Sen. Imee cites need to amend Dual Citizenship Law
Senator Imee Marcos in a press conference Wednesday, November 9, 2022, confirmed that the Senate will file the necessary amendment for the Dual Citizenship Law that is giving a hard time to many Filipinos abroad including their family members.
Marcos together with other senators went to their European and Asian counterparts during their parliamentary visits last Oct 23 to November 7, 2022, as they discussed the status and renewal of the Generalized Scheme of preferences-plus and other trade agreements.
“Nakipagkita kami sa Filipino community. And marami sa kanila duon sa Paris ang nawalan ng trabaho. Nais umuwi ng Pilipinas ngunit pinahihirapan pa sila. Very unfair dahil mga Pilipino ang mga ito na nais makauwi sa atin kasama ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay pero pinahihirapan sila dahil sa napakaraming requirements na dapat ibigay,” Marcos disclosed.
She narrated how the Overseas Employment Certificate which is being issued by Philippine Overseas Labor Office has become a burden instead of helping many Filipinos who want to come home.
“We need to amend the law. And I am also asking the help of Migrant Worker Secretary Susan Toots Ople to review this issue so we can help many Filipinos and their families abroad who expressed their desire to come home yet cannot do it due to the many papers works required by law,” Marcos said as she maintained that it is very unfair to deprive any Filipinos to come back home to the Philippines.
The Overseas Employment Certificate OEC is issued by POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) through the Balik-Manggagawa Online Processing System. The OEC, also known as exit clearance/ pass is a document certifying the regularity of the recruitment and documentation of overseas Filipino Workers. The OEC serves as the OFW’s guarantee that he/she is covered by government protection and benefits.
She also mentioned how the present Dual Citizenship Law affects many children of Filipinos who cannot enjoy dual citizenship anymore once they reached the age of 18 years old simply because of the flawed law which only allowed 18 and below to have such privilege.
“Dapat tanggalin natin ang deadline na yan. Dahil ba lagpas na sila ng 18 years old hindi na sila pwedeng maging Pilipino? Mali yun. Kailangan natin silang I welcome dahil ang dugo nila ay katulad natin na Pilipino rin. We will file the necessary amendment to correct this law.” Marcos said.
The Supreme Court, in its ruling, has held that Filipinos born to one Filipino parent and one foreign parent are considered dual citizens by birth and not by naturalization, regardless of subsequent acts performed to confirm the foreign citizenship.
Republic Act 9225 otherwise known as the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 more popularly known as Dual Citizenship Law, enables former natural-born Filipino who have become naturalized citizens of another country to retain/reacquire their Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before a Philippine Consular Officer. Upon retaining or reacquiring their Philippine citizenship, they shall enjoy full civil, economic, and political rights as Filipinos.
Marcos said it is high time that we give our open arms and welcome our kababayan abroad who wants to go home to be with their families.
“Sa US meron tayong 4.5 M na Pilipino na dual citizens. 570,000 sa Europe, 270,000 sa UK, sa Saudi Arabia naman ay 2 million marami pang iba na mga Pilipinong Dual ang citizenship. Dapat lamang natin itama ang batas na ito at tulungan silang makauwi kung nais nila ng hindi kailangan pahirapan pa,” Marcos maintained.
