4/9/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly In response, Rep. Libanan maintained that in the Bengzon case, repatriation results in the recovery of one’s original nationality and only naturalized citizens are not considered as natural-born citizens. On whether the Sponsors would agree to not giving back the status of being natural-born citizens to natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship, Rep. Libanan remarked that the Body in plenary session will decide on the matter.[27] The petitioner obviously espouses an isolated reading of Representative Javier’s statement; she conveniently disregards the preceding and succeeding discussions in the records. The above-quoted excerpts of the legislative record show that Representative Javier’s statement ought to be understood within the context of the issue then being discussed, that is – whether former natural-born citizens who re-acquire their Filipino citizenship under the proposed law will revert to their original status as natural-born citizens and thus be qualified to run for government positions reserved only to natural-born Filipinos, i.e. President, Vice-President and Members of the Congress. It was Representative Javier’s position that they should be considered as repatriated Filipinos and not as natural-born citizens since they will have to execute a personal and sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship. Natural-born citizens are those who need not perform an act to perfect their citizenship. Representative Libanan, however, maintained that they will revert to their original status as natural-born citizens. To reconcile the renunciation imposed by Section 5(2) with the principle that natural-born citizens are those who need not perform any act to perfect their citizenship, Representative Javier suggested that the sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship be considered as a mere pro forma requirement. Petitioner’s argument, therefore, loses its point. The “sworn renunciation of foreign citizenship” must be deemed a formal requirement only with respect to the reacquisition of one’s status as a natural-born Filipino so as to override the effect of the principle that natural-born citizens need not perform any act to perfect their citizenship. Never was it mentioned or even alluded to that, as the petitioner wants this Court to believe, those who re-acquire their Filipino citizenship and thereafter run for public office has the option of executing an unsworn affidavit of renunciation. It is also palpable in the above records that Section 5 was intended to complement Section 18, Article XI of the Constitution on public officers’ primary accountability of allegiance and loyalty, which provides: Sec. 18. – Public officers and employees owe the State and this Constitution allegiance at all times and any public officer or employee who seeks to change his citizenship or acquire the status of an immigrant of another country during his tenure shall be dealt with by law. elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/55170 13/18