave the consent to the minor is the right person with the parental authority over the child.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Although the requested review is limited only to the additional parental consent language, I hope that you won’t mind this gentle reminder pertaining to the general contracting principles: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">a). Notarization </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each counterpart execution of the Agreement, i.e., by the foreign corporation (FC) based abroad and by Volunteer, should be notarized. More, the notarization pertaining to the FC should be authenticated by a Philippine consul at the nearest Philippine consulate or embassy as we assume that the FC will be executing the Agreement abroad. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you may note, the procedure of requiring each agreement to be notarized and then authenticated by the Philippine consulate is certainly cumbersome for the FC. To avoid this, I suggest to have FC execute a Special Power of Attorney in the US and authenticated by the Philippine Consulate, which would grant authority to a Filipino citizen to execute Agreements on behalf of FC.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">b). Re Governing Law </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A choice of governing law provision is generally recognized and given effect in the Philippines, provided that the contract has a reasonable connection with the law chosen and provided further that their provisions are not against prohibitive laws of the Philippines, public order, public policy or good customs. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To determine whether a contract has a reasonable connection with the law chosen, the courts will look into various factors, including: place of contracting, place of negotiation, place of performance, the subject matter of the contract or domicile, residence, nationality, place of incorporation and place of business of the parties. In case Philippine courts determine that no sufficient connection exists between the contract and the choice of law, it may refuse to enforce the choice of law provision and instead apply Philippine law to interpret the terms of the contract. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Notwithstanding that Philippine courts may uphold the choice of the laws provisions in a contract, please note that Philippine law will still govern in instances where: </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the foreign law is procedural in nature such as service of process, joinder of actions, period and requisites for appeal, and other procedural matters; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the foreign law is contrary to a sound and established public policy of the forum; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the foreign law is penal in nature; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the foreign law is contrary to good morals; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the foreign law is fiscal or administrative in nature; and </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• the issues or dispute relates to immovable property in the forum. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In such cases, the Philippine courts will likely apply Philippine law to settle the case or dispute arising between or among the parties to a contract or agreement, even if it meant virtually ignoring an express stipulation applying a foreign law as the law of choice of the parties.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Based on the above discussion, we believe that Clause 12 of the Agreement providing for foreign law as the governing law is generally valid and binding, given that there is a reasonable connection between the foreign law and the Agreement. As you are aware, however, this does not preclude an argument by the Volunteer that Philippine law should be applicable to the Agreement, on the basis that one of the exceptions above applies. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">c). Re Jurisdiction </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under Philippine law, parties to a contract may stipulate on the court that will have jurisdiction over any and all contractual disputes. These stipulations on jurisdiction are, as a general rule, recognized and respected under Philippine law. Please note, however, that in certain occasions, such stipulations on jurisdiction may be set aside, and the parties will be compelled to litigate before a court other than the one specified in the jurisdiction stipulation. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One such occasion wherein the jurisdiction stipulation will be disregarded is if the appointed court finds that it is not the convenient forum to settle the dispute. Whether a suit should be entertained or dismissed on the basis of the principle of forum non conveniens will depend largely upon the facts of the particular case and will be addressed to the sound discretion of the court. The appointed court will usually assume jurisdiction over the dispute in accordance with the parties’ jurisdiction stipulation if the following requisites are met: (1) the court is one to which the parties may conveniently resort to; (2) the court is in a position to make an intelligent decision as to the law and the facts; and (3) the court has or is likely to have power to enforce its decision. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Corollary to the first situation, another occasion where the jurisdiction stipulation may be set aside is if a party brings a contractual dispute before a Philippine court, and the latter finds that, in view of several relevant circumstances, there are multiple and substantive contacts between Philippine law and Philippine courts, on the one hand, and the relationship between the parties, upon the other (e.g., the contract was not only executed in the Philippines, it was also performed here, at least partially; one of the parties is a Philippine citizen and resident, etc.). In such a situation, the Philippine courts may decide to assume jurisdiction over the contractual dispute on the ground that it is a proper forum for the resolution of the subject dispute between the parties. This possible action of a Philippine court will accord with the settled rule in Philippine jurisprudence that jurisdiction clauses in contracts between the parties cannot be given absolute effect so as to oust Philippine agencies and courts of the jurisdiction vested upon them by Philippine law.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It should be noted that the Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that a stipulation that limits the venue of an action exclusively to a foreign court would be null and void for being contrary to public policy. “Exclusive jurisdiction of foreign courts over causes of action arising in the Philippines may be the subject of a treaty, international convention, or a statute permitting and implementing the same. Definitely, however, such jurisdiction and venue designation cannot and should not be conferred on a foreign court through a contractual stipulation even if restrictive in nature.” [Molina vs. De la Riva, 6 Phil. 12 (1906)] </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Based on the above discussion, we believe that Clause 12 of the Agreement providing for the exclusive jurisdiction of Utah courts is generally valid and binding. However, Volunteer may argue that Philippine courts should have jurisdiction over a dispute involving the Agreement, on the ground that the Utah courts are not a convenient forum to settle the dispute, given that it would be "inconvenient" for Volunteer to institute suit therein.