Comelec amends COC form
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has amended the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) form for the May, 2016, polls to make it compliant with the law and recent Supreme Court ruling.
In a resolution, the Comelec said the COC form shall now include a sworn statement that the candidate has renounced his/her foreign citizenship.
The poll body said there is a need to amend the COC forms, citing the enactment of Republic Act No. 9225 (Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003) and the August 18, 2015 decision of the Supreme Court (SC).
Section 5 of RA 9225 states that those who shall retain or re-acquire Philippine citizenship under this law shall enjoy full civil and political rights with those seeking elective public office required to make a personal and sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship at the time of the filing of the COC.
In the recently decided Arnado vs Comelec case, the High Court ruled that a person with dual citizenship may now run for public office in the Philippines provided that they meet the qualifications set by the Constitution and existing laws; and make a personal and sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship at the time of the filing of the COC.
“Whereas, considering the above SC decision, there is a need to amend the guidelines and include in the forms of the Certificates of Candidacy an item on the compliance by candidates, who are dual citizens, of the requirements of RA 9225, if applicable,” read Comelec Resolution No. 9989.
Senator Grace Poe is facing a petition before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) seeking her disqualification over questions of citizenship when she ran for the Senate in 2013.
In an oral argument scheduled on Monday, the SET will resolve whether Senator Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen eligible for election as senator in the 2013 election.