(CMR) Filipina Rose Anne Guradillo Tacata was exposed on Wednesday's TCHT for committing bigamy last year in the Cayman Islands. After a comprehensive CMR investigation, it has since been revealed that both the police and WORC were made aware of the allegations against Tacata from July 2023, but no action has been taken against her.
Tacata, who had been married for some 12 years before allegedly unlawfully marrying again in Grand Cayman, lied on her original marriage registration application in May 2023. She then married Filipino bartender Kelvin Jhon Digo Anglo.
CMR got a copy of a marriage search done in the Philippines, which proves the woman got married there in 2011; however, marriage records in the Cayman Islands state that she has never been married before.
CMR has learned that the marriage officer was notified in July 2023 of the impediment to her marrying in this jurisdiction and promptly reported the matter to the Registrar General, the police, and WORC. As a result, the married officer nullified her Cayman marriage and struck it from the register.
Subsequently, people in the Philippines became aware of the marriage and also reported it to the police. In October 2023, a Caymanian also reported the fraudulent marriage to the police after having concerns about Tacata's behavior toward other Filipinos on the island.
Despite these numerous complaints, the RCIPS is now being criticized for moving too slowly on this matter and not taking legal action against her. One person told CMR she filed a report on October 4th last year and did a follow-up weeks later; however, to date, nothing has been done.
She said the matter was also brought to the attention of WORC, but was told it is a matter for the police.
The woman allegedly told her husband in the Philippines that her marriage to another Filipino in Cayman was a business transaction to allow her to stay longer here.
CMR's investigations also reveal that both parties married in order to obtain rollover extension benefits, as the law allows spouses to have their rollover dates align with each other. The couple was also seeking to obtain a USA visa and Canadian immigration rights and believed the marriage would benefit them in those countries as well.
Tacata, who spoke to Sandra Hill on CMR's The Cold Hard Truth on Wednesday, said her marriage in the Philippines is not registered, and both she and her ex-husband have moved on with their lives. She vehemently denied being married and at no point referred to her husband as “the father of my daughter.”
When pressed further about the existence of the marriage in the Philippines, she claims, “That has already sort out; my legal advisers have already sought that out. That is not registered.”
She did not admit to having the Cayman marriage struck off the register. Instead, she claimed that her overseas marriage was no longer valid. Since the morning's expose, both she and the Cayman “husband” have removed their social media accounts, which contained pictures of their wedding and congratulatory messages from friends.
Several listeners said the marriage had not ended, as it could still be found on the country's marriage registry four months after she had already gotten married in the Cayman Islands.
An annulment would remove it from the registry, and she would be able to obtain a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) – which attests to her not being married in the Philippines. One individual suggested that the Cayman Islands government start asking for this document as it's relatively easy to obtain. It is required for things like obtaining a passport to travel abroad.
The Philippines is the only country in the world, other than the Vatican, where divorce remains illegal. In the Philippines, a husband and wife can part only through death or the process of annulment, which can last for 10 years.
An annulment ends a marriage but differs from a divorce; for instance, the parties must prove that the marriage was never valid to begin with. Under Philippine law, reasons can include one or both parties having been younger than age 18 when they got married, either party having an incurable sexually transmitted disease, or cases of polygamy or mistaken identity.
CMR has been told that this woman has a two-year-old child with her husband in the Philippines. A man who claims to be a friend of her first husband said the man has been depressed since learning of his wife's actions.
Bigamy is an offense punishable by up to five years imprisonment in the Cayman Islands. CMR understands that the police are investigating five bigamy reports. In 2018, a Honduran woman was charged with the offense and eventually deported back home after serving a two-month sentence.
The Cayman Islands government continues to struggle with marriages of convenience and has noted its commitment to eradicating this crime.
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