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Teodora Sobejana-Condon, Petitioner, vs. Commission On Elections, Luis M. Bautista, Robelito V. Picar and Wilma P. Pagaduan, Respondents
Teodora Sobejana-Condon, Petitioner, vs. Commission On Elections, Luis M. Bautista, Robelito V. Picar and Wilma P. Pagaduan, Respondents
COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS,
LUIS M. BAUTISTA, ROBELITO V. PICAR and WILMA P. PAGADUAN, Respondents.
G.R. No. 198742 August 10, 2012
Facts:
Petitioner, a natural-born ilipino !iti"en, be!a#e a naturali"ed Australian !iti"en o$ing to %er
#arriage to a !ertain &evin '%o#as (ondon. )n 200*, s%e +iled an appli!ation to re-a!,uire
P%ilippine !iti"ens%ip be+ore t%e P%ilippine -#bass. in (anberra, Australia pursuant to /e!tion
0 o+ R.A. No. 922* ot%er$ise 1no$n as t%e 2(iti"ens%ip Retention and Re-A!,uisition A!t o+
2000. )t $as approved and t%e petitioner too1 %er oat% o+ allegian!e to t%e Republi! o+ t%e
P%ilippines. )n 2003, petitioner +iled an uns$orn 4e!laration o+ Renun!iation o+ Australian
(iti"ens%ip be+ore t%e 4epart#ent o+ )##igration and )ndigenous A++airs, (anberra, Australia,
$%i!% in turn issued t%e 5rder !erti+.ing t%at s%e %as !eased to be an Australian !iti"en.
Petitioner soug%t ele!tive o++i!e during t%e 6a. 10, 2010 ele!tions t%is ti#e +or t%e position o+
7i!e-6a.or. /%e obtained t%e %ig%est nu#bers o+ votes and $as pro!lai#ed as t%e $inning
!andidate.
/eparate petitions +or ,uo $arranto ,uestioning t%e petitioner8s eligibilit. $ere +iled be+ore t%e
R'(. '%e petitions si#ilarl. soug%t t%e petitioner8s dis,uali+i!ation +ro# %olding %er ele!tive
post on t%e ground t%at s%e is a dual !iti"en and t%at s%e +ailed to e9e!ute a 2personal and s$orn
renun!iation o+ an. and all +oreign !iti"ens%ip be+ore an. publi! o++i!er aut%ori"ed to ad#inister
an oat%2 as i#posed b. /e!tion *:2; o+ R.A. No. 922*. Petitioner argues t%at a s$orn
renun!iation is a #ere +or#al and not a #andator. re,uire#ent.
Iss!: <%et%er petitioner is ,uali+ied to %old %er ele!tive post
"!#d: =es
R.A. No. 922* allo$s t%e retention and re-a!,uisition o+ ilipino !iti"ens%ip +or natural-born
!iti"ens $%o %ave lost t%eir P%ilippine !iti"ens%ip18 b. ta1ing an oat% o+ allegian!e to t%e
Republi!. '%e oat% is an abbreviated repatriation pro!ess t%at restores one8s ilipino !iti"ens%ip
and all !ivil and politi!al rig%ts and obligations !on!o#itant t%ere$it%, sub>e!t to !ertain
!onditions i#posed in /e!tion *. ?nder t%e provisions o+ t%e a+ore#entioned la$, t%e petitioner
%as validl. re-a!,uired %er ilipino !iti"ens%ip $%en s%e too1 an 5at% o+ Allegian!e to t%e
Republi! o+ t%e P%ilippines on 4e!e#ber *, 200*. At t%at point, s%e %eld dual !iti"ens%ip, i.e.,
Australian and P%ilippine. @e+ore s%e initiall. soug%t ele!tive publi! o++i!e, s%e +iled a
renun!iation o+ Australian !iti"ens%ip in (anberra, Australia, $%i!% $as not under oat%, !ontrar.
to t%e e9a!t #andate o+ /e!tion *:2; t%at t%e renun!iation o+ +oreign !iti"ens%ip #ust be s$orn
be+ore an o++i!er aut%ori"ed to ad#inister oat%.
<%en t%e la$ is !lear and +ree +ro# an. doubt, t%ere is no o!!asion +or !onstru!tion or
interpretationA t%ere is onl. roo# +or appli!ation. /e!tion *:2; o+ R.A. No. 922* is one su!%
instan!e. )n Bope" v. (56-B-(, $e de!lared its !ategori!al and single #eaningC a ilipino
A#eri!an or an. dual !iti"en !annot run +or an. ele!tive publi! position in t%e P%ilippines unless
%e or s%e personall. s$ears to a renun!iation o+ all +oreign !iti"ens%ip at t%e ti#e o+ +iling t%e
!erti+i!ate o+ !andida!.. <e also e9pounded on t%e +or# o+ t%e renun!iation and %eld t%at to be
valid, t%e renun!iation #ust be !ontained in an a++idavit dul. e9e!uted be+ore an o++i!er o+ t%e
la$ $%o is aut%ori"ed to ad#inister an oat% stating in !lear and une,uivo!al ter#s t%at a++iant is
renoun!ing all +oreign !iti"ens%ip. ailure to renoun!e +oreign !iti"ens%ip in a!!ordan!e $it% t%e
e9a!t tenor o+ /e!tion *:2; o+ Republi! A!t :R.A.; No. 922* renders a dual !iti"en ineligible to
run +or and t%us %old an. ele!tive publi! o++i!e.