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-90910836373305038112009-08-22T20:27:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:27:30.011-07:00FAMILY FIX: Being a Judge in a Family Court - Judge Ma. Elisa Sempio - Diy (RTC 225 QC)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the talk given by Judge Maria Elisa Sempio Diy of Branch 225, Regional Trial Court of Quezon City during the first anniversary conference of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society - Philippines Chapter last August 22, 2009 in Makati City.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Being a Judge in a Family Court<br />Judge Maria Elisa Sempio Diy<br />Branch 225, Regional Trial Court<br />Quezon City</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good morning. Before I begin my short lecture on the practical side of being a family court judge, let me just say that it is an honor to address a group composed of legal minds that give value to both the supremacy of law and one’s faith in a Supreme Being as their ultimate guide.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My objective with this survey of practical pointers on the procedure in some common family cases is to equip all of us to assist anyone who might be facing an issue or predicament in the family and to allow him/her to have a happy family life or to move on in anticipation of a new family.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As an instrument of the State in portraying the role of parens patriae or the guardian of the rights of the people, it will be a pleasure to any member of the bench to walk you through the following practical pointers:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">ADOPTION</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Rule on Adoption (A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC) has the following objectives: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(<b>a</b>) The best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration in all matters relating to his care, custody and adoption, in accordance with Philippine laws, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Declaration on Social and Legal Principles Relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption, Nationally and Internationally, and the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(<b>b</b>) The State shall provide alternative protection and assistance through foster care or adoption for every child who is a foundling, neglected, orphaned or abandoned. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">R.A. No. 9523, enacted on March 12, 2009, provides for a simpler procedure to declare a “child legally available for adoption” as a prerequisite for adoption proceedings. The procedure is now administrative in nature. A petition in the form of an affidavit, subscribed and sworn to before any person authorized by law to administer oaths, shall be filed with the regional office of the DSWD where the child was found and abandoned. The Regional Director shall examine the petition and its supporting documents, shall authorize posting of the notice in a conspicuous place for 5 consecutive days where the child was found, and shall render a recommendation not later than five (5) working days after completion of the posting. Upon finding merit in the petition, the Secretary shall issue the certification applied for within seven (7) working days from receipt of the recommendation. And said certification shall, by itself, be the sole basis for the immediate issuance by the local civil registrar of a foundling certificate. The decision of the Secretary shall be appealable to the Court of Appeals within five (5) days from receipt of the decision by petitioner, otherwise, the same shall be final and executory. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Procedural Pointers:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1. Who may adopt</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(1) Any Filipino citizen of legal age, in possession of full civil capacity and legal rights, of good moral character, has not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; who is emotionally and psychologically capable of caring for children, at least sixteen (16) years older than the adoptee, and who is in a position to support and care for his children in keeping with the means of the family. The requirement of a 16-year difference between the age of the adopter and adoptee may be waived when the adopter is the biological parent of the adoptee or is the spouse of the adoptee’s parent; </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(2) Any alien possessing the same qualifications as above-stated for Filipino nationals: Provided, That his country has diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Philippines, that he has been living in the Philippines for at least three (3) continuous years prior to the filing of the petition for adoption and maintains such residence until the adoption decree is entered, that he has been certified by his diplomatic or consular office or any appropriate government agency to have the legal capacity to adopt in his country, and that his government allows the adoptee to enter his country as his adopted child. Provided, further, That the requirements on residency and certification of the alien’s qualification to adopt in his country may be waived for the following:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(i) a former Filipino citizen who seeks to adopt a relative within the fourth (4th) degree of consanguinity or affinity; </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(ii) one who seeks to adopt the legitimate child of his Filipino spouse; </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(iii) one who is married to a Filipino citizen and seeks to adopt jointly with his spouse a relative within the fourth (4th) degree of consanguinity or affinity of the Filipino spouse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(3) The guardian with respect to the ward after the termination of the guardianship and clearance of his financial accountabilities. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Husband and wife shall jointly adopt, except in the following cases: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(i) if one spouse seeks to adopt the legitimate child of one spouse by the other spouse; or </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(ii) if one spouse seeks to adopt his own illegitimate child: Provided, however, That the other spouse has signified his consent thereto; or </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(iii) if the spouses are legally separated from each other. