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Facts: Jaime O. Sevilla, herein petitioner, filed a petition for the declaration of nullity of
his marriage to Carmelita N. Cardenas, herein respondent, for their marriage was vitiated
by machination, duress, and intimidation employed by the respondents Carmelita and
her father. He was forced to sign a marriage contract with Carmelita Cardenas before a
minister of the Gospel, Rev. Cirilo D Gonzales. Moreover, he alleged that there was no
marriage license presented before the solemnizing officer as certified by the Office of the
Local Civil Registrar of San Juan, Manila. Actually, it was certified 3 times on the
following dates: March 11, September 20, 1994 and July 25, 2000 that marriage license
no. 2770792 was nowhere to be found.
The Regional Trial Court of Makati City declared the nullity of marriage of the
parties based on the petitioner’s allegations that no marriage license was presented
before a solemnizing officer. And that without the said marriage license, being one of the
formal requisites of marriage, the marriage is void from the beginning. This was based on
the 3 certifications issued by the Local Civil Registrar Manila that marriage license
number 220792 was fictitious. Respondent appealed to the Court of Appeals which
reversed and set aside the decision of the trail court in favor of the marriage, because the
Local Civil Registrar failed to locate the said license with due effort as testified by certain
Perlita Mercader because the former Local Civil registrar had already retired. The
petitioner then filed a motion for reconsideration but it was denied by the Court of Appeals.
thus, this case was elevated to the Supreme Court.
ISSUE: Whether or not the certification made by the Local Civil Registrar of San Juan
that Marriage License No. 2770792, as appearing in the marriage contract of the parties,
sufficient to declare the marriage void from the beginning?