Cayetano slams 'fake news' on citizenship: Don't compare me with Yasay

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday denounced a newspaper column questioning his citizenship as "fake news," saying it was unfair to be compared with former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr.

In a Facebook video, Cayetano said he had both Philippine and American citizenships "by law" as he was born to a Filipino father, the late Senator Renato Cayetano, and an American mother, Sandra Schramm.

"Dahil Amerikana ang nanay ko, by law, by both the Philippine Constitution and US Constitution, I was both an American and a Filipino noong time na pinanganak. Sabi na sa ibang court cases, hindi kasalanan ng bata yun," Cayetano said.

Cayetano said he first convinced his father to renounce his American citizenship when he entered law school. The elder Cayetano, however, only approved of his son's decision before the latter ran for Congress in 1998.

"Nakumbinse ko [siya] kasi nakita niya yung aking passion sa public service at nakita niya na gusto ko wala akong ibang allegiance," he said.

He said he never hid such matter, and that his case was entirely different from that of Yasay, who was rejected by the Commission on Appointments (CA) over citizenship issues.

"Magkaiba kami ng kaso. Iba yung pinanganak na you have citizenship and you're allowed to choose. Iba yung pinanganak kang Pilipino lang [tapos] iniwan mo at kumuha ka ng ibang citizenship tapos babalikan mo yung Philippine citizenship," Cayetano said.

"Let me state categorically na hindi ako American citizen," Cayetano added.

Yasay's nomination to head the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was rejected unanimously after members of the CA found the former Cabinet secretary to have lied under oath about his citizenship.

Yasay had admitted being issued a certificate of naturalization and US passport on November 1986. He said however that his citizenship was "invalid" under the US Immigration and Nationality Act because of his "preconceived intent" to return to the Philippines.

Yasay said he surrendered his certificate of naturalization for cancellation and revokation in 1993.

Will resign

In a separate statement also posted on his Facebook account, Cayetano said he will resign if the newspaper is able to prove that he is a US citizen or stateless.

"Let me challenge you. If I'm not Filipino, if I'm still a U.S. citizen or stateless, I'll resign, not run for or accept appointment to public office. But if I am Filipino, you close down your newspaper. Or at least learn to get the other side before you publish!" he posted.

Cayetano said the "hatchet job" against him was because of his alliance with President Rodrigo Duterte. He sought the vice presidency as a running mate of Duterte in the May 2016 elections. Cayetano only placed third in the final tally.

The senator was earlier considered by Duterte to head the DFA but the President recently said that Cayetano "would be needed by the Senate."

"We're busy trying to build a nation... pero yung nagsisiraan, fake news, facts na dini-distort, misinformation, yung disinformation, ano ba mas gusto niyo? Maging busy tayo and build that nation? Or gusto niyo politika na lang araw-araw at tirahan?" Cayetano said. —KBK/KG, GMA News