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Robinson Flores Law Office

722 Tres De Abril Street

Labangon, Cebu City 6000

(032) 206-6784 !A" 268-7722 ###$rob%lores&no#sla#$'o$*

To +obinson !lores Sr$, Suerising Attorney

!ro +obinson !lores, Asso'iate Attorney

Date .anuary 20, 20/4

'ase eole o% T*e *iliines $ 1eru

+e La'&ing t*e leent o% a legal reious arriage as e%ense in 1igay

Case

STATEMENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT

n t*e 1igay 'ase %ile against 5s$1eru by *is allege usban

#en, t*ere are t#o ossible otions to rener t*e eri't o% a'uittal$ T*is

eo seres to resent t*ese t#o otions$

FACTS

rior to t*e '*arge o% 1igay, 5s$1eru *onestly beliee t*at *er

arriage #it* a 'ertain 5r$#en is a ali an la#%ul one an t*at i% not %or

#en9s a''usation t*at s*e *ae 'ontra'te a bigaous arriage #it* *iby irtue o% a suon %ro t*e o%%i'e o% t*e 'ity rose'utor o% 5anaue

anating *er to %ile a 'ounter-a%%iait regaring t*e 'ase %or 1igay, su'*

belie% #oul still stan #it*out a oubt$ 1y 5s$1eru9s stateents, t*e

suose bigay 'ase against *er ay *ae stee %ro a reious

relations*i #it* a 'ertain Lano #*ere a siulate arriage #as 'elebrate

bet#een *er an *i in a resen'e o% a soleni:ing o%%i'er$ An t*at su'*

siulate arriage #as to is'ourage a #oan #*o Lano iregnate

%ro ursuing *i$

entually 5s$1eru an Lano bro&e u, #it* t*e belie% t*at su'*

arriage #as neer o%%i'ial$ ;on re'eiing t*e 'olaint, s*e #ere

surrise an #anting ans#ers s*e 'on%ronte lano #it* regars to t*e

status o% su'* allege siulate arriage only to %in out t*at inee Lano

registere t*e arriage 'ontra't #it*out *er &no#lege an 'onsent$

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ISSUE

T*e %irst issue is #*et*er t*e siulate arriage bet#een 5s$1eru an

Lano is a ali one$ T*e ans#er to su'* uestion, #oul artially ans#er

t*e ain issue o% t*e 'riinal 'ase, t*at is, #*et*er or not, t*e arriage o%5s$1eru an 5r$#en is a bigaous one, a ro*ibite arriage t*at is

unis*able as a 'rie uner arti'le 34< o% t*e +eise enal 'oe o% t*e

*iliines$

BRIEF ANSWER

T*e siulate arriage bet#een 5s$1ery an Lano is not a legally ali

arriage, it is one t*at is oi %ro t*e beginning$

DISCUSSIONANAL!SIS

ne o% t*e eleents o% t*e Crie o% bigay is t*at t*e erson #as

legally arrie$ n orer to 'onstitute a ali arriage, 'ertain reuireents

are neee an are treate as essential eleents, #*ere #it*out #*i'*, a

arriage is 'onsiere oi %ro t*e beginning$ ;ner arti'le 3= o% t*e

!aily Coe, A arriage t*at is soleni:e by any erson not legallyaut*ori:e to er%or arriages unless su'* arriages #ere 'ontra'te #it*

eit*er or bot* arties belieing in goo %ait* t*at t*e soleni:ing o%%i'er *a

t*e legal aut*ority to o so is 'onsiere, oi ab initio$ Also, t*ose

arriages soleni:e #it*out a li'ense, e>'et soe instan'es #*i'* are not

t*e sae as t*is 'ase, are 'onsiere oi ab initio$

T*e %a'ts o% t*e 'ase erely states t*at inee t*ere #as a soleni:ing

o%%i'er in t*e siulate #eing, #*i'* begs t*e uestion , i t*e

soleni:ing o%%i'er *ae t*e legal aut*ority to er%or t*e arriage bet#een

Lano an 5s$1eru, ese'ially #*en t*e arriage itsel% is t*at o% asiulate '*ara'ter an t*ere%ore ust *ae been %ille #it* legal

inaeua'y sin'e t*e allege brie to be, 5s$1eru, neer too& t*e arriage

seriously in t*e %irst la'e$ t #oul be *ar to 'onu't su'* 'on'ealent i%

t*e soleni:ing o%%i'er #as inee a legally aut*ori:e one, %or 'ertain

reuireents ust be %ollo#e, stanars an ro'esses t*at is uite *ar to

anueer i% t*e brie9s belie% #as t*at only o% a siulate arriage$ A

roer soleni:ing o%%i'er #oul *ae sot su'* roble$

n t*e allege %a'ts, it #as entione t*at only t*e arriage 'ontra't

#as registere$ ?o#, uner t*e sae arti'le in t*e %aily 'oe, a arriageli'ense is a ery iortant an essential reuisite, absent #*i'*, 'oul a&e

t*e arriage oi ab initio$ t is our t*eory, t*at not only is t*e soleni:ing

o%%i'er, not a legally aut*ori:e one but t*at t*e arriage 'ontra't t*at #as

registere by lano, #as a %rauulently a'uire one$ @e ust e>aine t*e

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arriage li'ense %irst or t*e la'& t*ereo%, be%ore #e 'oul ro'ee to our last

line o% e%ense, t*e goo %ait* e%ense$

Criinal intent is a ery integral art o% a 'rie, absent #*i'* ay

lea to t*e a'uittal o% t*e a''use$ o#eer, not all 'ries reuire 'riinalintent to 'oni't an a''use an t*at t*e goo %ait* e%ense, *o#eer trut*%ul

an releant is not al#ays a''ete in all instan'es$ ?onet*eless, t*e otion

is a ali one sin'e t*e %a'ts t*eseles 'learly uts t*e a''use in a i'tis

osition, a osition t*at ay a'uit *er i% not itigate t*e unis*ent$

o#eer, our goal in eloying t*is e%ense is ainly to 'ast reasonable

oubt on t*e 'ase$ T*e buren o% t*e rose'ution is to roe all t*e eleents

t*erein, #*ere soe o% #*i'* #e are reay to re%ute, i% #e are able argue

against t*e rose'ution in #*ere t*ey 'ant roe one eleent, t*en goo, i%

not #e go to our goo %ait* e%ense$

CONCLUSION

n s*ort, our ain an initial e%ense is a sile one, try to reent

t*e rose'ution in roing at least one o% t*e eleents o% 1igay, re%erably

t*e %irst eleent o% a legal arriage, or at least 'ast a s*ao# o% oubt in

e>isten'e o% 2 eleents$ ur last otion #*i'* is not ne'essarily our #orst,

#oul be to ut u a e%ense o% goo %ait*, *oing t*at it #oul 'ast

reasonable oubt uon t*e 'riinal 'ase$

RECOMMENDATION

t is o% y legal oinion t*at t*e best legal otion #oul be to initially

start #it* t*e %irst e%ense, isroe t*e e>isten'e o% any eleent an a&e

it *ar %or t*e rose'ution to roe at least one$ @e s*oul start, in

uestioning t*e legality o% t*e allege rior arriage to Lano an s*oul go

%ro t*ere$ Sin'e lano, is in an aologeti' state to#ars our 'lient 5s$1eru,

#e ig*t be able to use *i as our #itness$

Sin'erely,

Atty$ +obinson !lores *D

Attorney at La#