4, 019 former Filipinos reacquire RP citizenship

A total of 4, 019 former natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of other countries have reacquired their Philippine citizenship in 2007 under the dual citizenship law, the immigration bureau said on Tuesday. Of this number, 3, 173 naturalized Americans topped the list, followed by 293 Filipinos who have become Canadian citizens and 189 Filipino-Australians. The list also includes 70 Britons, 31 Koreans, 28 Germans, 27 Spaniards, 27 Taiwanese, 22 New Zealanders, 19 Italians, and 19 Japanese. Since the law was enacted almost five years ago, more than 43,000 former Filipinos have availed themselves of its privileges and benefits, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said. “By availing of the dual citizenship law, these applicants have regained their rights and privileges as citizens of the land of their birth," Libanan said. Having reacquired their Philippine citizenship, these Filipinos can enter and leave the country anytime and stay here for as long as they wish. The Supreme Court affirmed in May 2007 the dual citizenship law, dismissing for lack of merit a petition seeking to invalidate Republic Act 9225, on the ground that it violates Article IV, section 5 of the Constitution stating that "dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt with by law." Hector Gumangan Calilung, a member of the Advocates and Adherents of Social Justice For School Teachers and Allied Workers, filed the petition. He argued that no law on dual allegiance is needed since the case of Mercado v. Manzano, GR No. 135082, in May 26, 1999 had already set the guidelines for determining dual allegiance. But the Supreme Court said that based on the records of legislative deliberations, the law’s framers did not concern themselves with the issue of dual citizenship, but with the status of naturalized citizens who maintain their allegiance to their countries of origin even after they became citizens of other countries. The High Court held that the law was not against Article IV, Section 5 of the Constitution, which it said is a declaration of policy and not a self-executing provision and thus still needs Congress’ enactment of law on dual allegiance. "Congress was given a mandate to draft a law that would set specific parameters of what really constitutes dual allegiance. Until this is done, it would be premature for the judicial department, including this Court, to rule on issues pertaining to dual allegiance," the High Court ruled. "We cannot arrogate the duty of setting the parameters of what constitutes dual allegiance when the Constitution itself has clearly delegated the duty of determining what acts constitute dual allegiance for study and legislation by Congress," the Supreme Court decision added. Libanan said that as dual citizens, former Filipinos who have reacquired their Philippine citizenship have a right to hold a Philippine passport, a right to vote and to own real properties in the country. Of the 43,000 former Filipinos who have reacquired their Philippine citizenship, more than 15,000 applications were approved at the Bureau of Immigration main office in Intramuros, Manila and the rest were from the various Philippine consulates overseas where the former Filipinos have settled. Libanan, a principal author of Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act when he was still a congressman, explained that under this law, former natural-born Filipinos who later became naturalized citizens of other countries are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship. According to him, the law was enacted in line with the thrust of President Arroyo’s administration to encourage former Filipinos now settled overseas to return to their land of their birth, buy properties and invest in business here. Congress passed the dual citizenship law in 2003 but the immigration bureau started processing applications only in April 2004 after Malacañang designated the agency as the lead implementing agency. - GMANews.TV