9/18/2016

G.R.No.L37720

TodayisSunday,September18,2016

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
ENBANC
G.R.No.L37720March27,1933
THEPEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINEISLANDS,plaintiffappellee,
vs.
URSULASENSANOandMARCELORAMOS,defendantsappellants.
EmilioL.Medinaforappellants.
AttorneyGeneralJaranillaforappellee.
BUTTE,J.:
The appellants were sentenced by the Court of First Instance of Ilocos Norte for the crime of adultery to three
years,sixmonthsandtwentyonedaysofprisioncorreccionalandappealedtothiscourt,assigningthefollowing
error:"Thecourtbelowerredinnotholdingthattheoffendedhusbandcontestedtotheadulterycommittedbyhis
wifeUrsulaSensanointhatherefusedtolivewithheraftersheextinguishedherprevioussentenceforthesame
offense, and by telling her then that she could go where she wanted to and do what she pleased, and by his
silenceforsevenyearsnotwithstandingthathewasinformedofsaidadultery."
Thefactsbrieflystatedasfollows:
UrsulaSensanoandMarianoVenturaweremarriedonApril29,1919.Theyhadonechild.Shortlyafterthebirth
ofhischild,thehusbandlefthiswifetogototheProvinceofCagayanwhereheremainedforthreeyearswithout
writing to his wife or sending her anything for the support of herself and their son. Poor and illiterate, without
relativesuponwhomshecouldcall,shestruggledforanexistenceforherselfandhersonuntilafataldaywhen
shemettheaccusedMarceloRamoswhotookherandthechildtolivewithhim.Onthereturnofthehusband(in
1924), he filed a charge against his wife and Marcelo Ramos for adultery and both were sentenced to four
monthsandonedayofarrestomayor.Thecourt,initsdecision,statedthefollowing:"Intheopinionofthecourt,
thehusbandoftheaccusedhasbeensomewhatcruelinhistreatmentofhiswifehavingabandonedherashe
did." After completing her sentence, the accused left her paramour. She thereupon appealed to this municipal
presidentandthejusticeofthepeacetosendforherhusbandsothatshemightaskhispardonandbeghimto
takeherback.Atthehouseofthepresidentshebeggedhispardonandpromisedtobeafaithfulwifeithewould
takecareherback.Herefusedtopardonhertolivewithherandsaidshecouldgowhereshewished,thathe
wouldhavenothingmoretodowithher,andshecoulddoasshepleased.Abandonedforthesecondtime,she
andherchildwentbacktohercoaccusedMarceloRamos(thiswasintheyear1924)andtheyhavelivedwith
him ever since. The husband, knowing that she resumed living with her codefendant in 1924, did nothing to
interferewiththeirrelationsortoasserthisrightsashusband.ShortlythereafterheleftfortheTerritoryofHawaii
where she remained for seven years completely abandoning his said wife and child. On his return to these
Islands,hepresentedthesecondchargeofadulteryhereinvolvedwiththesolepurpose,ashedeclared,ofbeing
abletoobtainadivorceundertheprovisionsofActNo.2710.
Article344oftheRevisedPenalCode,paragraphs1and2,areasfollows:
Prosecutionofthecrimesofadultery,concubinage,seduction,abduction,rapeandactsoflasciviousness.
The crimes of adultery and concubinage shall not be prosecuted except upon a complaint filed by the
offendedspouse.
Theoffendedpartycannotinstitutecriminalprosecutionwithoutincludingboththeguiltyparties,iftheyare
bothalive,nor,inanycase,ifheshallhaveconsentedorpardonedtheoffenders.
Apartfromthefactthatthehusbandinthiscasewasassumingamereposewhenhesignedthecomplaintasthe
"offended" spouse, we have come to the conclusion that the evidence in this case and his conduct warrant the
inference that he consented to the adulterous relations existing between the accused and therefore he is not
authorizedbylawtoinstitutethiscriminalproceeding.
http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1933/mar1933/gr_l37720_1933.html

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WecannotaccepttheargumentoftheAttorneyGeneralthatthesevenyearsofacquiescenceonhispartinthe
adulteryofhiswifeisexplainedbyhisabsencefromthePhilippineIslandsduringwhichperioditwasimpossible
forhimtotakeanyactionagainsttheaccused.Thereisnomeritintheargumentthatitwasimpossibleforthe
husbandtotakeanyactionagainsttheaccusedduringthesaidsevenyears.
Thejudgmentbelowisreversedwithcostsdeoficio.
StreetandOstrand,JJ.,concur.

Footnotes
1PublishedbyauthorityofCourt'sResolutionofMarch30,1933.
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1933/mar1933/gr_l37720_1933.html

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