Shining Liwanag On Your Rights: Hiwalay Sa Hawaii

Dear Atty.,

Salamat po inyong column dito sa TFCN at madami po ako natututunan sa mga advice nyo, lalo na sa matters of the heart.

Dito po ako sa Hawaii ngayon nakatira at nag work for the last 10 years, at dual citizen na po ako Filipino-American. May asawa po ako sa Philippines, si “Mario”, pero nahihirapan po ako sya kunin dito dahil sa mga nakaraang problema nya noong sya ay binata pa. Me anak po kaming isa na 15 years old sa Tarlac kung saan may bahay kami.

Aaminin ko po Attorney na may boyfriend na po ako ngayon dito sa Hawaii, si “Dave”. Gusto na po namin magpakasal ni Dave dito sa Hawaii, at plano namin kukuha ako ng divorce dito para pwede na kami magpakasal ni Dave dito sa Hawaii.

Ang tanong ko Attorney, pag nag divorce po ako dito sa Hawaii, pwede na po ba kami agad magpakasal ni Dave. May petition po ako sa anak namin ni Mario para makuha ko po sya dito, maapektuhan ba ito pag nag divorce kami ni Mario?

Sana po ma guide nyo ako kung ano nararapat Atty.

God bless po.

Hiwalay sa Hawaii

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Dear Hiwalay sa Hawaii,

Oh dear.

(Deep breath, one sip of coffee, and let’s get into the Aloha sunlight.)

So here’s the cold, clear, legal truth — the kind you deserve, even if it stings just a little:

A divorce in Hawaii does not automatically make you single in the Philippines. Kahit dual citizen ka.

Kahit “it’s true love, Atty.” Kahit naka-book na yung sunset wedding sa Waikiki.

Sa mata ng Philippine law, ang kasal ninyo ni Mario ay alive and well — like a teleserye character na akala mo patay na sa Episode 12 pero bumalik sa Episode 28 with dramatic lighting.

Why?

Because when you got married, Filipino ka.

And the rule is simple:

A Filipino cannot dissolve a Philippine marriage just by getting a foreign divorce.

UNLESS — and this is the magic keyword — it is formally recognized by a Philippine court.

So yes — pwede ka mag-divorce sa Hawaii.

Pero para maging legal na single ka rin sa Philippines, kailangan mong mag-file ng: Petition for Recognition of Foreign Divorce sa Regional Trial Court sa Tarlac.

Walang recognition = In the U.S., you’re single.

In the Philippines, you’re still very much married.

(And yes, bigamy is still a crime. Tingnan nating huwag makarating doon.)

But what about your child’s petition?

Good news: Your divorce does not cancel your child petition.

U.S. immigration does not punish parents for leaving unhappy marriages.

(They’ve read the statistics. They know.)

What matters is: you remain a responsible parent your paperwork is clean walang conflicting stories pag interview time na.

So don’t worry — your anak is still welcome sa future ninyo sa Hawaii.

Now, tungkol naman kay Dave... Atty. Liwanag loves love — promise.

Pero hindi tayo pwedeng mauna sa kasal habang hindi pa tapos ang unang kasal.

Hindi dahil moral issue — kundi criminal issue.

(Yung may kasamang mugshot at barangay whisper network.)

Your Clean, Calm, Lawful Game Plan:

Divorce sa Hawaii. (Go ahead.)

File Recognition of Foreign Divorce in the Philippines.

Once approved → NOW you are legally single everywhere.

Then — and only then — pwede kang ikasal kay Dave, on any beach you choose.

Yes, including Waikiki.

Yes, including Tarlac.

Yes, pati kung gusto ninyong underwater ceremony kasama mga pagong.

So, recap natin:

Divorce in Hawaii? Yes.

Automatic freedom to remarry? Nope. Not yet.

Child petition ruined? No — unless you make paperwork messy.

Love may be a feeling — but marriage is a legal document.

And legal documents need legal endings before new chapters begin.

And that, my friend, is the law. Boom! I’m out.

Warmly,

Atty. Erick “Liwanag”

(Bringing light, but also reminding everyone na hindi lahat ng liwanag ay papunta sa altar.)

(For general information only, not formal legal advice. Always consult a licensed lawyer before taking any legal action.)

For comments and suggestions, e-mail TFCN at [email protected].

Meet Atty. Erick Liwanag (yup, Liwanag talaga — kasi laging may liwanag sa mga legal dilemmas mo!). Siya ‘yung tulay between confusion and clarity. Forget the boring law books and nosebleed terms — si Atty. Liwanag explains the law in plain, real-world language na maiintidihan ng kahit sino. Hindi man siya superhero (‘di daw pumasa sa Bar ang kanyang kapa 😀), he’s got something better — sharp wit, solid legal know-how, at ‘yung chill na energy ng taong gusto lang magbahagi ng liwanag sa batas, na walang sakit sa ulo.💡⚖️