Back

Mercado vs. Tan [DECISION]

VINCENT PAUL G. MERCADO a.k.a. VINCENT G. MERCADO, petitioner, vs. CONSUELO TAN, respondent.

G.R. No. 137110 | 2000-08-01

Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
 
THIRD DIVISION
 
D E C I S I O N
 
PANGANIBAN, J.:
 
A judicial declaration of nullity of a previous marriage is necessary before a subsequent one can be legally contracted. One who enters into a subsequent marriage without first obtaining such judicial declaration is guilty of bigamy. This principle applies even if the earlier union is characterized by statute as "void."
 
The Case
 
Before us is a Petition for Review on Certiorari assailing the July 14, 1998 Decision of the Court of Appeals (CA)1 in CA-GR CR No. 19830 and its January 4, 1999...