Legislative power and citizenship
The foreigner must still take an Oath of Allegiance before an officer duly authorized to take an oath, and its registration with the Bureau of Immigration
Published in Daily Tribune on April 21, 2022
by: Juan Romulo R. Taleon
The great philosopher Socrates said: “I am a citizen of the world, and my nationality is goodwill.”
Our 1987 Constitution has provided a leeway for all nationalities of the world, who have helped, made a difference, and made a significant contribution to our country, hence these qualified foreigners not only become Filipinos at heart but also by law.
Under our laws, the different modes of acquiring Filipino Citizenship are through administrative, judicial, and legislative processes. In this article, I will primarily focus on the special power of Congress in granting Filipino Citizenship to a foreigner, that is citizenship through law. One good example is Republic Act 10636 which granted Philippine Citizenship to Andray Blatche. Local basketball enthusiasts might remember him as being on the national team of the Gilas Pilipinas who took part in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2014 Asian Games. In fact, Presidential Decree 836, when the President both holds the power of the Executive and Legislative, granted Filipino citizenships to 2802 individuals.
Although this is the least expensive and most expeditious procedure among the processes for the granting of Filipino citizenship, this however is a law. Like any other law, it must go through the process of a proposal of a bill to the enactment of a law. So, before anything else, a bill must be drafted. The drafting of the bill must involve any member of Congress, either from the House of Representatives or the Senate, who is more than willing to sponsor and/or author the said bill. In this regard, Section 26 of Article VI is instructive when it requires a bill to first be passed on three readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form to be distributed to its members three days before its passage, except when the President certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.
If the said bill successfully hurdles the three readings in the house of origin and is also approved by the majority vote of the members, the said bill will be transmitted to the other house of Congress — which is either the Senate or the House of Representatives as the case may be — following the same process, going through the same readings on separate days. If the said bill hurdles the processes of both Houses of Congress, said copies of the bill will be transmitted to the President of the Philippines for his signature and approval. Upon his signature, the said bill becomes a Law. The foreigner will now be granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, privileges, and prerogatives, as well as the duties and obligations appurtenant thereto under the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. However, the foreigner must still take an Oath of Allegiance before an officer duly authorized to take an oath, and its registration with the Bureau of Immigration. Upon registration of the Oath of Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall forthwith issue a Certificate of Naturalization in favor of the said Naturalized Foreigner, after which he can have the full enjoyment of being a Filipino Citizen.
