Dear PAO,

I was previously married. Nonetheless, my spouse (a foreign national) and I were able to obtain a divorce decree abroad through our joint petition after failing to settle our irreconcilable issues. When I inquired about whether this divorce would be recognized here in the Philippines, I encountered a potential issue regarding its enforcement. I was told that I cannot have it enforced since I was a joint petitioner with my foreign spouse, and our laws in the Philippines allegedly prohibit recognition of a divorce obtained abroad upon the instance or concurrence of the Filipino spouse. Is this contention correct?