TEODORA SOBEJANA-CONDON, Petitioner, vs.

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS,
LUIS M. BAUTISTA, ROBELITO V. PICAR and WILMA P. PAGADUAN, Respondents.
G.R. No. 198742 August 10, 2012
Facts:
Petitioner, a natural-born ilipino !iti"en, be!a#e a naturali"ed Australian !iti"en o$ing to %er
#arriage to a !ertain &evin '%o#as (ondon. )n 200*, s%e +iled an appli!ation to re-a!,uire
P%ilippine !iti"ens%ip be+ore t%e P%ilippine -#bass. in (anberra, Australia pursuant to /e!tion
0 o+ R.A. No. 922* ot%er$ise 1no$n as t%e 2(iti"ens%ip Retention and Re-A!,uisition A!t o+
2000. )t $as approved and t%e petitioner too1 %er oat% o+ allegian!e to t%e Republi! o+ t%e
P%ilippines. )n 2003, petitioner +iled an uns$orn 4e!laration o+ Renun!iation o+ Australian
(iti"ens%ip be+ore t%e 4epart#ent o+ )##igration and )ndigenous A++airs, (anberra, Australia,
$%i!% in turn issued t%e 5rder !erti+.ing t%at s%e %as !eased to be an Australian !iti"en.
Petitioner soug%t ele!tive o++i!e during t%e 6a. 10, 2010 ele!tions t%is ti#e +or t%e position o+
7i!e-6a.or. /%e obtained t%e %ig%est nu#bers o+ votes and $as pro!lai#ed as t%e $inning
!andidate.
/eparate petitions +or ,uo $arranto ,uestioning t%e petitioner8s eligibilit. $ere +iled be+ore t%e
R'(. '%e petitions si#ilarl. soug%t t%e petitioner8s dis,uali+i!ation +ro# %olding %er ele!tive
post on t%e ground t%at s%e is a dual !iti"en and t%at s%e +ailed to e9e!ute a 2personal and s$orn
renun!iation o+ an. and all +oreign !iti"ens%ip be+ore an. publi! o++i!er aut%ori"ed to ad#inister
an oat%2 as i#posed b. /e!tion *:2; o+ R.A. No. 922*. Petitioner argues t%at a s$orn
renun!iation is a #ere +or#al and not a #andator. re,uire#ent.
Iss!: <%et%er petitioner is ,uali+ied to %old %er ele!tive post
"!#d: =es
R.A. No. 922* allo$s t%e retention and re-a!,uisition o+ ilipino !iti"ens%ip +or natural-born
!iti"ens $%o %ave lost t%eir P%ilippine !iti"ens%ip18 b. ta1ing an oat% o+ allegian!e to t%e
Republi!. '%e oat% is an abbreviated repatriation pro!ess t%at restores one8s ilipino !iti"ens%ip
and all !ivil and politi!al rig%ts and obligations !on!o#itant t%ere$it%, sub>e!t to !ertain
!onditions i#posed in /e!tion *. ?nder t%e provisions o+ t%e a+ore#entioned la$, t%e petitioner
%as validl. re-a!,uired %er ilipino !iti"ens%ip $%en s%e too1 an 5at% o+ Allegian!e to t%e
Republi! o+ t%e P%ilippines on 4e!e#ber *, 200*. At t%at point, s%e %eld dual !iti"ens%ip, i.e.,
Australian and P%ilippine. @e+ore s%e initiall. soug%t ele!tive publi! o++i!e, s%e +iled a
renun!iation o+ Australian !iti"ens%ip in (anberra, Australia, $%i!% $as not under oat%, !ontrar.
to t%e e9a!t #andate o+ /e!tion *:2; t%at t%e renun!iation o+ +oreign !iti"ens%ip #ust be s$orn
be+ore an o++i!er aut%ori"ed to ad#inister oat%.
<%en t%e la$ is !lear and +ree +ro# an. doubt, t%ere is no o!!asion +or !onstru!tion or
interpretationA t%ere is onl. roo# +or appli!ation. /e!tion *:2; o+ R.A. No. 922* is one su!%
instan!e. )n Bope" v. (56-B-(, $e de!lared its !ategori!al and single #eaningC a ilipino
A#eri!an or an. dual !iti"en !annot run +or an. ele!tive publi! position in t%e P%ilippines unless
%e or s%e personall. s$ears to a renun!iation o+ all +oreign !iti"ens%ip at t%e ti#e o+ +iling t%e
!erti+i!ate o+ !andida!.. <e also e9pounded on t%e +or# o+ t%e renun!iation and %eld t%at to be
valid, t%e renun!iation #ust be !ontained in an a++idavit dul. e9e!uted be+ore an o++i!er o+ t%e
la$ $%o is aut%ori"ed to ad#inister an oat% stating in !lear and une,uivo!al ter#s t%at a++iant is
renoun!ing all +oreign !iti"ens%ip. ailure to renoun!e +oreign !iti"ens%ip in a!!ordan!e $it% t%e
e9a!t tenor o+ /e!tion *:2; o+ Republi! A!t :R.A.; No. 922* renders a dual !iti"en ineligible to
run +or and t%us %old an. ele!tive publi! o++i!e.