Case Brief No. 1: Santos vs. Court of Appeals, 240 SCRA 20G.R. No.

112019, 4 January 1995 (En Banc)

Fa c t s :
O n 2 0 S e p t e m b e r 1 9 8 6 , p l a i n t i ff L e o u e l S a n t o s m a r r i e d d e f e n d a n t J u l i a
B e d i a . O n 1 8 M a y 1 9 8 8 , J u l i a l e f t f o r t h e U.S. to work a nurse. She did not
communicate with Leouel a n d d i d n o t r e t u r n t o t h e c o u n t r y. I n 1 9 9 1 , L e o u e l
fi l e d a c o m p l a i n t f o r v o i d i n g t h e m a r r i a g e u n d e r A r t i c l e 3 6 o f
t h e F a m i l y C o d e . T h e R e g i o n a l Tr i a l C o u r t - N e g r o s O r i e n t a l d i s m i s s e d t h e
c o m p l a i n t , a n d t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l s a ffi r m e d said dismissal.
I s s u e : W h e t h e r o r n o t J u l i a s f a i l u r e t o r e t u r n h o m e
o r t o c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h h e r h u s b a n d L e o u e l f o r m o r e t h a n fi v e years constitute
psychological incapacity.
Ruling:
No. The Supreme Court ruled that the failure of the wife to return home or to
communicate with her husband for more than five years does not constitute psychological
incapacity .Psychological incapacity must be characterized by (a) gravity,(b) juridical
antecedence, and (c) incurability. It refers to no l e s s t h a n a m e n t a l ( n o t p h y s i c a l )
incapacity that causes a
p a r t y t o b e t r u l y i n c o g n i t i v e o f t h e e s s e n t i a l m a r i t a l oblig
ations. Petition denied.