Comelec unseats Albay lawmaker over citizenship issue

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has canceled the proclamation of Fernando Vallejo Gonzalez as congressman of Albay’s 3rd district after he failed to prove his Filipino citizenship. "Not having been able to prove that the respondent is a natural-born citizen as he did not perform his election of Philippine citizenship, it is clear that the respondent is still a Spanish citizen, hence, not qualified to be a candidate for any public position in the Philippines," part of the Comelec’s 11-page resolution read. The ruling, penned by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, noted that Gonzalez was born of a Spanish father and a Filipino mother, as was admitted by Gonzalez himself. Section 6, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution states that “No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age…" The case was filed by one Stephen Bichara, an ally of Gonzalez's political opponent Reno Lim.

Gonzalez, for his part, was quoted in a television report as saying that he took his Oath of Allegiance before the Justice of the Peace of Ligao, Albay, on September 11, 1961, during his 21st birthday. He said he would bring the issue to the Supreme Court. “We will make the necessary manifestation to the Supreme Court [saying] that this is probably an abuse of authority. My lawyers will file the necessary appeal," he said in an interview aired over QTV’s “News on Q" Tuesday night. But according to the poll body, the swearing of Oath of Allegiance is insufficient. “In order to have a complete right to be a Filipino citizen, the respondent should register the oath of allegiance and sworn statement of election in the civil registry and must surrender for cancellation his Alien Certificate of Registration attaching therein his sworn statement of election and oath of allegiance to the Bureau of Immigration," the ruling said. A Comelec official, however, said Gonzalez may still attend sessions in the House of Representatives as his case may still be appealed to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET). “The case is not yet final," Ferrer said in a separate interview. Gonzalez has 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration. - KBK, GMANews.TV