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In case husband and wife jointly adopt or one spouse adopts the illegitimate child of the other, joint parental authority shall be exercised by the spouses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2. Venue</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>SEC. 6. Venue.</b> – The petition for adoption shall be filed with the Family Court of the province or city where the prospective adoptive parents reside. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3. The Hearing </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>SEC. 14. Hearing</b>. – Upon satisfactory proof that the order of hearing has been published and jurisdictional requirements have been complied with, the court shall proceed to hear the petition. The petitioner and the adoptee must personally appear and the former must testify before the presiding judge of the court on the date set for hearing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>[Note:</b> <i>There shall be no delegation of reception of evidence to the Branch Clerk of Court.</i>]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The court shall verify from the social worker and determine whether the biological parent has been properly counseled against making hasty decisions caused by strain or anxiety to give up the child; ensure that all measures to strengthen the family have been exhausted; and ascertain if any prolonged stay of the child in his own home will be inimical to his welfare and interest.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4. Confidential Nature of Proceedings and Records</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>SEC. 18. Confidential Nature of Proceedings and Records. </b>– All hearings in adoption cases, after compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, shall be confidential and shall not be open to the public. All records, books and papers relating to the adoption cases in the files of the court, the Department, or any other agency or institution participating in the adoption proceedings shall be kept strictly confidential. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If the court finds that the disclosure of the information to a third person is necessary for security reasons or for purposes connected with or arising out of the adoption and will be for the best interests of the adoptee, the court may, upon proper motion, order the necessary information to be released, restricting the purposes for which it may be used. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[Note: Chambers hearings are common in this regard.]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">NULLITY OF MARRIAGE</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Statistically, the docket of family courts is overwhelmed with cases under Article 36 of the Family Code. The policy of all family courts throughout the country is to initially exert efforts toward the preservation of marriage. Hence, as a matter of legal practice, lawyers always try to find out the particular judicial temperament of family court judges on the matter of nullity of marriage. Realistically, a favorable decision in the lower court is a good start toward the final invalidation of the marriage. And a good authoritative decision will have a greater chance of affirmance before the appellate court.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Procedural Pointers: (A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>1. The Petition for declaration of absolute nullity of void marriages </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sec. 2. </b>Petition for declaration of absolute nullity of void marriages. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(a) Who may file. - A petition for declaration of absolute nullity of void marriage may be filed solely by the husband or the wife. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(b) Where to file. - The petition shall be filed in the Family Court. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(c) Imprecriptibility of action or defense. - An action or defense for the declaration of absolute nullity of void marriage shall not prescribe. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(d) What to allege. - A petition under Article 36 of Family Code shall specially allege the complete facts showing the either or both parties were psychologically incapacitated from complying with the essential marital obligations of marriages at the time of the celebration of marriage even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its celebration. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The complete facts should allege the physical manifestations, if any, as are indicative of psychological incapacity at the time of the celebration of the marriage but expert opinion need not be alleged.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Emphasis ours)</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2. Venue </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sec. 4. Venue.</b> - The Petition shall be filed in the Family Court of the province or city where the petitioner or the respondent has been residing for at least six months prior to the date of filing or, in the case of non-resident respondent, where he may be found in the Philippines, at the election of the petitioner.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3. Contents and form of petition </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sec. 5. Contents and form of petition.</b> - (1) The petition shall allege the complete facts constituting the cause of action. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(2) It shall state the names and ages of the common children of the parties and specify the regime governing their property relations, as well as the properties involved. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If there is no adequate provision in a written agreement between the parties, the petitioner may apply for a provisional order for spousal support, the custody and support of common children, visitation rights, administration of community or conjugal property, and other matters similarly requiring urgent action. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(3) It must be verified and accompanied by a certification against forum shopping. The verification and certification must be signed personally by the petitioner. No petition may be filed solely by counsel or through an attorney-in-fact.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If the petitioner is in a foreign country, the verification and certification against forum shopping shall be authenticated by the duly authorized officer of the Philippine embassy or legation, consul general, consul, or vice-consul or consular agent in said country. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(4) It shall be filed in six copies. The petitioner shall serve a copy of the petition on the Office of the Solicitor General and the Office of the City or Provincial Prosecutor, within five days from the date of its filing and submit to the court proof of such service within the same period. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Failure to comply with any of the preceding requirements may be ground for immediate dismissal of the petition. