VanDornvs.

Romillo139SCRA139
FACTS:
AliceReyesVanDorn,aFilipinoCitizenandprivaterespondent,
RichardUpton,aUScitizen,wasmarriedinHongKongin1979.They
establishedtheirresidenceinthePhilippinesandhad2children.They
weredivorcedinNevada,USAin1982andpetitionerremarried,this
timewithTheodoreVanDorn.Asuitagainstpetitionerwasfiledon
June8,1983,statingthatpetitionersbusinessinErmitaManila,the
GalleonShop,isaconjugalpropertywithUptonandprayedtherein
thatAlicebeorderedtorenderanaccountingofthebusinessandhebe
declaredastheadministratorofthesaidproperty.
ISSUE:Whetherornottheforeigndivorcebetweenthepetitionerand
privaterespondentinNevadaisbindinginthePhilippineswhere
petitionerisaFilipinocitizen.
HELD:
Privaterespondentisnolongerthehusbandofthepetitioner.Hewould
havenostandingtosuepetitionertoexercisecontroloverconjugal
assets.Heisestoppedbyhisownrepresentationbeforethecourtfrom
assertinghisrightovertheallegedconjugalproperty.Furthermore,
aliensmayobtaindivorcesabroad,whichmayberecognizedinthe
Philippines,providedtheyarevalidaccordingtotheirnationallaw.
Petitionerisnotboundtohermaritalobligationstorespondentby
virtueofhernationalitylaws.Sheshouldnotbediscriminatedagainst
herowncountryiftheendofjusticeistobeserved.