Lawyer Joji Alonso took to social media to explain how Philippine law treats foreign divorces after actress Barbie Forteza jokingly said she wanted to get married in Las Vegas “para may divorce.”
Barbie made the remark during the grand mediacon of Regal Entertainment’s upcoming film “Saving Cherry,” where she was asked about her dream wedding.
“Dream wedding ko? I wanna get married in Vegas. In Vera Wang. Para may divorce,” the actress quipped, drawing laughter from members of the media.
Following the interview, Alonso shared a post on social media clarifying that obtaining a divorce abroad would not automatically dissolve the marriage under Philippine law if both spouses remain Filipino citizens.
“Sadly @barbaraforteza, IF you marry (even in Vegas) a fellow Filipino citizen who remains Filipino all throughout your marriage, any divorce you obtain won’t be recognized under Philippine law,” Alonso wrote on Instagram.
She explained that this is because the Philippines follows the “nationality principle,” meaning Filipino citizens remain subject to Philippine family laws regardless of where they marry or obtain a divorce.
“Your marriage continues to subsist due to what is known as the ‘nationality’ principle. Your nationality follows you wherever you are. And since divorce is not recognized under Philippine law, you remain married to him.”
Alonso noted, however, that there is an important exception recognized under Philippine law.
According to the lawyer, a divorce obtained by a foreign spouse may be recognized by Philippine courts under certain circumstances.
“It would be different IF you married a foreign national and your husband divorced you. That divorce may be recognized under Philippine law since it would be sheer absurdity for you to continue being married to a foreigner who is no longer married to you.”
Under Article 26 of the Family Code, as amended through jurisprudence, a Filipino spouse may seek judicial recognition of a valid foreign divorce obtained by a foreign spouse, allowing the Filipino to remarry under Philippine law.
While Barbie’s comment was made in jest, Alonso’s post sparked discussion online about the country’s divorce laws, with the Philippines remaining one of the few countries in the world where divorce is generally unavailable to Filipino citizens, except for Muslims covered by the Code of Muslim Personal Laws and in cases involving recognized foreign divorces.
The exchange comes as divorce continues to be a topic of public debate in the Philippines, where lawmakers have repeatedly filed bills seeking to legalize absolute divorce.