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Emphasis ours)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4. Motion to dismiss </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sec. 7. Motion to dismiss. </b>- No motion to dismiss the petition shall be allowed except on the ground of lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter or over the parties; provided, however, that any other ground that might warrant a dismissal of the case may be raised as an affirmative defense in an answer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5. Issuance of Decree of Declaration of Absolute Nullity or Annulment of Marriage </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Sec. 22. </b>Issuance of Decree of Declaration of Absolute Nullity or Annulment of Marriage. -- (a) The court shall issue the Decree after: </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(1) Registration of the entry of judgment granting the petition for declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage in the Civil Registry where the marriage was celebrated and in the Civil Registry of the place where the Family Court is located; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(2) Registration of the approved partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses, in the proper Register of Deeds where the real properties are located; and </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(3) The delivery of the children's presumptive legitimes in cash, property, or sound securities. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(b) The court shall quote in the Decree the dispositive portion of the judgment entered and attach to the Decree the approved deed of partition.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Except in the case of children under Articles 36 and 53 of the Family Code, the court shall order the Local Civil Registrar to issue an amended birth certificate indicating the new civil status of the children affected.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Trend of jurisprudence:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Republic v. C.A. and Molina </b></i>(G.R. No. 108763, Feb. 19, 1997) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Stringent requirements. Burden of proof belongs to plaintiff. Any doubt should be resolved in favor of the existence and continuation of the marriage and against its dissolution and nullity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Root cause of the psychological incapacity must be (a) medically or clinically defined, (b) alleged in the complaint, (c) sufficiently proven by experts, and (d) clearly explained in the decision.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Juridical antecedence – Existing at the time of celebration of the marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Incurability – Must be shown to be medically or clinically permanent; may be absolute or even relative to the other spouse, not necessarily absolutely against everyone of the same sex. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Gravity -- Such illness must be grave enough to bring about the disability of the party to assume the essential obligations of marriage. Mild characteriological peculiarities, mood changes, occasional emotional outbursts cannot be accepted a root causes; must be downright incapacity or inability, not a refusal, neglect or difficulty, much less ill will; there is a natal or supervening disabling factor in the person, an adverse element in the personality structure.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Marital obligations embraced by Articles 68 to 71 of the Family Code as regards husband and wife, and Articles 220, 221 and 225 in regard to parents and children.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Interpretations given by the National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal of the Catholic Church, while not controlling or decisive, is given great respect. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. The prosecuting attorney or fiscal and the Solicitor General shall appear as counsel for the state. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Marcos v. Marcos (G.R. No. 136490. October 19, 2000)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The guidelines incorporate the three basic requirements earlier mandated by the Court in Santos v. Court of Appeals: "psychological incapacity must be characterized by (a) gravity (b) juridical antecedence, and (c) incurability." The foregoing guidelines do not require that a physician examine the person to be declared psychologically incapacitated. In fact, the root cause may be "medically or clinically identified." What is important is the presence of evidence that can adequately establish the party's psychological condition. For indeed, if the totality of evidence presented is enough to sustain a finding of psychological incapacity, then actual medical examination of the person concerned need not be resorted to.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Te v. Te (G.R. No. 161793, February 13, 2009)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Predictably, however, in resolving subsequent cases, the Court has applied the aforesaid standards, without too much regard for the law’s clear intention that each case is to be treated differently, as “courts should interpret the provision on a case-to-case basis; guided by experience, the findings of experts and researchers in psychological disciplines, and by decisions of church tribunals.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In hindsight, it may have been inappropriate for the Court to impose a rigid set of rules, as the one in Molina, in resolving all cases of psychological incapacity. Understandably, the Court was then alarmed by the deluge of petitions for the dissolution of marital bonds, and was sensitive to the OSG’s exaggeration of Article 36 as the “most liberal divorce procedure in the world.” The unintended consequences of Molina, however, has taken its toll on people who have to live with deviant behavior, moral insanity and sociopathic personality anomaly, which, like termites, consume little by little the very foundation of their families, our basic social institutions. Far from what was intended by the Court, Molina has become a strait-jacket, forcing all sizes to fit into and be bound by it. Wittingly or unwittingly, the Court, in conveniently applying Molina, has allowed diagnosed sociopaths, schizophrenics, nymphomaniacs, narcissists and the like, to continuously debase and pervert the sanctity of marriage. Ironically, the Roman Rota has annulled marriages on account of the personality disorders of the said individuals.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Ting v. Ting (G.R. No. 166562 : March 31, 2009)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In Edward Kenneth Ngo Te v. Rowena Ong Gutierrez Yu-Te, we declared that, in hindsight, it may have been inappropriate for the Court to impose a rigid set of rules, as the one in Molina, in resolving all cases of psychological incapacity. We said that instead of serving as a guideline, Molina unintentionally became a straightjacket, forcing all cases involving psychological incapacity to fit into and be bound by it, which is not only contrary to the intention of the law but unrealistic as well because, with respect to psychological incapacity, no case can be considered as on all fours with another. