|
Two powerful and influential groups recently hailed Senate President
Franklin Drilon and speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for playing leading
roles in the passage by both Houses of Congress of the Dual Citenship
Bill.
Expressing full confidence that the enactment of the “landmark
and nationalistic” measure has the total backing of President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Association of Priate Schools, Colleges,
and Universities (APSCU), Region I, and the Metro Dagupan City Cahmber
of Commerce and Industry (MDCCCI) said that its “signing soon
into law by her will certainly be a most historic occasion.”
While commending senators and congressman for their “wisdom”
in crafting the measure, MDCCCI officers led by its prisedent, Dr.
Salvador T. Duque, and Dr. MacArthur Samson Sr., Ping Coquia, Justino
Andre Abalos, Ruben l. Rivera and Gerfy Erguiza as well as APSCU
officers Dr. Duque, Computronix College president Dr. Voltaire Arzadon,
said that the nationalistic measure makes manifest the government’s
abiding love and concern for its people wherever they are.”
“It is act of love the makes full cognizance of the fact
that, forced by circumtances of limited opportunities at home, they
migrated abroad but left in their native land its share of their
heart mind and soul” they said.
They pointed out the reacquisition by the former Filipino nationals
of Philippine citizenship will stimulate renewed and hightened interest
among them in their native country’s economic, political and
social affairs.
Accelerated investment generation and boosting of country’s
tourism, industry were cited by the groups as among the positive
results of the measure enactment.
Drilon pincipal author of Senate Bill No. 2130, earlier said that
the passage of the measure is “long overdue”.
The bill seeks to revise the 65-year old law on Philippine citizenhips
which provide the natural-born Filipinos who become naturalized
citizens of another country automatically lose their Philipppine
citizenship.
It provides the natural born citizens of the Philippines who have
becomes citizens of a foreign country shall retain their Philippine
citizenship, unless by their “Free”, willful and voluntary
act they renounce under oath their Philippine citizenship before
a consular official abroad or any public officer authorized by law
to administer an oath.”
But a renunciation of Philippine citizenship made in the connection
with the naturalization process in a foreign country shall not be
interpreted as “free willful and voluntary act of renunciation”
and shall not be a bar to tention of Philippine citezenship.
“It is now time to debunk the efficacy, if not the fairness,
of the present law on citizenship and its place in what is rapidly
becoming a borderless world,” Drolin said.
“And those who became citizens of their adopted country have
so mainlyfor economic reasons, or for broadening career opportunities,
or for maximizing their social security and protection,” Drilon
pointed out.
|
According to the Senate chief. 89 countries allow
some form of dual/multiple citizenship, includign the United States,
the United Kingdom Canada, France, Swtzerland, Germany, Ireland
Russia, Cambodia, Taiwan, Vietnam and 14 out of 17 Latin American
nations.Even such staunchly nationalistic countries as Israel and
Cuba allow their citizens to retain their citizenship after being
naturalized in another country, he said.
Drilon said the grant of dual citizenship would encourage more
overseas Filipinos to invest in the country, visit more often and
tusk perk up tourism, and work here and thus enhance technology
transfer.
But he believes that despite their acquisition of foreign citizenship,
overseas Filipinos maintain their allegiance to the Philippines
and continue to retain their links with their homeland.
They continue to show a keen interest in philippine affairs and
deep concern for the country, Drilon continued.
The APSCU and MDCCI have strongly lobbied for the approval of Dual
Citizenship Bill sending letters to senators and congressman.
In a letter earlier sent to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Cahirman on
the Committee on Justice and Human Rigths, they are argued as follows.
/we support the Drilon Bill and all dual citenship bills as landmark,
wise, sane, just necessary and historic because it repatriates correctly
millions of Filipinos back to our native land.
We appreciate your efforts as Committee Chair in finding your way
out to sponsor and support the passage of this landmark bill that,
truly, will endear your honor, not only to the schools here, but
to the overwhelming majority of people according to surveys that
support this bill. In the North, not only schools but majority of
people, favor this bill but seeks to recognize Filipinos as Filipinos,
no matter where they are, and being one of the most international
people in concept and rapport since long ago.
Thank you and we hope that you can envite us to represent schools
in Region I to present their sides, requesting legislators to approve
the Dual Citizenship Bill, to advance interest of our country in
all fields of endeavors, assets of overseas workers that have accumulated
to very big amount and easily run to billions of dollars that can
be used and put to work here, to improve and enrich our mother land,
the Philippines, to help the poor, figth poverty and ignorance,
employ the jobless and poor people as legal citizen of the country,
who did lose their citizenships in the first place.
The groups has argued that when even those convicted by final judgement
by our courts of the law for various heinous crimes such as murder
kidnap-for-ransom and rape are not divested of their Philippine
citizenship, they see no reason why those simply forced to seek
better opportunities abroad lose that cherished rigth and previlege.
Dr. Duque said that retirees likewise lauded the congressional
approval of the measure.
(Benjo Rivera)
|
