Phl passport may not bolster Yasay’s claim

MANILA, Philippines -  Former foreign affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. was issued a Philippine passport in 2013 but this may not necessarily bolster his claim that he is a Filipino citizen, an official said yesterday.

As this developed, President Duterte said he would appoint a new secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in due time, following Yasay’s ouster.

DFA Assistant Secretary Frank Cimafranca said Yasay acquired a Philippine passport in 2013 and it is valid until 2018.

The official, however, said “only the courts can determine the person’s citizenship.”

The Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected Yasay’s appointment as DFA secretary for lying under oath about his US citizenship. 

Yasay admitted he acquired a US passport but insisted that he never legally acquired American citizenship. He also said he carries a Filipino passport. 

Yasay reiterated he is a Filipino citizen amid claims that he violated the Philippine Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 or Republic Act 9225, which says appointed public officials cannot be a citizen of another country.

Section 5.3 of the law states: “Those appointed to any public office shall subscribe and swear to an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and its duly constituted authorities prior to their assumption of office: Provided, that they renounce their oath of allegiance to the country where they took that oath.”

During Yasay’s confirmation hearing, CA member and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato questioned why Yasay refuses to admit that he once acquired an American citizenship.

Based on documents that Yasay submitted, he personally appeared before a consular officer of the US on June 28, 2016 to renounce his American citizenship, but the US has to officially announce the approval of a citizen’s renunciation, which happened only on Feb. 9 of this year.

Sato said Yasay might have been an American citizen when he served as Security and Exchange Commission chairman in 1995 and when he ran for senator in 2004 and for vice president in 2010.

Yasay had claimed that the US granted him citizenship on Nov. 28, 1986 but such grant was “void ab initio” on the basis that he had preconceived intent to return to the Philippines.

Duterte said he is just taking his time and would appoint Yasay’s replacement.

The President had previously announced that he would name Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, his runningmate in the 2016 elections, to be DFA secretary but the ban on the appointment of those who ran last year would only end in May.

In the meantime, Duterte appointed DFA Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo as head of the department in an acting capacity.

The President said he already knew that Yasay would not be confirmed as he was informed by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez Jr. and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III in a meeting at Malacañang that the former DFA chief “cannot be saved anymore.”

Duterte likewise said he knew that Yasay went to the US when martial law was declared in 1972, not by his own choice but by circumstances at that time.

“They were seeking asylum,” the President said.

Duterte said Yasay was his roommate in college and that when martial law was declared, he suddenly disappeared along with former Senate President Ernesto Maceda because they were reportedly in the police’s list of wanted persons at that time.

The President said that the next thing he knew, Yasay and Maceda were already in America.

Duterte said Yasay used the American travel document so he could travel to other parts of the world.