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By the very nature of cases involving the application of Article 36, it is logical and understandable to give weight to the expert opinions furnished by psychologists regarding the psychological temperament of parties in order to determine the root cause, juridical antecedence, gravity and incurability of the psychological incapacity. However, such opinions, while highly advisable, are not conditions sine qua non in granting petitions for declaration of nullity of marriage. At best, courts must treat such opinions as decisive but not indispensable evidence in determining the merits of a given case. In fact, if the totality of evidence presented is enough to sustain a finding of psychological incapacity, then actual medical or psychological examination of the person concerned need not be resorted to. The trial court, as in any other given case presented before it, must always base its decision not solely on the expert opinions furnished by the parties but also on the totality of evidence adduced in the course of the proceedings. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was for this reason that we found it necessary to emphasize in Ngo Te that each case involving the application of Article 36 must be treated distinctly and judged not on the basis of a priori assumptions, predilections or generalizations but according to its own attendant facts. Courts should interpret the provision on a case-to-case basis, guided by experience, the findings of experts and researchers in psychological disciplines, and by decisions of church tribunals. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Far from abandoning Molina, we simply suggested the relaxation of the stringent requirements set forth therein, cognizant of the explanation given by the Committee on the Revision of the Rules on the rationale of the Rule on Declaration of Absolute Nullity of Void Marriages and Annulment of Voidable Marriages (A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC), viz.: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To require the petitioner to allege in the petition the particular root cause of the psychological incapacity and to attach thereto the verified written report of an accredited psychologist or psychiatrist have proved to be too expensive for the parties. They adversely affect access to justice o poor litigants. It is also a fact that there are provinces where these experts are not available. Thus, the Committee deemed it necessary to relax this stringent requirement enunciated in the Molina Case. The need for the examination of a party or parties by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist and the presentation of psychiatric experts shall now be determined by the court during the pre-trial conference.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Emphasis ours)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But where, as in this case, the parties had the full opportunity to present professional and expert opinions of psychiatrists tracing the root cause, gravity and incurability of a party’s alleged psychological incapacity, then such expert opinion should be presented and, accordingly, be weighed by the court in deciding whether to grant a petition for nullity of marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">JUDICIAL DECLARATION OF PRESUMPTIVE DEATH</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Applicable provisions:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Article 390, Civil Code </b>- After an absence of seven years, it being unknown whether or not the absentee still lives, he shall be presumed dead for all purposes, except those of succession.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The absentee shall not be presumed dead for the purpose of opening his succession till after an absence of ten years. If he disappeared after the age of seventy-five years, an absence of five years shall be sufficient in order that his succession may be opened.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Art. 391. The following shall be presumed dead for all purposes, including the division of the estate among the heirs: </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(1) A person on board a vessel lost during a sea voyage, or an aeroplane which is missing, who has not been heard of for four years since the loss of the vessel or aeroplane; </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(2) A person in the armed forces who has taken part in war, and has been missing for four years;</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(3) A person who has been in danger of death under other circumstances and his existence has not been known for four years. (n)</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So as a general rule, no judicial declaration of presumptive death is required because such presumption arises from the law (In re Szatraw, 81 Phil. 461).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Exception</b>: Article 41, Family Code</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Art. 41.</b> A marriage contracted by any person during subsistence of a previous marriage shall be null and void, unless before the celebration of the subsequent marriage, the prior spouse had been absent for four consecutive years and the spouse present has a well-founded belief that the absent spouse was already dead. In case of disappearance where there is danger of death under the circumstances set forth in the provisions of Article 391 of the Civil Code, an absence of only two years shall be sufficient.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Emphasis ours)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Judicial declaration of presumptive death is mandatorily required by law to be obtained by the present spouse only for the purpose of capacitating the present spouse to remarry. The judicial proceeding is summary in nature in accordance with Article 253 of the Family Code. For purposes of remarriage, the period of absence to be able to presume an absentee dead has been shortened to a normal period of four consecutive (4) years and two (2) consecutive years, if the disappearance occurred under circumstances described in Article 391 of the Civil Code where the danger of death is high. Such judicial declaration of presumptive death is the best evidence of the “well-founded belief” on the part of the present spouse that the absent spouse is dead. It immunizes the present spouse from being charged with bigamy, adultery or concubinage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If the absent spouse reappears, such spouse can easily terminate the subsequent marriage by executing a sworn statement or affidavit of the fact and circumstance of such reappearance and recording the same with due notice to the spouses of the subsequent marriage. The subsequent marriage is automatically terminated by the recording in the civil registry of the residence of the parties to the subsequent marriage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(<i>Sta. Maria, Persons and Family Relations, 2004 ed., pp. 257-258</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Art. 238. Until modified by the Supreme Court, the procedural rules in this Title shall apply in all cases provided for in this Code requiring summary court proceedings. Such cases shall be decided in an expeditious manner without regard to technical rules.