CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I

In re Ching, Bar Matter No. 914

Petition for Admission to the Phil Bar.
FACTS:
April 1964: Vicente D Chin !orn as the leitimate son of sps Tat Chin" Chinese
citi#en" and Prescila D$la%" Filipina" in &a 'nion. Since !irth" Chin has resided
in the Phils
($l% 199): Chin" after rad$atin from St. &o$is 'ni*ersit% in Ba$io Cit%" filed
an application to ta+e the ,9) Bar -.aminations.
Sept 199): Co$rt allo/ed Chin to ta+e the e.ams pro*ided he m$st s$!mit
proof of his Phil citi#enship
0o* 199): Chin s$!mitted certification that he is CPA" Voter Cert from
C12-&-C" and Cert as a mem!er of the San$nian Ba%an of T$!ao" &a
'nion also from C12-&-C.
April 1999: res$lts of Bar -.ams /ere released and Chin passed. 3e /as
f$rther re4$ired to s$!mit more proof of citi#enship.
($l% 1999: Chin filed 2anifestation /5 Affida*it of -lection of Phil Citi#enship
and his 1ath of Alleiance.
1S6 commented that Chin !ein the 7leitimate child of a Chinese father and a
Filipino mother and !orn $nder the 1989 Consti /as a Chinese citi#en and
contin$ed to !e so" $nless $pon reachin the ae of ma:orit% he elected Phil
citi#enship. ;f Chin formall% elects Phil citi#enship" it /o$ld alread% !e !e%ond
the reasona!le time allo/ed !% present :$rispr$dence.
T/o conditions of an effecti*e election of Phil citi#enship <from 1S6=:
1
st
> the mother of the person ma+in the election m$st !e a Phil citi#en
?
nd
> election m$st !e made $pon reachin the ae of ma:orit% </5c means a
reasona!le time interpreted !% the Sec of ($stice as 8 %rs" from the Vela%o
case" and ma% !e e.tended $p to @ %rs" from the C$enco case
;SS'-S:
1= A10 Chin has elected Phil citi#enship /5in a reasona!le time
?= ;f affirmati*e" A10 his citi#enship has retroacted to the time he too+ the !ar.
3-&D: Co$rt denies Vicente D Chin,s application for admission to the Philippine Bar
<o$chB=
CAT;1:
1D ?= 0o" Chin,s election /as clearl% !e%ond" !% an% reasona!le %ardstic+" the
allo/a!le pd /5in /hich to e.ercise the pri*ilee. Bein !orn in April 1964" he /as
alread% 89 %rs old /hen he complied /5 the re4$irements of C.A. 0o 6?9 in ($ne ,99.
3e /as alread% more then 14 %rs o*er the ae of ma:orit%.
Altho$h the Co$rt is s%mpathetic of his pliht" controllin stat$es and :$rispr$dence
compel the Co$rt in its decision. Also" Chin has offered no reason /h% he dela%ed
his election of Phil citi#enship" the latter not !ein a tedio$s and painsta+in process.
Philippine citizenship can never be treated like a commodity that can be claimed
when needed and suppressed when convenient. ;t sho$ld !e a*ailed of /ith fer*or"
enth$siasm and promptit$de.
Moya Lim Yao alias Edilberto Aguinaldo Lim, and Lau Yuen Yeung v.
Commiioner o! Immigration <19@1=
Appeal from a decision of CF; of 2anila
FACTS:
Fe! 1961: 2s &a$ E$en Ee$n" 3F Chinese" applied for a passport temporar%
*isa to enter Phils as nonGimmirant. P$rpose of pleas$re trip /as to *isit her
reat rand $ncle &a$ Chin Pin for a month.
2arch 1961: Visa ranted. -.piration date after 1 month > April 18" 1961. Visa,s
e.pir% e.tended man% times.
Date of her arri*al: !ond of P1"HHH filed !% Asher Chen to ens$re her depart$re
!efore *isa e.pires.
(an ?9" 196?: &a$ E$en Ee$n married 2o%a &im Eao" a Filipino citi#en.
Fe! ?)" 196?: Final date of *isa e.piration.
Commissioner of ;mmiration ordered plaintiff &a$ E$en Ee$n to lea*e the
Phils" ca$se her arrest and immediate deportation.
Plaintiff !rins this action to co$rt for iss$ance of /rit of in:$nction.
Co$rt hearin 1H months after the marriae: Plaintiff is @ mos prenant.
F$rthermore" she /as fo$nd $na!le to /rite either -nlish or Taalo. She co$ld
not name an% Filipino neih!o$r e.cept for one" Cosa. She did not +no/ the
names of her !ros5sistersGinGla/.
