Supreme Court cracks down on online marriage annulment scam

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court, through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCAD), requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate a social media page offering “100 percent legit” services for the annulment and nullity of marriage.

“We request your agency to immediately investigate this matter and help unmask those behind this despiteful scheme so that they can be appropriately dealt with and, if so warranted, prosecuted. This we ask to prevent the proliferation of this kind of unlawful activity,” read the letter addressed to NBI Director Medardo De Lemos dated October 4.

Court Administrator Raul Villanueva signed the letter.

Under Presidential Decree 828, the OCAD has the mandate of assisting the Supreme Court in its administrative supervision over all courts in the country, as well as over 2,000 judges and over 20,000 court personnel.

Annulment is a legal process of declaring a legally binding marriage null and void, while nullity voids marriages that are invalid from the start.

In annulment cases, hearings are conducted, which include the presentation of witnesses and documents. The Office of the Solicitor General participates in annulment proceedings because it represents the state’s interest in protecting marriages.

The OCAD was prompted to call for an investigation after its attention was called to a Facebook ad offering to process annulment and nullity of marriage.

The ad states that no appearance is needed during hearings, so even Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can file the petition without traveling back to the country.

The ad also guarantees that the parties will receive related documents such as the “Decree of Declaration of Absolute Nullity,” “Entry of Judgment,” and “Marriage Certificate with Annotation of Null and Void.”

Villanueva said the advertisement is “utterly a deception” and “grossly misleading.”

“Obviously, the intention of such an offer is to lure victims into paying unjustified fees for irregular services,” Villanueva added.

He said this is not the first time they have learned of such an “unsanctioned activity.”

“We will not be surprised if there are still others using various websites or platforms who are engaged therein that are preying on unsuspecting litigants who wish to have their marriages annulled or declared as a nullity via express proceedings,” Villanueva said.

gsg/abc