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #660000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Characteristics of Summary Proceedings in the Family Code:</b><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. The petition shall be verified, to assure its truthfulness.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Notice of the filing of the petition should always be sent to the respondent at his or her last known address, as part of due process.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. No periods are set, and it is up to the judge to determine the period within which the respondent should answer the petition and the hearing thereof, which should be very short, considering that the proceedings are summary.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. There is a preliminary conference wherein lawyers are excluded, since in some cases, they are only obstructions to a compromise between the parties.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. The appearance of the trial fiscal of the court is not required, since he might just be absent or come unprepared.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. The preliminary conference should be conducted personally by the judge in the nature of an inquisitional hearing.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. The proceeding can be decided on the basis of affidavits or other documentary evidence because of its summary nature, and oral testimonies of witnesses will be required only when needed and at the discretion of the court.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. The case shall be decided in the most expeditious manner and without regard to technical rules.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. The judgment of the court shall be immediately final and executory.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Minutes of Code Committee meeting, April 9, 1986)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN DIVORCE</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Applicable provisions:</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Art. 26.</b> All marriages solemnized outside the Philippines, in accordance with the laws in force in the country where they were solemnized, and valid there as such, shall also be valid in this country, except those prohibited under Articles 35 (1), (4), (5) and (6), 3637 and 38. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have capacity to remarry under Philippine law. (<i>As amended by Executive Order 227) </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sec. 48. Effect of foreign judgments or final orders.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The effect of a judgment or final order of a tribunal of a foreign country, having jurisdiction to render the judgment or final order is as follows: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(a) In case of a judgment or final order upon a specific thing, the judgment or final order is conclusive upon the title to the thing; and </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(b) In case of a judgment or final order against a person, the judgment or final order is presumptive evidence of a right as between the parties and their successors in interest by a subsequent title. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In either case, the judgment or final order may be repelled by evidence of a want of jurisdiction, want of notice to the party, collusion, fraud, or clear mistake of law or fact.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">FAMILY MEDIATION</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Family law case mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution in a private forum before a case is filed in court or a court-annexed one whereby an impartial person, a professional, or a judge in a two-court system helps parties define issues and have a plan to deal with them. A family case mediator sits down with people to discuss options and develop proposals to resolve a dispute. The mediator does not take sides. Every party attends the process and they all make the decision. Mediation sessions are confidential.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Among the matters referred for family mediation are custody of minor children and visitation or access; support as well as matters relating to properties of the parties. The law, however, does not allow a compromise on status, future support, ground for legal separation, legitime, jurisdiction, domestic violence and other crimes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you for your kind attention and good day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">---000---</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-27359843748063151372009-08-07T04:54:00.000-07:002015-06-27T08:50:20.404-07:00PERSONAL PICK: Tita Cory's Life and Death is august!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj49QwAb9TBb9eEInPMJ_cWEpe5ryglLPo1Urkd8nzR2VORUtllINNz8s7Z27ssbVGJbVMMhoJiefQRl41ir-imXz48ZCiEIiHw2Oxq2Q8O_cRyDZvxyQirvng3SC5bQkIKrVuZjbPVqM/s1600-h/tita+cory+004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367937547715994418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj49QwAb9TBb9eEInPMJ_cWEpe5ryglLPo1Urkd8nzR2VORUtllINNz8s7Z27ssbVGJbVMMhoJiefQRl41ir-imXz48ZCiEIiHw2Oxq2Q8O_cRyDZvxyQirvng3SC5bQkIKrVuZjbPVqM/s400/tita+cory+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I turned my television to GMA 7 last August 1 (Saturday), I was deeply saddened by the demise of President Corazon Aquino or Tita Cory early morning that day. I felt unmoved and my eyes were riveted on the tv screen, silently grieving for her death. I shared the same feelings of grief, gratitude and farewell that is felt by her loved ones, friends, and strangers including the hundreds of thousands Filipinos who have gathered at the De La Salle Greenhills gym immediately after her body was brought there for public viewing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The scenes that followed and the hundreds of articles – news, videos, pictures, blog entries about Tita Cory on tvs, radios, newspapers and the world wide web portrayed her as a religious leader, a loving mother, a forgiving person, a simple woman, and a virtuous president. But while many people made it to the Manila Cathedral and the Manila Memorial or lined the streets and waited on the five-hour cortege from the La Salle Greenhills gym to the Manila Cathedral and the almost nine-hour funeral procession from Manila Cathedral to her final resting place beside her husband Ninoy Aquino at the Manila Memorial Cemetery, I paid my last respects for her in a bit simple, but hopefully not in a less nationalistic way. Without jumping on the bandwagon, I silently revered and paid tribute to her by wearing