THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF AND APPELLEE, VS. ABELO ARAGON, DEFENDANT AND APPELLANT.

The defendant in the above-entitled case is charged in the Court of
First Instance of Cebu with the crime of bigamy, for having contracted
a second marriage with one Efigenia C. Palomer on September 21, 1947,
while his previous valid marriage with Martina Godinez was still
subsisting and had not been dissolved. The information is dated May 22,
1951. On October 11, 1951, while the case was pending trial, Efigenia
C. Palomer filed a civil action in the same Court of First Instance of
Cebu against the defendant-appellant, alleging that the latter “by
means of force, threats and intimidation of bodily harm, forced
plaintiff to marry him”, and praying that their marriage on September
21, 1947 be annulled (Annex A). Thereupon and on April 30, 1952,
defendant-appellant filed a motion in the criminal case for bigamy,
praying that the criminal charge be provisionally dismissed, on the
ground that the civil action for annulment of the second marriage is a
prejudicial question. The court denied this motion on the ground that
the validity of the second marriage may be determined in the very
criminal action for bigamy. Against this order this appeal has been
presented to this court.

It is contended that as the marriage between the defendant-appellant
and Efigenia C. Palomer is merely a voidable marriage, and not an
absolutely void marriage, it can not be attacked in the criminal action
and, therefore, it may not be considered therein; consequently, that
the civil action to annul the second marriage should first be decided
and the criminal action, dismissed. It is not necessary to pass upon
this question because we believe that the order of denial must be
sustained on another ground.

Prejudicial question has been defined to be that which arises in a
case, the resolution of which (question) is a logical antecedent of the
issue involved in said case, and the cognizance of which pertains to
another tribunal (Cuestion prejudicial, es la que surge en un pleito o
causa, cuya resolucion sea antecedents logico de la cuestion objeto del
pleito o causa y cuyo conocimiento corresponda a los Tribunales de otro
orden o jurisdiction — X Enciclopedia Juridica Española, p. 228). The
prejudicial question must be determinative of the case before the
court; this is its first element. Jurisdiction to try said question
must be lodged in another tribunal; this is the second element. In an
action for bigamy, for example, if the accused claims that the first
marriage is null and void and the right to decide such validity is
vested in another tribunal, the civil action for nullity must first be
decided before the action for bigamy can proceed; hence, the validity
of the first marriage is a prejudicial question.

There is no question that if the allegations of the complaint on
time the marriage contracted by defendant-appellant with Efigenia C.
Palomer is illegal and void (Sec. 29, Act 3613 otherwise known as the
Marriage Law). Its nullity, however, is no defense to the criminal
action for bigamy filed against-him. The supposed use of force and
intimidation against the woman, Palomer, even if it were true, is not a
bar or defense to said action. Palomer, were she the one charged with
bigamy, could perhaps raise said force or intimidation as a defense,
because she may not be considered as having freely and voluntarily
committed the act if she was forced to the marriage by intimidation.
But not the other party, who used the force or intimidation. The latter
may not use his own malfeasance to defeat the action based on his
criminal act.

It follows that the pendency of the civil action for the annulment
of the marriage filed by Efigenia C. Palomer, is absolutely immaterial
to the criminal action filed against defendant-appellant. This civil
action does not decide that defendant-appellant did not enter the
marriage against his will and consent, because the complaint does not
allege that he was the victim of force and intimidation in the second
marriage; it does not determine the existence of any of the elements of
the charge of bigamy. A decision thereon is not essential to the
determination of the criminal charge. It is, therefore, not a
prejudicial question.

There is another reason for dismissing the appeal. The order
appealed from is one denying a motion to dismiss and is not a final
judgment. It is, therefore, not appealable (Rule 118, secs. 1 and 2).

The order appealed from is hereby affirmed, with costs against defendant-appellant. So ordered.

Paras, C. J., Pablo, Bengzon, Padilla, Montemayor, Reyes, Jugo, and Bautista Angelo, JJ., concur.