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Sabrina Artadi Bondagjy vs. Fouzi Ali Bondagjy

SABRINA ARTADI BONDAGJY, petitioner, vs. FOUZI ALI BONDAGJY, JUDGE BENSAUDI I. ARABANI, SR., in his capacity as presiding judge of the 3rd Shari'a District Court, Shari'a Judicial District, Zamboanga City, respondents.

G.R. No. 140817 | 2001-12-07

D E C I S I O N
 
PARDO, J.:

Is a wife, a Christian who converted to Islam before her marriage to a Muslim and converted back to Catholicism upon their separation, still bound by the moral laws of Islam in the determination of her fitness to be the custodian of her children?

We apply civil law in the best interest of the children.

The Facts

Respondent Fouzi (then 31 years of age) and Sabrina (then 20 years of age) were married on February 3, 1988, at the Manila Hotel, Ermita, Manila under Islamic rites.[1] On October 21, 1987, or four (4) months before her marriage, Sabrina became a Muslim by conversion. However, the conversion was not...