yellow, the colour associated with the "people power" movement, from August 1 till now and maybe until the ten-day official mourning lapse. Last August 5, I watched the whole funeral procession on tv, videotaping the time she was made to rest and being able to see her face inside the coffin when the camera focused on her for the family’s last viewing. Away from the crowd, I visited her graveyard last August 6, and traversed the same route of the funeral procession from Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Cemetery as if re-living the history that had just unfolded. I still saw the flags at half-mast at the Rizal Park and hundreds of yellow ribbons tied to the trees along the way and the hundreds of yellow flowers atop her grave shared with her husband Ninoy. I kept asking myself why I was doing that. And I can honestly say that it is my way of giving back to the woman who has given the country with so much pride and who taught me the idea that it is a privilege to be a “Filipino”. Of all the things that Cory has personified for all Filipinos is the importance of having God over our public and private lives, the importance of prayer as a constant and active part of our day to day experience, and an uncompromising commitment and public accountability for our faith. Like the word “<b>august</b>”, an adjective meaning “<b>marked by majestic dignity</b>”, the demise of the icon of democracy and the reverence shown by Filipinos is just so fitting and a real mark of majestic dignity.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-6298216260089845792009-07-30T10:17:00.000-07:002015-07-03T09:49:18.716-07:00FAMILY FIX: Filing Bankruptcy in the Philippines - An Option or Not for Debt-Stricken OFWs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghijvp0hwsBtzc75xN9mofITdYMqcdJ6NAeCSN_9KYxh7C0plWjJ78HfOkX4fGbWdYqbdFgntygLsGene2nebINpK5Yg5b23ucADI4MkfVkOXluzJkwFrFWy0zpipYDPTLHkzueWmJ9zGK/s1600/hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghijvp0hwsBtzc75xN9mofITdYMqcdJ6NAeCSN_9KYxh7C0plWjJ78HfOkX4fGbWdYqbdFgntygLsGene2nebINpK5Yg5b23ucADI4MkfVkOXluzJkwFrFWy0zpipYDPTLHkzueWmJ9zGK/s400/hole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A very concerned individual has asked this question in behalf of the many Filipina working as domestic workers in Hong Kong who had been taken advantage of by employment agencies and others, and many owe huge debts – far more than they are ever likely to be able to pay. The requestor of advice is a foreigner who is knowledgeable about bankruptcy law in his country. He wants to know, if under Philippine law, these Filipina women can file a bankruptcy and if the bankruptcy proceeding is a practical method for a person to get out of the burden of debts. He also wants to know if the person residing in Hong Kong would need to return to the Philippines in order to file bankruptcy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><b>My reply: </b></span><br />
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Please know that in my ten years of practice, I have not encountered this question so I honestly do not know the actual procedure in availing this remedy. The basis of my reply is book knowledge and not experience so I may not be the right person to advice you on the practicality of the approach. </span><br />
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<b>Bankruptcy </b>law in the Philippines is called the<b> Insolvency Law under Act No. 1956</b> which took effect on May 20, 1909. The intention of the law-making power, in enacting the Insolvency Law, is to provide an adequate remedy for all creditors of a person who becomes insolvent. The law allows individuals or businesses ("debtors") who owe others ("creditors") more money than they're able to pay to either work out a plan to repay the money over time (or suspend payment) or completely eliminate ("discharge") most of the debts by filing either a Voluntary Insolvency or an Involuntary Insolvency. </span><br />
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In Voluntary Insolvency, an insolvent debtor, owing debts may apply to be discharged from his debts and liabilities by petition to the Regional Trial Court in the province or city in which he has resided for six months next preceding the filing of such petition. In his petition he shall set forth his of residence, the period of his residence therein immediately prior to filing said petition, his inability to pay all his debts in full, his willingness to surrender all his property, estate, and effects not exempt from execution for the benefit of his creditors, and an application to be adjudged an insolvent. He shall annex to his petition a schedule and inventory in the form herein-after provided. The filing of such petition shall be an act of insolvency.</span><br />
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The said schedule must contain a full and true statement of all his debts and liabilities, together with a list of all those to whom, to the best of his knowledge and belief, said debts or liabilities are due, the place of residence of his creditors and the sum due each the nature of the indebtedness or liability and whether founded on written security, obligation, contract or otherwise, the true cause and consideration thereof, the time and place when and where such indebtedness or liability accrued, a declaration of any existing pledge, lien, mortgage, judgment, or other security for the payment of the debt or liability, and an outline of the facts giving rise or which might give rise to a cause of action against such insolvent debtor.</span><br />
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The said inventory must contain, besides the creditors, an accurate description of all the real and personal property, estate, and effects of the petitioner, including his homestead, if any, together with a statement of the value of each item of said property, estate, and effects and its location, and a statement of the encumbrances thereon. All property exempt by law from execution 2 shall be set out in said inventory with a statement of its valuation, location, and the encumbrances thereon, if any. The inventory shall contain an outline of the facts giving rise, or which might give rise, to a right of action in favor of the insolvent debtor.</span><br />
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Based on my reading of the above cited provisions of the law, I frankly do not think that filing of an Insolvency proceeding is a practical approach. In fact, I wonder if this remedy is ever availed of at present times. You will note that the law was enacted in 1909, but when I checked the jurisprudence on the matter, the latest decision by the Supreme Court was dated way back 1940s. I found, however, a question on insolvency in the 2005 Bar Examinations. So my conclusion is this: no one is availing of the insolvency proceedings at present times and any reference to the law is only for educational exercise. </span><br />
