Arroyo bill allows dual citizens to run for public office, gain appointments

Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has filed in the 19th Congress House Bill (HB) No.486, a measure that could potentially alter the country’s political landscape.

Under the HB No.486, Arroyo, a former president, seeks to lift the prohibition on dual citizens from running for public office during elections as well as from being appointed to positions in government.

The measure is titled, “An Act amending section 5 of Republic Act No.9225, otherwise known as the ‘Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003”.

In the bill’s explanatory note, Arroyo said, “The passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 9225 or the Citizen Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 gave way for Filipinos abroad, natural-born or those naturalized in the country they reside, to retain and re-acquire their Filipino citizenship subject to certain conditions.”

“While dual citizens are given the right to vote in the Philippine elections under the existing laws, those seeking public office or appointment to public office are given a disincentive under RA 9225 requiring them to make a personal and sworn renunciation of any and all foreign citizenship before any public officers authorized to administer an oath,” she noted.

According to Arroyo, the prohibition “clearly discriminates against Filipinos living abroad” and it “belittles their strategic role in sustaining the national economy through their hard-earned money in the form of remittances”.

The former House Speaker of the 17th Congress continues: “It also cuts off long time proven linkages with several Filipino organization abroad who continue to bring home exempla knowledge, special skills and huge donations and different kinds of assistance especially medical missions which serve a great number of indigent Filipino communities back home.”

“It is only fair if they are given the chance to participate in local elections and be appointed to public office without jeopardizing the citizenship they have acquired from the host country,” Arroyo said, referring to dual citizen-Filipinos.

“it would be a disservice to our kababayans abroad if they are not accorded the same rights as those staying in the country,” she further said.

The bill is pending before the House Committee on Justice.