Among the grounds for annulment of marriage (annulment is different from divorce), psychological incapacity is the most commonly used. It is also one of the more controversial provisions of the Family Code (Article 36).
Psychological incapacity contemplates downright incapacity or inability to take cognizance of and to assume the basic marital obligations; not a mere refusal, neglect or difficulty, much less, ill will, on the part of the errant spouse. Irreconcilable differences, conflicting personalities, emotional immaturity and irresponsibility, physical abuse, habitual alcoholism, sexual infidelity or perversion, and abandonment, by themselves, also do not warrant a finding of psychological incapacity.
In a recent case, the Supreme Court sustained the nullity of the marriage based on the psychological incapacity of the wife. As concluded by the psychiatrist presented by the husband, the wife’s repeated lying is abnormal and pathological and amounts to psychological incapacity. (Antonio vs. Reyes, G.R. No. 155800, 10 March 2006)
In contrast, the wife tried to show in another recent case that her husband, a Japanese, failed to meet his duty to live with, care for and support his family. He abandoned them a month after the marriage. The wife sent him several letters but he never replied. He made a trip to the Philippines but did not care at all to see his family. The Supreme Court said that it’s not enough to prove that a spouse failed to meet his responsibility and duty as a married person; it is essential that he must be shown to be incapable of doing so due to some psychological, not physical, illness. It would have greatly helped the wife’s case had she presented evidence that medically or clinically identified his illness. This could have been done through an expert witness. (Republic vs. Quintero-Hamano, G.R. No. 149498, 20 May 2004)
The guidelines in the interpretation and application of Article 36 are discussed at the Philippine e-Legal Forum.
Atty.gusto ko ipaglaban ang karapatan ko bilang legal na asawa.Matapang pa po sa kin yung kabit ng asawa ko.At kahit nagttxt kmi ng mga anak di sinasagot ng asawa ko mahirap din po sya makausap sa telepeno.Bilang ina po ng mga anak ko ayaw ko nakikitang lagi umiiyak mga anak ko.Nand2 na po sya sa pinas pero di man lang po nya mabigyan ng oras yung mga anak ko para dalawin kmi at makipag-usap sa kin ng maayos.Pangalawa na po nya itong kabit.Ngayon po nasa malayo cla.Gusto ko po maparusahan ang asawa ko sa lahat ng ginawa nya sa amin ng mga anak ko.Sobra po kmi nasasaktan ngayon.di na rin po ako makapagtrabaho ng maayos na dedepress po ako palagi gusto ko po ng hustisya.Pls!help me advice me.
magandang hapon po!gusto ko lang pong itanong kiung ano pong case ang puede ko isampa sa asawa ko,nag abroa po xa sa Qatar at ngayon nand2 na po sa pinas,di na po xa umuwi sa min ng mga anak ko.Ayaw ko na sana xang makabalik pa sa Qatar o makaapply sa sa ibang bansa,dahil kmi naman ang nahihirapan ng mga anak ko humingi ng sustento.Yung kinakasam po nya may asawa di at 3 anak.Ayoko na po na sila pa ang makinabang sa kinikita ng asawa ko kasal po kmi.Gusto ko po mag file ng kaso sa kanya di ko alam kung ano po yung tama.Buntis na po yung kabit nya ngayon at nagsasama na po sila.Pls!advice me po.