Rogationist Seminary College

SY 2020-2021
Second Semester – Midterm
Module #2

Philippine Governance of Constitution

Subject

_______________________ __________________________ ________________________

Student Name Course/Year/Section Instructor’s Name

Topic: Chapter 6: Citizenship & Suffrage

Article IV: Citizenship

I. Learning Objectives:

After this lesson, the students are expected to:

1. Identify the citizens of the Philippines

2. Define suffrage?
3. Explain Section I of Article 5

II. Learning Experience

A. Terms to Study. These are some of the terms that you should know. Write your answer after
each term.
1. Suffrage
2. Citizenship
3. Natural born citizen
B. Discussion

Article IV: Citizenship

Section 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:

1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution;

2. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;

3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship
upon reaching the age of majority; and

4. Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

Section 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth
without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those
who elect Philippine citizen-ship in accordance with paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be
deemed natural-born citizens.

Section 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the manner provided by law.

Section 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain their citizenship, unless by
their act or omission they are deemed, under the law, to have renounced it.

Section 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt
with by law.
1.Modes of acquiring citizenship:

a.) By birth:
- jus sanguinis
- jus soli

b) By naturalization.

c) By marriage.

d) By repatriation.

2. Modes of Naturalization:

a) Direct: Citizenship is acquired by (1) Individual, usually through judicial, proceedings;

(2) Special act of legislature; (3) Collective change of nationality, as a result of cession or
subjugation; (4) In some he cases, h adoption of orphan minors as nationals of the State
where ty are born.

b) Derivative: Citizenship conferred on: (1) wife of naturalized husband; (2) minor
children of naturalized person; (3) Alien woman upon marriage to a national.

3. Qualifications for an alien to be naturalized as Filipino citizen:

a) Not less than 21 years of age on the date of the hearing of the petition;

b) Continuous residence in the Philippines for not less than 10 years;

c) Good moral character; i.e., conducted himself in an irreproachable manner during his
stay here;

d) Owns real property or must have some known lucrative trade, profession or lawful
occupation;

e) Speak or write English or Spanish or any of the principal Philippine languages;

f) Enrolled his minor children in a duly recognized Philippine school where they are
taught Philippine history, government and civics.

4. Procedure:

a) Filing of a declaration of intention one year prior to the filing of the petition with the
Office of the Solicitor General;

b) Filing of the petition together with the affidavit of two character witnesses who
personally know the petitioner;

c) Publication of the petition which is a jurisdictional requirement, in a news-paper of

general circulation once a week for three weeks;

d) Actual residence in the Philippines during the entire proceedings;

e) Hearing of the petition;

f) Promulgation of the decision;

g) Hearing after two years of probationary period. It must be shown that during the
probation period the applicant: 1) has not left the Philippines 2) has dedicated himself
to a lawful calling or vocation 3) not been convicted of any crime or offense 4) not
committed an act prejudicial to the country.
 h) Oath taking and issuance of the Certificate of Naturalization.

5. Dual citizenship is not the same as "dual allegiance of citizens." The latter is proscribed by the
Constitution while the former is not.

6. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who want to elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of majority, must do so within a reasonable time.
"Reasonable time" as interpreted by the Supreme Court is within three years from the time one
has reached the age of majority. (In re: Ching)

ARTICLE V
SUFFRAGE

Section 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise
disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the
Philippines for at least one year and in the place wherein they propose to vote for at least six
months immediately preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other substantive
requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of suffrage.

Section 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the
ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.

The Congress shall also design a procedure for the disabled and the illiterates to vote
without the assistance of other persons. Until then, they shall be allowed to vote under
existing laws and such rules as the Com-mission on Elections may promulgate to protect the
secrecy of the ballot.

NATURE OF SUFFRAGE

1. It is a constitutional right and privilege; thus it cannot be withdrawn by an act of

Congress. It is not an inherent right of all citizens.

2. It is a political right by which the citizens can exercise their sovereignty and
participate in the administration of the government.

3. It is a personal right which therefore can not be delegated by a citizen to another.

WHAT SUFFRAGE INCLUDES?

1. Election. It is the means by which the people choose the persons to whom they entrust
the powers of government for a definite and fixed period.

2. Plebiscite. This refers to the process by which the proposed amendment/s to / or

revision of the Constitution is submitted to the people for ratification. This can also refer
to the process by which the organization/reorganization of local government units are
approved or disapproved by the people affected thereby.

3. Referendum. This refers to the submission to the people of the law passed by a
legislative body for their approval or disapproval.

4. Initiative. It is the process by which the people directly propose and enact laws or
propose amendment/s to the Constitution.
5. Recall. This refers to the method by which a public officer may be removed from an
elective office before the expiration of his term by a vote of the people. The registration
of a petition signed by the required percentage of qualified voters in that government
unit concerned is necessary for a recall to take place.