NORMA A. DEL SOCORRO, FOR AND IN BEHALF OF HER MINOR CHILD RODERIGO NORJO VAN WILSEM v. ERNST JOHAN BRINKMAN VAN WILSEM G.R. No. 193707, Dece!e" 10, #01$, THIRD DIVISION, %&e"'()', J .* .*
Foreign law should not be applied when its application Foreign would work undeniable undeniable injustice injustice to the citizens citizens or residents of the forum. Norma A. Del Socorro an !rn"# Van $il"em con#rac#e marr marria ia%e %e in &oll &ollan an. . T'ey T'ey were were (le" (le""e "e wi wi#' #' a "on "on name name Roeri%o Nor)o Nor )o Van $il"em. Un*or#+na#ely, Un*or#+na#ely, #'eir marria%e (on ene (y vir#+e o* a Divorce Decree i""+e (y #'e aroria#e -o+r# o* &ollan. T'erea*#er, Norma an 'er "on came 'ome #o #'e 'iliine". Accorin% #o Norma, !rn"# mae a romi"e #o rovie mon#'ly "+or# #o #'eir "on. &owever, &owever, "ince #'e arrival o* e#i#ioner an 'er "on in #'e 'iliine", !rn"# never %ave "+or# #o Roeri%o. Norma /le a comlain# a%ain"# !rn"# *or viola#ion o* R.A. No. 22 *or #'e la##er" +n)+"# re*+"al #o "+or# 'i" minor c'il wi#' e#i#ioner. T'e #rial co+r# i"mi""e #'e comlain# "ince #'e *ac#" c'ar%e in #'e in*orma#ion o no# con"#i#+#e an o3en"e wi#' re"ec# #o #'e acc+"e, 'e (ein% an alien. ISS+E
Doe" a *orei%n na#ional 'ave an o(li%a#ion #o "+or# 'i" minor c'il +ner 'iliine law4 R+LING -e, -e, "ince !rn"# i" a ci#ien o* &ollan or #'e Ne#'erlan", we a%ree wi#' #'e RT- #'a# 'e i" "+()ec# #o #'e law" o* 'i" co+n#ry, no# #o 'iliine law, a" #o w'e#'er 'e i" o(li%e #o %ive "+or# #o 'i" c'il, a" well a" #'e con"e6+ence" o* 'i" *ail+re #o o "o. T'i" oe" no#, 'owever, mean #'a# !rn"# i" no# o(li%e #o "+or# Norma" "on al#o%e#'er. In in#erna#ional law, #'e ar#y w'o wan#" #o 'ave a *orei%n law UST Law Review, Vol. LIX, No. 1,
alie #o a i"+#e or ca"e 'a" #'e (+ren o* rovin% #'e *orei%n law. In #'e re"en# ca"e, !rn"# 'a"#ily concl+e" #'a# (ein% a na#ional o* #'e Ne#'erlan", 'e i" %overne (y "+c' law" on #'e ma##er o* rovi"ion o* an caaci#y #o "+or#. $'ile !rn"# leae #'e law" o* #'e Ne#'erlan" in avancin% 'i" o"i#ion #'a# 'e i" no# o(li%e #o "+or# 'i" "on, 'e never rove #'e "ame. I# i" inc+m(en# +on !rn"# #o lea an rove #'a# #'e na#ional law o* #'e Ne#'erlan" oe" no# imo"e +on #'e aren#" #'e o(li%a#ion #o "+or# #'eir c'il. 7orei%n law" o no# rove #'em"elve" in o+r )+ri"ic#ion an o+r co+r#" are no# a+#'orie #o #a8e )+icial no#ice o* #'em. Li8e any o#'er *ac#, #'ey m+"# (e alle%e an rove. Moreover, *orei%n law "'o+l no# (e alie w'en i#" alica#ion wo+l wor8 +nenia(le in)+"#ice #o #'e ci#ien" or re"ien#" o* #'e *or+m. To %ive )+"#ice i"
UST Law Review, Vol. LIX, No. 1,
#'e mo"# imor#an# *+nc#ion o* law9 'ence, a law, or )+%men# or con#rac# #'a# i" o(vio+"ly +n)+"# ne%a#e" #'e *+namen#al rincile" o* -on:ic# o* Law". Alyin% #'e *ore%oin%, even i* #'e law" o* #'e Ne#'erlan" nei#'er en*orce a aren#" o(li%a#ion #o "+or# 'i" c'il nor enalie #'e non;comliance #'erewi#', "+c' o(li%a#ion i" "#ill +ly en*orcea(le in #'e 'iliine" (eca+"e i# wo+l (e o* %rea# in)+"#ice #o #'e c'il #o (e enie o* /nancial "+or# w'en #'e la##er i" en#i#le #'ere#o.
