- Petitioner
- Goitia
- Respondent
- Rueda
- Citation
- G.R. No. 11263
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Decided
- November 2, 1916
Wife seeking support from husband while living separately from the conjugal domicile due to husband's improper conduct and abuse
Summary
This landmark 1916 Supreme Court case established that a husband can be compelled to support his wife outside the conjugal domicile when their separation results from his wrongful conduct. The wife left their home after one month of marriage due to her husband's demands for improper sexual acts and physical abuse. The trial court dismissed her action for separate support, holding she could only receive support in the husband's house absent a divorce decree. The Supreme Court reversed, ruling that marriage creates a natural and legal duty of support that cannot be terminated by the husband's wrongful acts. The court held that while Article 149 of the Civil Code gives the obligor an option to provide support either through pension or maintenance in his home, this option is not absolute and may be restricted when there is justifiable cause. The decision emphasized that separate maintenance judgments preserve public peace and morality when husbands engage in base conduct, without impairing the marriage contract itself.