Psychological incapacity in marriage nullity cases can be established through the testimony of family members and close friends, the Supreme Court has ruled.
In a decision written by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, the Supreme Court Second Division upheld a nullity of marriage ruling in the case of Jeffrey Green and Rowena Green on the grounds of psychological incapacity on Rowena’s part.
According to the Court, the couple had been in a relationship for four years before getting married, but four years later, Jeffrey filed a petition seeking to nullify the marriage due to alleged psychological incapacity on both sides.
Jeffrey submitted a psychiatric evaluation report to support his claim, stating that Rowena repeatedly failed to manage their finances properly, leading to debts of up to four million pesos, and accused her of fraud and dishonesty.
The Regional Trial Court granted the petition, finding Rowena psychologically incapacitated to fulfill her marital obligations, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeals and now by the Supreme Court.
The High Court emphasized that psychological incapacity can be assessed not only through the statements of the spouses but also by credible accounts from those closest to them.
It explained that allowing testimony from family and close friends helps prevent potential bias from the petitioning spouse’s narrative.