Can someone automatically remarry after being separated, or when the other spouse had been “absent”, for several years? There are a number of questions along this line that were posted in the Forum. While there’s already an initial discussion on this, the question keeps cropping up, so let’s put this issue to rest once and for all.
The confusion appears to be based on Article 83 of the Civil Code, which reads:
Art. 83. Any marriage subsequently contracted by any person during the lifetime of the first spouse of such person with any other person other than such first spouse shall be illegal and void from its performance, unless:
xxx(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, or 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 the 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.
If you stumbled on this provision, you may have this idea that a spouse can remarry even without securing a judicial declaration of presumptive death. In other words, there is NO need to go to court and it’s enough that any of the following circumstances is present: (a) there be no news that such absentee is still alive; (b) the absentee is generally considered to be dead and believed to be so by the spouse present; and (c) the absentee is presumed dead under Article 390 and 391 of the Civil Code.
This understanding would have been correct, except that Article 83 of the Civil Code was superseded by the Family Code, which now provides:
Art. 41. A marriage contracted by any person during the 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 had 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 provision of Article 391 of the Civil Code, an absence of only two years shall be sufficient.
For the purpose of contracting the subsequent marriage under the preceding paragraph, the spouse present must institute a summary proceeding as provided in this Code for the declaration of presumptive death of the absentee, without prejudice to the effect of reappearance of the absent spouse.
[For a discussion on whether a court-approved legal separation entitles the spouses to remarry, refer to: Can a Legally Separated Person Remarry.]
As the law now stands, a married person must, for purposes of remarriage, file the necessary action in court and ask for a declaration of presumptive death of the “absent” spouse. The crucial differences under the Civil Code and Family Code provisions are:
- 1. Under the Family Code, the time required for the presumption to arise has been shortened to 4 years.
- 2. Under the Family Code, there is need for a judicial declaration of presumptive death to enable the spouse present to remarry.
- 3. Under the Family Code, a stricter standard is imposed: there must be a “well founded belief” that the absentee is already dead before a petition for declaration of presumptive death can be granted. A married person must conduct a search for his missing spouse with such diligence as to give rise to a “well-founded belief” that he/she is dead.
For an extended discussion on declaration of presumptive death, please click here to read the previous article entitled: “Presumptive death of a spouse for subsequent marriage.” Just to be clear: no matter how long a spouse is “absent”, the present spouse CANNOT remarry unless there is a judicial declaration of presumptive death. [See also How Many Years Before a Marriage Becomes Void in the Philippines; Reference: Republic vs. Nolasco, G.R. No. 94053, 17 March 1993]
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Dear Atty.
Good day!
Gusto ko lang pong mag tanong kung pwede po ba kaming mag pakasal ng kinakasama ko ngayun kahit kasal pa sya sa iba? Pero 7 years na po silang mag kahiwalay with out any communications.
I hope your advice po ..salamat
Please, I need your comment please. Nagpakasal kami ng aking husband ayon sa advice ng kanyang mga in-laws kasi po almost 8 years na siyang nawawala. After 13 years nang kami ay magpakasal, biglang nag appear ang una niyang asawa na may asawa na rin. Recently, namatay po yong una niyang wife sa cancer. Gusto po naming magpakasal ulit para maging valid ang aming kasal kasi daw po void ab initio ang una naming kasal.
Do we still need to file for nullity of our first marriage bago magpakasal ulit ganong patay na naman ang kanyang unang asawa. Considering that it was not valid from the very beginning, magpapafile pa po ba kami sa korte?
pwede ko maitanong pwede ho ba lang kami kami nalnang nang asawa ko og gumawa ng kasolatan na maghihiwalay na kami at pwede na kami mag pakasal olit kasi kami ngayon ng asawa ko ay hiwalay at pareho maming maikasal pwede bang magsulat kami ng kasondoon at pipirmahan nalng namin
pwede na po ba magpakasal ang hiwalay na ng 10 years without filing an anulment?
