4/29/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly In the matter of the issue of citizenship, however, the First Division disagreed with Arnado’s claim that he is a Filipino citizen.[18] We find that although Arnado appears to have substantially complied with the requirements of R.A. No. 9225, Arnado’s act of consistently using his US passport after renouncing his US citizenship on 03 April 2009 effectively negated his Affidavit of Renunciation. xxxx Arnado’s continued use of his US passport is a strong indication that Arnado had no real intention to renounce his US citizenship and that he only executed an Affidavit of Renunciation to enable him to run for office. We cannot turn a blind eye to the glaring inconsistency between Arnado’s unexplained use of a US passport six times and his claim that he re-acquired his Philippine citizenship and renounced his US citizenship. As noted by the Supreme Court in the Yu case, “[a] passport is defined as an official document of identity and nationality issued to a person intending to travel or sojourn in foreign countries.” Surely, one who truly divested himself of US citizenship would not continue to avail of privileges reserved solely for US nationals.[19] The dispositive portion of the Resolution rendered by the COMELEC First Division reads: WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the petition for disqualification and/or to cancel the certificate of candidacy of Rommel C. Arnado is hereby GRANTED. Rommel C. Arnado’s proclamation as the winning candidate for Municipal Mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao del Nore is hereby ANNULLED. Let the order of succession under Section 44 of the Local Government Code of 1991 take effect.[20] The Motion for Reconsideration and the Motion for Intervention Arnado sought reconsideration of the resolution before the COMELEC En Banc on the ground that “the evidence is insufficient to justify the Resolution and that the said Resolution is contrary to law.”[21] He raised the following contentions:[22] 1. The finding that he is not a Filipino citizen is not supported by the evidence consisting of his Oath of Allegiance and the Affidavit of Renunciation, which show that he has substantially complied with the requirements of R.A. No. 9225; 2. The use of his US passport subsequent to his renunciation of his American citizenship is not tantamount to a repudiation of his Filipino citizenship, as he did elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/55820 4/49