Matubis vs. Praxedes

[No. L-11766.
October 25, 1960]

SOCORRO MATUBIS, plaintiff and appellant, vs. ZOILO
PRAXEDES, defendant and appellee.
1. 1.HUSBAND AND WIFE; LEGAL SEPARATION; LIMITATION OF
ACTIONS; TIME WITHIN WHICH TO BRING ACTION.While
defendant's act of cohabiting with a woman other than his wife
constituted concubinage, a ground for legal separation, nevertheless,
the complaint should be dismissed, because it was not filed within one
year from and after the date on which the plaintiff became cognizant
of the cause and within five years f rom and after the date when such
cause occurred (Art. 102, new Civil Code).
1. 2.ID.; ID.; CONDONATION OR CONSENT OF INNOCENT SPOUSE;
HOW MADE.The law specifically provides that legal separation
may be claimed only by the innocent spouse, provided the latter has
not condoned or consented to the adultery or concubinage committed
by the other spouse (Art. 100, new Civil Code; and plaintiff (innocent
spouse) having condoned and/or consented in writing to the
concubinage committed by the defendant husband, she is now
underserving of the court's sympathy (People vs. Schneckenburger, 73
Phil., 413).
APPEAL from a judgment of the Court of First Instance of

Camarines Sur. Surtida, J.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.
Luis N. de Leon for appellant.
Lucio La. Margallo for appellee.
PAREDES, J.
Alleging abandonment and concubinage, plaintiff Socorro
Matubis, filed with the Court of First Instance of Camarines Sur,
on April 24, 1956, a complaint for Legal Separation and change of
surname against her husband defendant Zoilo Praxedes.
The allegations of the complaint were denied by defendant
spouse; who interposed the defense that it was plaintiff who left
the conjugal home.
During the trial, wherein the plaintiff alone introduced oral as
well as documentary evidence, the following facts were
established:
790
790
PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Matubis vs. Praxedes
Plaintiff and defendant were legally married on January 10, 1943,
at Iriga, Camarines Sur. For failure to agree on how they should
live as husband and wife, the couple, on May 30, 1944, agreed to
live separately from each other, which status remained unchanged
until the present. On April 3, 1948, plaintiff and defendant entered
into an agreement (Exhibit B), the significant portions of which are
hereunder reproduced.
"* * * (a) That both of us relinquish our right over the other as legal husband
and wife.
1. (b)That both of us is free to get any mate and live with as husband and
wife without any interference by any of us, nor either of us can
prosecute the other for adultery or concubinage or any other crime or
suit arising from our separation.
2. (c)That I, the wife, is no longer entitled for any support from my husband
or any benefits he may receive thereafter, nor I the husband is not
entitled for anything from my wife.
3. (d)That neither of us can claim anything from the other from the time we
verbally separated, that is from May 30, 1944 to the present when we
made our verbal separation into writing."
In January, 1955, defendant began cohabiting with one Asuncion

Rebulado and on September 1, 1955, said Asuncion gave birth to a
child who was recorded as the child of said defendant (Exh. C). It
was shown also that defendant and Asuncion deported themselves
as husband and wife and were generally reputed as such in the
community.
After the trial, without the defendant adducing any evidence,
the court a quo rendered judgment holding that the acts of
defendant constituted concubinage, a ground for legal separation.
It, however, dismissed the complaint by stating:
"While this legal ground exists, the suit must be dismissed for two reasons,
viz.:
Under Art. 102 of the new Civil Code, an action for legal separation
cannot be filed except within one year from and after the date on which the
plaintiff became cognizant of the cause and within five years from and after
the date when the cause occurred. The plaintiff became aware of the illegal
cohabitation of her husband
791
VOL. 109, OCTOBER 25, 1960

791
with Asuncion Rebulado in January, 1955. The complaint was filed on April
24, 1956. The present action was, therefore, filed out of time and for that
reason the action is barred.
Article 100 of the new Civil Code provides that the legal separation may
be claimed only by the innocent spouse, provided there has been no
condonation of or consent to the adultery or concubinage. As shown in
Exhibit B, the plaintiff has consented to the commission of concubinage by
her husband. Her consent is clear from the following stipulations:
'(b) That both of us is free to get any mate and live with as husband and wife
without any interference by any of us, nor either of us can prosecute the other for
adultery or concubinage or any other crime or suit arising from our separation.'
(Exh. B).
This stipulation is an unbridled license she gave her husband to commit

concubinage. Having consented to the concubinage, the plaintiff cannot
claim legal separation."
The above decision is now before us for review, plaintiff appellant

claiming that it was error for the lower court to have considered
that the period to bring the action has already elapsed and that
there was consent on the part of the plaintiff to the concubinage.
The proposition, therefore, calls for the interpretation of the
provisions of the law upon which the lower court based its
judgment of dismissal.
Article 102 of the new Civil Code provides:
"An action for legal separation cannot be filed except within one year from
and after the date on which the plaintiff became cognizant of the cause and
within five years from and after the date when such cause occurred."
The complaint was filed outside the periods provided for by the
above Article. By the very admission of plaintiff, she came to
know the ground (concubinage) for the legal separation in January,
1955. She instituted the complaint only on April 24, 1956. It is to
be noted that appellant did not even press this matter in her brief.
792
792
PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

The very wording of the agreement Exhibit B, gives no room for
interpretation other than that given by the trial judge. Counsel in
his brief submits that the agreement is divided into two parts. The
first part having to do with the act of living separately which he
claims to be legal, and the second partthat which becomes a
license to commit the ground for legal separation, which is
admittedly illegal. We do not share appellant's view. Condonation
and consent on the part of plaintiff are necessarily the import of
paragraph 6(b) of the agreement. The condonation and consent
here are not only implied but expressed. The law (Art. 100 Civil
Code), specifically provides that legal separation may be claimed
only by the innocent spouse, provided there has been no
condonation of or consent to the adultery or concubinage. Having
condoned and or consented in writing, the plaintiff is now
undeserving of the court's sympathy (People vs. Schneckenburger,
73 Phil., 413). Plaintiff's counsel even .agrees that the complaint
should be dismissed. He claims, however, that the grounds for the
dismissal should not be those stated in the decision of the lower
court, "but on the ground that plaintiff and defendant have already
been legally separated from- each other, but without the marital
bond having been affected, long before .the effectivity of the new
Civil Code" (appellant's brief, pp. 78). Again, we cannot
subscribe to counsel's contention, because it is contrary to the
evidence. Conformably with the foregoing, we find that the
decision appealed from is in accordance with the evidence and the
law on the matter. The same is hereby affirmed, with costs.
Pars, C. J., Bengzon, Padilla, Bautista Angelo, Labrador,
Reyes, J. B. L., Barrera, and Gutierrez David, JJ., concur.
Judgment affirmed.
793
VOL. 109, OCTOBER 25, 1960

People vs. Yamson and Romero
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793

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[No. L-11766.

October 25, 1960]

APPEAL from a judgment of the Court of First Instance of

PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

In January, 1955, defendant began cohabiting with one Asuncion

VOL. 109, OCTOBER 25, 1960

This stipulation is an unbridled license she gave her husband to commit

The above decision is now before us for review, plaintiff appellant

PHILIPPINE REPORTS ANNOTATED

Matubis vs. Praxedes

VOL. 109, OCTOBER 25, 1960

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