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As provided in the provisions, the Insolvency proceeding is commenced by filing a petition in a Regional Trial Court in a province or city where the petitioner has resided for the six months prior to the filing of the petition. This means that the Filipina has to hire a lawyer to prepare the petition and for her to personally sign the petition. The signing of the petition cannot be delegated to a representative even if the attorney –in-fact is the lawyer himself. The court would not be able to acquire jurisdiction over the person until and unless a verified petition is filed in Court.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3951754554830575850.post-10746666626026031762009-07-15T11:04:00.000-07:002010-03-09T07:28:48.823-08:00J.Reuben Clark Law Society First Year Anniversary Conference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCroQuLg-TSPeP8ELZuPC_Vr_wcsniCbBbQOpoeUvs6OMdG1_7-a50IOj1Uf7uASxwmnl6vMEekuXAiWU_iI6I0Spk989-eL2qn1ai-uvS1TiK_3SgwpqfqBq81diilBpcY5nQCEHi4Oc/s1600-h/law+society+logo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCroQuLg-TSPeP8ELZuPC_Vr_wcsniCbBbQOpoeUvs6OMdG1_7-a50IOj1Uf7uASxwmnl6vMEekuXAiWU_iI6I0Spk989-eL2qn1ai-uvS1TiK_3SgwpqfqBq81diilBpcY5nQCEHi4Oc/s320/law+society+logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293356005648674" /></a><br /><strong>DISPENSING LEGAL SERVICE WITH THE ENERGIES OF OUR SOUL </strong>First Year Anniversary Conference<br /> August 21-22, 2009<br />Makati, Philippines<br /><br /><br /><strong>WELCOME TO THE CONFERENCE</strong><br />In behalf of the Organizing Committee of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society Philippines Chapter, I welcome you to Makati, Philippines for the First Year Anniversary Celebration of the Law Society. Thanks to Attys. Norman Nunez, Rodrigo Reyna, Josefina Olivete and Robert Cauilan, together with many other helpers who have made the Conference possible.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Our Theme </strong>is inspired by the talk ‘Learning to Serve’ by L. Tom Perry (Liahona, May 2002) and was aptly suggested by the Legal Aid Committee Chair, Atty. Reyna. We would recall that the Law Society was formed a year ago because of our desire to serve and to give one’s professional talent to bless the lives of others through a return to one of the noblest traditions of the legal profession – the legal representation of those in society who otherwise do not have equal access to the protection of the law. The first year has been a witness to the many Law Society members participation in the Legal Aid program which was inspired by the Law Society’s first Legal Aid case – the Annabel’s case. With this year’s theme, we hope to inspire more Law Society members to use their legal skills to enrich and bless their communities, stakes and wards through service in a way that Nephi described ‘with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed’ (1 Ne. 15:25).<br /> “Service is the virtue that distinguished the great of all times and which they will be remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples. It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of the world—those who help and those who hinder, those who lift and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume. How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy, to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken hope in the hearts of others—in short, to love them and to show it—is to render the most precious service” (quoted in Steven R. Covey and others, First Things First [1994], 306).<br /><br /><strong>Our Program </strong>is both informative and stimulating. It will help us better understand our religious conviction, our profession and the venues and avenues in the legal field where we can render the most precious service and feel the joy that comes only through a selfless service and sharing. <br /><br /><strong>Our Speakers </strong>are all learned and able. They bring considerable professional expertise to their roles. They include a range of LDS presenters and non LDS speakers. Our panels will be of very high quality. We are thrilled to have confirmed acceptances from Quezon City RTC Judge Elisa Sempio Diy who will share insights about being a Judge in the Family Court, our Philippine Area President Keith R. Edwards, who is also a lawyer by profession before being called to the Quorum of the Seventy will be our keynote speaker for the opening program of the Conference and Atty. David Berrett of the Office of General Counsel – Asia, will be our inspirational speaker during the closing program.<br /><br /><strong>Our Venue </strong>is the Buendia Chapel located at Dela Costa St., Makati City. As you would recall, the Buendia Chapel is the same venue for the Law Society’s Grand Launching and Induction Ceremony last August 21, 2008 (see lds.org.ph ‘Philippines Country Website’ August 21, 2008 and Liahona Magazine February 2009 issue) and so we feel that it would be a fitting site for the first year anniversary and provides the perfect venue for the working sessions of the event. Historically, Buendia Chapel is the very first chapel built by the LDS Church in the Philippines. Its location also is another factor for the choice of the venue. Urban lifestyle and affluence are nowhere more pronounced in the Philippines than in Makati, the country’s classiest city. Bustling and modern, it is the country’s model for city planning, rising in less than a decade from vast stretches of empty land to become the nation’s premier city. The affluent city southwest of Makati is the country’s financial center, earning it the nickname, “Wall Street of the Philippines.” <br />We will adjourn to the Bayan Chapel in Dasmarinas Cavite for our Closing Program and Dinner and be able to have a smell of fresh, cool air and a magnificent view of the country side on our way there. Before leaving Makati, we will have a brief visit to the World War II Manila American Cemetery and Memorial located at Fort Bonifacio in the district of Taguig, which is just the opposite side of the Buendia Chapel across Edsa. The cemetery is the final resting place for 17,206 American military dead lost during the War in the Pacific for New Guinea and the Philippines. A monument is inscribed with the names of 36,285 Americans whose remains were never found or identified. Twenty-five large mosaic maps around the chapel depict the Pacific campaigns. For Church history, the American Cemetery was where, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then Assistant to the Twelve, met with a small group of local servicemen, American residents, Filipino members and their families last April 28, 1961, to offer a prayer for the islands and open the islands for missionary work. The first missionaries, Elders Ray Goodson, Harry Murray, Kent Lowe and Nestor Ledesma, arrived in Manila on June 5, 1961. <br />Our Delegates will include practitioners, students, judicial officers, government employees , key Church leaders and their families. They will provide an interesting range of perspectives, insightful comments, and provocative questions. We need and value your participation and contribution. Each delegate will inform, enlighten and uplift each other.<br />We look forward to seeing you all at the Conference. Please come prepared to enjoy the spirit and fellowship of our learned friends in the Law. <br /><br /><strong>ATTY. MARY ANN L. OJEDA<br />Secretary General</strong><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0