FACTS:

Alice Reyes, the petitioner is a citizen of the Philippines while private respondent Richard
Upton is a citizen of the United States. They were married in Hong Kong in 1972 and they
established residence in the Philippines. They had two children and they were divorced in
Nevada, USA in 1982. The petitioner remarried in Nevada to Theodore Van Dorn. The private
responded filed against petitioner stating that the petitioners business is a conjugal
property of the parties and that respondent is declared with right to manage the conjugal
property. Petitioner moved to dismiss the case on the ground that the cause of action is
barred by previous judgment in the divorce proceedings before the Nevada Court, where
respondent acknowledged that they had no community property as of June 11, 1982.
ISSUE:
Whether or not the private respondent as petitioners husband is entitled to exercise control
over conjugal assets?
RULING:
The petition is granted. Complaint is dismissed.
The policy against absolute divorce cover only Philippine nationals. However, aliens may
obtain divorce abroad, which may be recognized in the Philippines provided they are valid
according to their national law.
From the standards of American law, under which divorce dissolves marriage, the divorce in
Nevada released private respondent from the marriage between them with the petitioner.
Thus, pursuant to his national law, private respondent is no longer the husband of petitioner.
He would have no standing to sue in the case as petitioners husband entitled to exercise
control over conjugal assets. He is estopped by his own representation before said court
from asserting his right over the alleged conjugal property.