My question lng po ako, nung 19 yrs old po ako my friend po ako ng offer sakin na Work sa korea, then pinuntahan nmin un isang tao na kilala nun nagdala samin ng friend ko dun, ang sabe nya para daw madali kami makaalis magpakasal daw kami sa korean at mkakapagwork daw kami kahut saan sa korea, dahil sa hirap po ng buhay, nagdalawang isip po ako, una umatras po ako, pero ang sabe nun nagdala samin nun ok lang yan kasi peke lang naman yung kasal na yan, dahil sa pniniwala ko po na peke lang, pumayag po ako, hangang sa my pinakilala sila na kunwari mga kamak anak ko para ipakita lang sa korean na lalaki na my pamilya ako na dumating, nangyari na po ang kasal pero sa isang kwarto lang po ng hotel, after that day sabe po sa akin sumama daw muna ako sa hotel nun korean dahil pabalik na siya ng korean the next day, sumama po ako, pero hindi ko rin po natagalan knowing na hindi naman totoo ung kasal, kaya kahit umalis ako at hindi na magpakita ok lng, hindi ko rin kaya ipush sarili ko sa ganun sitwasyon, nagpaalam ako umuwi at pinayagan naman ako, after that day, tinatawagan ako ng tinatawagan hind ko na sila sinagot, at nagpalit na ko ng ibang number, thats all happen 2009,, after 5 years i decided to apply as intertainer to japan, 2014 of october i fly to japan, i returned to philippines january 2015, then i came back to japan for 2nd time, sept, 2015,, until i met someone, we are in same work, im a dancer and he is a staff in the club i perform, he is pilipino too, we fall inlove to each other until he ask me to marry him so he can get me and live together in japan, i said yes to him, i came back to philippines again dec,2015,, coincident nagkaroon ako ng contact sa friend ko na kasama ko long time ago ng manyari ung kasal kasalan sa korean citizen, sabe ko sa knya, magpapakasal na ko, at bigla nya sinabe na ang tagal na daw nya ko kinokontak para sabhin na icheck ko ang cenomar ko, dahil she found out na her name is married to someone, and she remmember that long time ago, sa pagwari nya po, ginantihan kami or totoo pala ung kasal ksal na nanyari nun araw na yun, pero sinabe nila na peke lng daw, sobrang stress po ako nun, chineck ko cenomar ko, then i found out na totoo nga, hindi ko alam gagawin ko, at hindi ko rin masabe sa mapapangasawa ko tungkol dun, naghanap ako ng abugado para maayos un, nagtestify ako, at inumpisahan ang imbestigation, nalaman ng lawyer ko na, ilang beses na nagpakasal un korean natinal na yun at the same year at same month, meron na siyang pinakasalan na ibang pangalan bago ako, at pagtapos ko my pangatlo pa, umusad ang kaso sa korte, bumalik ako ng japan, feb, 2016 to may 2016, pinagusapan namin ng mpapangasawa ko na itutuloy nmin ang kasal namin, kaya pinaayos ko po mga papel para mkapagpakasal kami, we believe that nothings gonna stop us kahit na anu pa man, desidido parin siya na kunin niya ko sa japan para dun manirahan, ngaun po my question po ako, pinasuri po nmin yung marriage certificate nmin ng asawa kong pilipino, sabe po samin kaya nadedeny ang visa ko dahil single ang nkalagay sakin na dapat daw po remarriage, paano po ba namin maayos yun,?? Who can help us po? Lalo na po ngaun na nanalo po ako sa petition ko, final na po ang decision ng korte,
Hi…
I need a help, gusto ko lang malaman po kung valid pa rin yung kasal namin ng ex husband kong koreano… 10 years na po kaming walang communication,. We been together for like 3 months lang, and decided to file divorce,.. Pero sa pinas kami unang ngpakasal, pero divorce na kami sa korea… Ano po ang dapat kong gawin… Makakapagpakasal ba ko ulet? Valid parin ba yung kasal nmn ng ex ko? And wala akong idea kung san ko xia hahagilapin if ever man need ko ng presence nia kung kailangan ng annulment sa pinas..
Hello po atty kasal po ako sa koreano pero di po kami nag sama 2013 po yun never kami nag sama . Gusto ko lang po sana kc makarating ng korea pag tapos po nun wala ng paramdam pwde pa dn po ba kaya ko mag pakasal ?
Good Day give me an advise po kung ano po ang dapat Kong gawin naikasal na po ako 6 years ago but after a month natuklasan ko na nakabuntis ng iba ang husband ko at nkipaghiwlay po ako sa kanya and now may live in partner na po ako at ganun din sya pwede po kaya akong maikasal sa live in partner ko kahit na buhay pa ang husband ko eversince hndi po sya nakatulong skin s lahat ng bagay
Pwd po ba kaming makasal ng live in partner q even kasal sila ng ex wife na?hiwalay na po sila almost 15 years pero d pa sila annuled dahil sa financial problem iniwan po sya ng kanyang dating asawa pati ang kanilang mga anak ay andito po sa amin….ang tanong q po ay pwd ba kaming makasal ng live in partner q?
Hello po, good morning!
Ask q po sana if invalid po ba ang kasal ng daddy ko sa second wife niya dahil kasal po sila ng mama q. Wala pong papers na finile for annulment or divorce and Dad ko pero hiwalay silang more than 10 years. Nag try silang mag balikan pero di pumayag ang mama ko dahil alcoholic po ang Dad ko. After ilang years nag pakasal po ang Dad ko sa ibang babae dahil nabuntis po niya. Pero napag after poh ng ilang years nalaman po namin ng Dad ko na kasal din pala ung 2nd wife nya sa iba bago sa Dad ko.
Please advise po..