IF such a scenario occurred, the Consulate was wrong. The case could have
been appealed to the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. You need only
reference the pertinent sections of the Family Code, specifically Executive
No. 209, "The Family Code of the Philippines", Title 1, Chapter 1:

"Art. 26. All marriages solemnized outside the Philippines, in accordance
with the laws in force in the country where they were solemnized, and valid
there as such, shall also be valid in this country, except those prohibited
under Articles 35 (1), (4), (5) and (6), 3637 and 38. (17a)

"Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly
celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien
spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have
capacity to remarry under Philippine law. (As amended by Executive Order
227)"

Ron