Case Title: REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, petitioner, vs. MARIA FE ESPINOSA CANTOR, responent. responent.
!ate: December 10, 2013 ".R. No.: No. 184621 Ponente: BRION, J., En Banc Nat#re o$ A%tion: Petition for revie on certiorari Topi%: Bi!amo"# an$ Po%&!amo"# 'arria!e#( )rtic%e 41.
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*+e re#on$ent an$ Jerr& ere marrie$ on -etember 20, 1/. *+e& %ive$ to!et+er a# +"#ban$ an$ ife in t+eir con"!a% $e%%in! in )!an ome#, orona$a% it&, -o"t+ otabato. -ometime in Jan"ar& 18, t+e co"%e +a$ a vio%ent "arre% bro"!+t abo"t b&5 17 t+e re#on$ent# inabi%it& to reac+ 9#e:"a% c%ima:9 +enever #+e an$ Jerr& o"%$ +ave intimate moment#( an$ 27 Jerr&# e:re##ion of animo#it& toar$ t+e re#on$ent# fat+er. )fter t+eir "arre%, Jerr& %eft t+eir con"!a% $e%%in! an$ t+i# a# t+e %a#t time t+at t+e re#on$ent ever #a +im. -ince t+en, #+e +a$ not #een, comm"nicate$ c omm"nicate$ nor +ear$ an&t+in! from Jerr& or abo"t +i# +ereabo"t#. On 'a& 21, 2002, or more t+an fo"r 47 &ear# from t+e time of Jerr&# $i#aearance, t+e re#on$ent filed re#on$ent filed a petition for her husband's declaration declaration of presumptive death. death . -+e c%aime$ t+at #+e +a$ +a $ a e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief t+at Jerr& a# a%rea$& $ea$. -+e a%%e!e$ t+at #+e +a$ in"ire$ from +er mot+er;in;%a, +er brot+er#;in;%a, +er #i#ter#;in;%a, a# e%% a# +er nei!+bor# an$ frien$#, b"t to no avai%. In t+e +oe# of fin$in! Jerr&, #+e a%#o a%%e!e$%& ma$e it a oint to c+ec< t+e atient# $irector& +enever #+e ent to a +o#ita%. )%% t+e#e earne#t effort#, t+e re#on$ent c%aime$, rove$ f"ti%e, romtin! +er to fi%e t+e etition in co"rt.
R*5 )fter $"e rocee$in!#, t+e R* i##"e$ an or$er !rantin! t+e re#on$ent# etition an$ $ec%arin! Jerr& re#"mtive%& $ea$. It conc%"$e$ t+at t+e re#on$ent +a$ a e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief t+at +er +"#ban$ a# a%rea$& $ea$ #ince more t+an fo"r 47 &ear# +a$ a##e$ it+o"t t+e former receivin! an& ne# abo"t t+e %atter or +i# +ereabo"t#. )5 *+e ca#e reac+e$ t+e ) t+ro"!+ a etition for certiorari 6 fi%e$ b& t+e etitioner, Re"b%ic of t+e P+i%iine#, t+ro"!+ t+e Office of t+e -o%icitor =enera% O-=7. In it# )"!"#t 2/, 2008 $eci#ion, t+e ) $i#mi##e$ t+e etitioner# etition, fin$in! no !rave ab"#e of $i#cretion on t+e R*# art, an$, accor$in!%&, f"%%& affirme$ t+e %atter# or$er. *+e etitioner bro"!+t t+e matter via a R"%e 4> etition before t+i# o"rt.
Iss#e: &'N t(e responent (a a )ell*$o#ne +elie$ t(at (er spo#se spo#se is alrea ea R#lin-: No. *+e o"rt i# of t+e vie t+at t+e re#on$ent mere%& en!a!e$ in a 9a##ive #earc+9 +ere #+e re%ie$ on "ncorroborate$ in"irie# from +er in;%a#, nei!+bor# an$ frien$#. -+e fai%e$ to con$"ct a $i%i!ent #earc+ beca"#e +er a%%e!e$ effort# are in#"fficient to form a e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief t+at +er +"#ban$ a# a%rea$& $ea$. Ratio: Before a "$icia% $ec%aration of re#"mtive $eat+ can be obtaine$, it m"#t be #+on t+at t+e rior #o"#e +a$ been ab#ent for fo"r con#ec"tive &ear# an$ t+e re#ent #o"#e +a$ a e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief t+at t+e rior #o"#e a# a%rea$& $ea$. ?n$er )rtic%e 41 of t+e @ami%& o$e, t+ere are fo"r 47 e##entia% re"i#ite# for t+e $ec%aration of re#"mtive $eat+5 1. *+at t+e ab#ent #o"#e +a# been mi##in! for fo"r con#ec"tive &ear#, or to con#ec"tive &ear# if t+e $i#aearance occ"rre$ +ere t+ere i# $an!er of $eat+ "n$er t+e circ "m#tance# %ai$ $on in )rtic%e 31, ivi% o$e( 2. *+at t+e re#ent #o"#e i#+e# to remarr&( 3. T(at t(e present spo#se (as a )ell*$o#ne +elie$ t(at t(e a+sentee is ea( ea( an$ 4. *+at t+e re#ent #o"#e fi%e# a #"mmar& rocee$in! for t+e $ec%aration of re#"mtive $eat+ $eat+ of t+e ab#entee. *+e b"r$en of roof re#t# on t+e re#ent #o"#e to #+o t+at a%% t+e re"i#ite# "n$er )rtic%e 41 of t+e @ami%& o$e are re#ent. -ince it i# t+e re#ent #o"#e +o, for "ro#e# of $ec%aration of re#"mtive $eat+, #"b#tantia%%& a##ert# t+e affirmative of t+e i##"e, it #tan$# to rea#on t+at t+e b"r$en of roof %ie# it+ +imA+er. e +o a%%e!e# a fact +a# t+e b"r$en of rovin! it an$ mere a%%e!ation i# not evi$ence. evi$ence.
*+e %a $i$ not $efine +at i# meant b& 9e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief.9 It $een$# "on t+e circ"m#tance# of eac+ artic"%ar ca#e. *o be ab%e to com%& it+ t+i# re"irement, t+e re#ent #o"#e m"#t rove t +at +i#A+er be%ief a# t+e re#"%t of $i%i!ent an$ rea#onab%e effort# an$ in"irie# to %ocate t+e ab#ent #o"#e an$ t+at ba#e$ on t+e#e effort# an$ in"irie#, +eA#+e be%ieve# t+at "n$er t+e circ"m#tance#, t+e ab#ent #o"#e i# a%rea$& $ea$. It re"ire# e:ertion of active effort not a mere a##ive one7. In t+e ca#e at bar, t+e re#on$ent# 9e%%;fo"n$e$ be%ief9 a# anc+ore$ on +er a%%e!e$ 9earne#t effort#9 to %ocate Jerr&, +ic+ con#i#te$ of t+e fo%%oin!5 17 -+e ma$e in"irie# abo"t Jerr&# +ereabo"t# from +er in;%a#, nei!+bor# an$ frien$#( an$ 27 +enever #+e ent to a +o#ita%, #+e #a to it t+at #+e %oo
