Customs official slapped with bigamy case

MANILA, Philippines - A Bureau of Customs official, who was earlier affirmed by the DOJ to be slapped with a bigamy case in court, said that she would file a petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals.

An official of the BOC who is a respondent in a bigamy case, reportedly intend to oppose the order issued by the justice department that instructs a lower court to proceed with the hearings on the grounds that there has been a grave abuse of discretion.

BOC Subic District Collector Marietta Zamoranos said in a statement that she would ask the Regional Trial Court Branch 6 in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte to suspend the proceedings of the bigamy case that was filed by her former husband.

Zamoranos believed that there was probable cause of a “grave abuse of discretion or in excess of jurisdiction” when the DOJ ordered the RTC to proceed with the hearings. She would also bring the matter to the Court of Appeals and file a petition for certiorari. She said that her former spouse has allegedly been harassing her and her three sons and causing them emotional and mental violence for the last 10 years.

Even the case filed against her before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has reportedly been dismissed for lack of merit. Also, the case lodged before the Civil Service Commission has been thrown out for “lack of prima facie case.”

It was earlier reported that Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera affirmed the resolution of her predecessor, former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that there is probable cause on the bigamy case against Zamoranos and that it should be litigated in court. – With Bebot Sison