The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate and file criminal cases against those offering annulment services without court hearings and appearance of parties.
The said service has been posted on social media claiming to be “100 percent legit” for the annulment or nullification of marriages.
In a letter on October 4, 2023, addressed to NBI Director Medardo G. De Lemos, the SC through Court Administrator Raul Villanueva made the request which the SC official described as “deception.”
Villanueva informed De Lemos that the social media post claimed that in annulment or nullity of marriage, “no appearance and hearing kaya kahit (even) OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) ka pwede ng ifile and petition (petition can be filed) is utterly a deception.”
“Worse, to guarantee that, even supposedly without such court appearance, related documents regarding a petition for annulment or nullity of marriage will be received by interested parties, such as the ‘Decree of Declaration of Absolute Nullity,’ ‘Entry of Judgment,’ and ‘Marriage Certificate with Annotation of Null and Void,’ is grossly misleading,” Villanueva said.
“Obviously, the intention of such offer is to lure victims into paying unjustified fees for irregular services,” Villanueva lamented.
“We, therefore, request your agency to immediately investigate this matter and help unmask those behind the despiteful scheme so that they can be appropriately dealt with and, if so warranted, prosecuted. This we ask to prevent the proliferation of this kind of unlawful activity,” he told De Lemos.
In annulment or nullify of marriage, a petition is filed, pieces of documentary and testimonial evidence are required, hearings are conducted by the trial court.
The government, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), participates in the proceedings.
The ruling of the trial court on marriage nullity or annulment may be appealed before the Court of Appeals (CA) either by the losing party or the OSG. Decision of the CA can still be appealed before the SC.