Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 6) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) second division canceled the certificate of candidacy (COC) of actor and San Juan City congressional bet Edu Manzano since he was not a Filipino citizen when he filed his Congress bid.
A copy of the division’s ruling released Monday said the COMELEC denied the COC due course because Manzano “committed false material representation on his citizenship.”
Manzano had earlier argued he did not lose his natural-born Filipino citizenship when he rendered services for the United States Armed Forces from 1973 to 1977. At the time of his birth, Manzano held dual citizenship.
But the COMELEC cited Section 1 (4) Commonwealth Act No. 63, which states that a Filipino citizen may lose his citizenship “by rendering services to, or accepting commission in, the armed forces of a foreign country.”
“It is undisputed that Respondent served in the US Armed Forces,” the Comelec ruling read. “Respondent, however, argues that he served in the US Armed Forces as a US citizen and at the same time retained his status as a natural born Filipino citizen. We do not agree.”
The Comelec division also ruled Manzano failed to reacquire his Philippine citizenship under Republic Act 2630, which states that Filipinos who have lost their citizenship to rendering services or accepting commission in the armed forces of other countries may take an oath of allegiance to the Philippine Republic — which is registered with the local civil registry.
It argued Manzano failed to show the COMELEC division direct proof of his oath of allegiance being registered.
“In fact, Respondent impliedly admitted that no oath of allegiance was taken when he argued that there is no need to take the same because he served in the United States Armed Forces as an American citizen without losing his Philippine citizenship,” it said.
The petition was filed by Sophia Patricia Gil. Manzano, meanwhile, was represented by lawyer and former COMELEC Chairperson Sixto Brillanes Jr., and laywer Melvin Malabanan.
