Presidential Decree No. 1379 (PD 1379) — Granting Citizenship to Deserving Aliens Who Have Applied for Naturalization and for Other Purposes
WHEREAS, pursuant to Letters of Instructions Nos. 270 and
491 applications for naturalization by decree were received by the Special
Committee on Naturalization created under LOI 270 for processing and
evaluation; WHEREAS, while a substantial number of applications thus
filed have already been passed upon resulting in the naturalization of 16,399
alien applicants, there remain 22,439 more applicants whose applications are
still pending consideration;
WHEREAS, on the basis of its performance resulting in the
approval of its recommendations with respect to alien applicants whose
application for naturalization should be granted there is ground to entrust the
approval of the remaining applications for naturalization to the Special
Committee on Naturalization under the guidelines provided in LOI 270 and
491;
WHEREAS, it is necessary to grant naturalization to such
alien applicants as may be found by the Special Committee on Naturalization to
possess the qualifications and not suffering from any disqualifications to
obviate the need of approving separate recommendations by the Committee and
promulgating the corresponding decree as has heretofore been done;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution, do hereby
provide as follows:
SECTION 1. The Special Committee on Naturalization created
under Letter of instruction No. 270, as amended by LOI Nos. 283, and 491, shall
from time to time determine who of the individuals of foreign nationality, who
have pending applications for naturalization by decree, possess the
qualifications and do not suffer from any of the disqualifications provided in
LOI 270, as amended by LOI Nos. 283 and 491, until all applications for
naturalization filed with it shall have been disposed of.
SEC. 2. Philippine citizenship is hereby granted to such
individuals of foreign nationality who have pending applications for
naturalization by decree as may be determined by the Special Committee on
Naturalization to have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications,
as provided in section 1.
Citizenship granted under this Decree shall take effect upon the applicant
taking the oath of allegiance as Philippine citizen and the issuance to him of
the corresponding certificate of naturalization by the Special Committee. The
Commission on Immigration and Deportation shall thereupon cancel his certificate
of registration as alien and issue to him the corresponding identification
certificate as citizen.
SEC. 3. If an applicant is granted naturalization but dies
before taking the oath of allegiance as Filipino citizen and the issuance to him
of the certificate of naturalization, his widow, if residing in the Philippines
and found by the Special Committee to have none of the disqualifications
specified in said LOI 270, may take the oath of allegiance, as Filipino citizen,
after which the minor children of said deceased alien and his wife, subject to
the provisos of the next succeeding section, shall follow the required Filipino
citizenship of their mother.
SEC. 4. Alien wives and minor children of persons
naturalized under this Decree shall be deemed Philippine citizens provided
that:
The alien wife shall, in all cases, not suffer from any of the
disqualifications for naturalization under Letter of Instructions No. 270;
The alien, wife and minor children of persons naturalized under this Decree
reside permanently in the Philippines at the time of his naturalization;
If the alien wife does not reside in the Philippines at the time of the
naturalization of her husband, she shall come to the Philippines and reside in
this country in good faith within one year from the naturalization of her
husband;
If minor children do not reside in the Philippines at the time of the
naturalization of their father they shall, within one (1) year from the
naturalization of their father, in good faith reside in this country, and, if of
school age, enroll in Philippine schools. The fact than any such minor child of
school age fails to graduate from a Philippine school, except for valid reasons
shown, shall be considered prima facie evidence of failure in good faith enroll
in Philippine schools.
SEC. 5. In case the alien naturalized under this Decree is a
woman, her minor children may elect Philippine citizenship pursuant to existing
law upon reaching the age of majority.
SEC. 6. The Special Committee may cancel certificates of
naturalization issued under this Decree in the following cases:
If it finds that the naturalized persons or his duly authorized
representatives made any false statement or misrepresentation or committed any
violation of law, rules and regulations in connection with the petition for
naturalization, or if he otherwise obtained Philippine citizenship, fraudulently
or illegally, the certificate of naturalization shall be cancelled;
If the naturalized person or his wife, or any of his minor children who
acquire Filipino citizenship by virtue of his naturalization shall, within five
(5) years next following the grant of Philippine citizenship, establish
permanent residence in a foreign country, that individual's certificate of
naturalization or acquired citizenship shall be cancelled or revoked;
provided that the fact of such person's remaining for more than one
year in his country of origin, or two years in any other foreign country, shall
be considered prima facie evidence of intent to permanently reside therein;
If the naturalized persons or his wife or child with acquired citizenship
allows himself or herself to be used as a dummy in violation of any
constitutional or legal provision requiring Philippine citizenship as a
condition for the exercise, use, or enjoyment of a right, franchise, or
privilege, the certificate of naturalization or acquired citizenship shall be
cancelled or revoked;
If the naturalized person or his wife or child with acquired citizenship
commits any act inimical to national security, the certificate of naturalization
or acquired citizenship shall be cancelled or revoked.
SEC. 7. In case the naturalized person holds any hereditary
title, or belongs to any order of nobility, he shall make an express
renunciation of his title or membership in this order of nobility before the
Special Committee or its duly authorized representative, and such renunciation
shall be included in the records of his application for citizenship; and
SEC. 8. The Special Committee shall promulgate such rules
and regulations as may be necessary for the effective and expeditious
implementation of the provisions of this Decree.
SEC. 9. Any person who shall fraudulently make, falsify,
forge, change, alter, or cause or aid any person to do the same, or who shall
purposely aid and assist, in falsely making, forging, falsifying, changing or
altering an application for naturalization under LOI 270 and its amendments, or
a naturalization certificate issued under this Decree for the purpose of making
use thereof, or in order that the sane nay be used by another person or persons
and any person who shall purposely aid and assist another in obtaining a
naturalization certificate in violation of this Decree, shall be punished by a
fine of not more than Five Thousand Pesos, (5,000.00) and by imprisonment for
not more than five years, and in the case that the person convicted is a
naturalized citizen his certificate of naturalization shall, if not earlier
cancelled by the Special Committee, be ordered cancelled.
SEC. 10. All laws, decrees and instructions inconsistent
with this decree shall be deemed repealed.
SEC. 11. This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of May, in the year of Our Lord,
nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the
Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Assistant
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
