Case Digest (G.R. No. L-20287)
Facts:
Celestino Tan alias Celestino L. Guy v. Republic of the Philippines, G.R. No. L-20287, July 30, 1965, Supreme Court, Bautista Angelo, J., writing for the Court. Petitioner Celestino Tan (who used the surname Guy) filed a petition for naturalization before the Court of First Instance of Manila, supported by the joint affidavit of Umberto T. Ancajas, Matwid L. Burbon, and Francisco G. de Guzman. The Solicitor General opposed the petition, alleging that petitioner had not conducted himself "in a proper and irreproachable manner" during his period of residence.Petitioner was born in the Philippines on April 7, 1928 to Chinese parents (father Tan Tian; mother Lim Cho). Although baptized Celestino Tan, his parents enrolled him in elementary school as Celestino Guy (said to be an ancestral name). He continued to use Celestino Guy through high school (Far Eastern University) and college (University of Santo Tomas), and that name appears on his school diploma and university certificate of enrollment.
On July 18, 1954 petitioner married Angela Soriano, a Filipino, and they had four children (Anthony, Alexander, Cesar, Rowenia). Petitioner worked as an insurance agent and filed income tax returns showing taxable net income for years 1958–1961. His children’s birth certificates and their Bureau of Immigration registrations used the surname Guy. In 1953 petitioner obtained from the Bureau of Immigration a certificate stating that his other name is Celestino Guy, issued at his counsel’s request for identification purposes.
The Court of First Instance granted the naturalization petition despite the Solicitor General’s opposition. The Government appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that petitioner’s continuous u...(Subscriber-Only)
Issues:
- Did petitioner conduct himself in a "proper and irreproachable manner" during his residence so as to qualify for naturalization?
- Does the use of an alias (the surname Guy) without judicial authority—contrary to Commonwealth Act No. 142 and Art. 376, Civil Code—constitute conduct rendering a petitione...(Subscriber-Only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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