Republicvs.

Orbecido
GRNO.154380,October5,2005
FACTS:
CiprianoOrbecidoIIIwasmarriedwithLadyMyrosVillanuevaon
May24,1981attheUnitedChurchofChristinthePhilippinesin
OzamisCity.TheyhadasonandadaughternamedKristofferand
Kimberly,respectively.In1986,thewifeleftforUSbringingalong
theirsonKristoffer.Afewyearslater,Orbecidodiscoveredthathis
wifehadbeennaturalizedasanAmericancitizenandlearnedfromhis
sonthathiswifesometimein2000hadobtainedadivorcedecreeand
marriedacertainStanley.Hethereafterfiledwiththetrialcourta
petitionforauthoritytoremarryinvokingParagraph2ofArticle26of
theFamilyCode.
ISSUE:WhetherornotOrbecidocanremarryunderArticle26ofthe
FamilyCode.
HELD:
Thecourtruledthattakingintoconsiderationthelegislativeintentand
applyingtheruleofreason,Article26Par.2shouldbeinterpretedto
includecasesinvolvingpartieswho,atthetimeofthecelebrationofthe
marriagewereFilipinocitizens,butlateron,oneofthembecomes
naturalizedasaforeigncitizenandobtainsadivorcedecree.The
Filipinospouseshouldlikewisebeallowedtoremarryasiftheother

partywereaforeigneratthetimeofthesolemnizationofthemarriage.
Hence,thecourtsunanimousdecisioninholdingArticle26Par2be
interpretedasallowingaFilipinocitizenwhohasbeendivorcedbya
spousewhohadacquiredacitizenshipandremarried,alsotoremarry
underPhilippinelaw.