;SS'-S:
1= A10 plaintiff ma% !e deemed a Phil citi#en !% *irt$e of her marriae to a Filipino
?= ;f affirmati*e" A10 her marriae to coGplaintiff :$stified or e.c$sed her fail$re to
depart from the Phils !efore date of e.piration of *isa.
3-&D: ($dment dismissin petition for in:$nction re*ersed and set aside. &a$ E$en
Ee$n declared to ha*e !ecome a Filipino citi#en from and !% *irt$e of her marriae
to 2o%a &im.
CAT;1:
1) Alein /oman /ho marries a Fil citi#en" nati*eG!orn or nat$rali#ed" ipso facto
!ecomes a Filipina pro*ided she is not dis4$alified to !e a citi#en of the Phils
$nder Sec 4 of C.A. 4@8. &i+e/ise" an alien /oman married to an alien /ho is
s$!se4$entl% nat$rali#ed here follo/s the Phil citi#enship of her h$s!and the
moment he ta+es his oath as Fil citi#en" pro*ided that she does not s$ffer from
an% of the dis4$alifications $nder Sec.4.
The !asis of the :$dment is Sec 19 of the 0at$rali#ation &a/" /5c in t$rn /as
ta+en directl%" copied *er!atim and adopted from its American co$nterpart. From
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I
the histor% of the la/ traced in the case" it is sho/n that the American pro*ision
sho/s intent to remo*e racial re4$irements for nat$rali#ation. 3ence" settled is
the r$le in stat$tor% constr$ction that la/s if modelled and copied from another
state la/ m$st !e $nderstood and constr$ed in the :$risdiction /hich the% /ere
ta+en.
2) Ees" there is no reason /h% an alien /ho has !een in the Phils as a temporar%
*isitor !$t /ho has in the mean/hile !ecome Filipino sho$ld !e re4$ired to still
lea*e the Phils for a forein co$ntr%" onl% to appl% for a reGentr% and $ndero the
same process of sho/in that he is entitled to come !ac+. Consider the case of
minor children of an alien /ho is nat$rali#ed: ;t is o!*io$s that the% !ecome ipso
facto citi#ens of the Phils. ;t is $nreasona!le that the% still ha*e to !e ta+en
a!road so that the% ha*e a riht to ha*e permanent residence here.
0at$rali#ation of an alien *isitor as a Phil citi#en loicall% prod$ces the effect of
conferrin $pon the person ipso facto all the rihts of citi#enship incl$din
entitlement to permanentl% sta% in the Phils o$tside the or!it of a$thorit% of the
Comm of ;mmiration !eca$se the ;mmiration &a/ is a la/ onl% for aliens and
is inapplica!le to Phil citi#ens.
;n reference" Sec 9 of the ;mmiration Act states:
An alien /ho is admitted as a nonGimmirant cannot remain in the Phils
permanentl%. To obtain permanent admission" a nonGimmirant alien m$st first
depart *ol$ntaril% to some forein co$ntr% D proc$re from the appropriate Phil
cons$l the proper *isa D thereafter $ndero e.amination !% the officers of the
B$rea$ of ;mmiration at a Phil port of entr% for determination of his admissi!ilit%
in accordance /5 the re4$irements of this Act.
;2P&;CAT;10S 1F 21EA &;2 EA1 C'&;06:
;t finall% settled the lon dra/n contro*ers% o*er the citi#enship stat$s of
alien /omen /ho marr% Philippine citi#ens. ;t re*ersed former r$lins <i.e. B$rca
r$lin= /herein alien /omen /ho marr% Filipino citi#ens do not ac4$ire automatically
Philippine citi#enship.
'nder the ne/ doctrine" an alien /oman marr%in a Filipino citi#en sho$ld
not !e dis4$alified from !ecomin a citi#en. 2oreo*er" she need not pro*e that she
possesses all the 4$alifications.
2oreo*er" this r$lin is more consistent /ith the spirit of famil% solidarit% as
manifested in the CC <Art 9?= $nli+e the B$rca r$lin /hich in effect di*ides and
separates 3 from A in i*in all the 4$alificaations and re4$irements to !ecome a
nat$rali#ed citi#en.
3o/e*er" this ne/ r$lin miht !e $sed as a con*enient means of
circ$m*entin the restricti*e policies of the Phil 0at$rali#ation &a/. B$t in case of
do$!t" the nat$rali#ation la/ sho$ld !e riidl% enforced and strictl% constr$ed in fa*or
of the o*t and aainst the applicant for citi#enship.
Dissentin 1pinion" ( Ce%es:
The adoption of similar r$lins in the American co$rts is tena!le if and onl% if the Phil
stat$te had !een in its entirety a reprod$ction of the American model. The spirit of
the American la/" decidedl% fa*ora!le to the a!sorption of immirants is not in o$r
Consti and la/s.