QuestionsQuestions (Act No. 2927)
A person may acquire Philippine citizenship under the law if they are: (a) natives of the Philippines who are not citizens under the Jones Law; (b) natives of other Insular possessions of the United States; or (c) citizens of the United States, or foreigners who may become citizens of the United States under U.S. law, if they are residing therein.
Disqualified are persons who (1) are connected with or uphold doctrines opposing organized government; (2) defend/teach the necessity of violence, personal assault, or assassination for their ideas; (3) are polygamists or believers in polygamy; (4) have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude; (5) suffer from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases; or (6) are citizens/subjects of nations with whom the U.S. and the Philippines are at war during the period of war.
For those under Section 1(a), the petitioner must be not less than 21 years of age on the day of the hearing of the petition. For those under Section 1(b) and (c), the same minimum 21 years applies on the day of the hearing.
They must: (1) have continuous residence in the Philippines for at least five years (subject to reduction under Section 4); (2) have conducted themselves properly and irreproachably in relations with the government and community; (3) hold real estate worth at least 1,000 pesos Philippine currency, or have a known trade or profession; and (4) speak and write English, Spanish, or some native tongue.
If the petitioner is a foreign subject, they must declare in writing and under oath their intention to renounce absolutely and perpetually all faith and allegiance to the foreign authority, state, or sovereignty of which they were a native citizen or subject.
Under Section 4, the five-year continuous residence requirement is reduced to two years if the petitioner has any of these: (1) honorably held office under the Philippine Government or under provincial/municipal political subdivisions; (2) established a new industry or introduced a useful invention; (3) is a railroad contractor, constructor, or director in the Philippines; (4) is married to a Filipino woman; or (5) has served as a teacher in the Philippines in education or industry for at least two years.
The petition must state the petitioner’s name and surname; present and former residences; occupation; place and date of birth; marital status; and (if married with children) the details of the wife and children. If not a native of the Philippines, it must also state approximate date of arrival, port of debarkation, and the ship name if remembered. It must also include declarations of qualifications required by the Act and that the petitioner is not disqualified under it (and if the petitioner has been naturalized in a foreign country, the date of return to the Philippines).
The petition must be supported by the affidavit of at least two persons who are citizens of the Philippines, stating they personally know the petitioner to be a resident and a person of good repute and morally irreproachable, and that in their opinion the petitioner has the qualifications necessary to become a citizen. The petition must also set forth the witnesses’ names and post-office addresses the petitioner may introduce.
The Court of First Instance of the province or district where the petitioner resides has exclusive original jurisdiction, with the Supreme Court having appellate jurisdiction.
Immediately upon filing, the clerk must publish the petition once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Official Gazette at the petitioner’s expense, and post copies of the petition and a general notice of the hearing in a public and conspicuous place in the clerk’s office/building. The notice must include specified details (name, birthplace, residence, arrival, proposed witnesses, and date/place of final hearing). The final hearing must be held after 60 days from the date of last Official Gazette publication.
No. The section states that as regards the notice/publication in the Official Gazette and the period within which the petition must be heard, Section 7 shall not be applicable to persons under Section 1(a).
No petition (except those under Section 1(a), which may be heard immediately) shall be heard within the 30 days preceding any election.
The Attorney-General, either personally, through his delegate, or through the provincial fiscal concerned, shall appear on behalf of the Government in all proceedings and at the hearing.
The competent judge may cancel the certificate upon motion if: (a) it was obtained fraudulently; (b) within five years the naturalized person returns to their native country or another foreign country and establishes permanent residence there (with presumptions based on length of stay); or (c) the person is convicted of a violation of the Act as provided in Section 15.
It penalizes anyone who fraudulently makes, falsifies, forges, changes, alters, or aids another to do so regarding naturalization certificates; or purposely aids and assists in falsely obtaining a naturalization certificate in violation of the Act. Penalty: fine up to 5,000 pesos or imprisonment up to 5 years, or both.
No person shall be prosecuted charged or punished unless the information or complaint is filed within five years after the commission of the offense.