“I renounced my dual citizenship”
Ted Cruz? No, this story is about Philippines Senator Grace Po who is seeking the presidency of her own country, one which also requires that the president be a natural born citizen. The question has been a hot topic in the local newspapers.
While there is documentary evidence that Po was born in the Philippines, she acknowledges that she was adopted, and so far has not disclosed the source of her United States citizenship. (Note that in order to be born a Philippine citizen, one must have one Philippine parent. Birth in the country does not create citizenship.) Further, she said in a recent news report that she renounced her US Citizenship in 2010. That statement is called into question because the Manila Times obtained a copy of her US Passport that it says was issued in 2011.
Po argues that her former dual citizenship is of no import because Philippine law states that upon renunciation of foreign citizenship, one’s status reverts to what it was before becoming a dual citizen.
In the great system of ordering the universe there is a division between things that are my problem, and things that are not my problem. Grace Po’s eligibility to be president of the Philippines is not my problem.
Po argues that her former dual citizenship is of no import because Philippine law states that upon renunciation of foreign citizenship, one’s status reverts to what it was before becoming a dual citizen.
Butubutbut: VATTEL!!!!!
/birther
Sounds like another case for…A/Z!!! 😆
Interestingly Po’s FATHER previously ran for president and similar questions were raised about him. That situation eventually reached the Philippine Supreme Court, who ruled he was eligible.
Relinquishment of US citizenship is a two-part process. A U.S. citizen who renounces is requesting a CLN to be issued. Until the CLN is issued, the person is still a US citizen entitled to all the privileges, immunities and obligations of a US citizen.
A natural born citizen is a person who has privileges, immunities and obligations to one country and no other.
Said no lawgiver about the United States ever.
Yes, as Part One, preliminarily, the United States Citizen has to satisfy all of the actual legal requirements to relinquish U.S. citizenship, but that doesn’t actually relinquish their U.S. citizenship, until Part Two, their resulting legal entitlement to have their U.S. citizenship relinquished, ALSO receives SvenMagnussen’s personal approval.
Bob;
Congress is not Constitutionally authorized to enlarge or abridge the rights of a U.S. citizen with respect to current US citizenship status. Consequently, I can see where there aren’t any examples of lawmakers defining or attempting to define the term “Natural born citizen” as a person with privileges, immunities or obligations to one country and no other country.
We do know a naturalized US citizen is not eligible to be President of the United States and all naturalized US citizens must renounce their citizenship and pledge loyalty to the US before the naturalization is finalized. Since termination of citizenship is a two-part process, renouncement and relinquishment, then it’s reasonable to define a natural born citizen as a person without privileges, immunities or obligations to another country. If this weren’t true, naturalized citizens would be eligible to be President of the United States.
We don’t question the loyalty of a naturalized citizen. We are concerned about the obligations a foreign nation will demand United States recognize and defer to if a naturalized citizen were to become President.
Of course a naturalized citizen cannot become President, so that line of thought has no practical application. More apt is someone like President Arthur who, had he traveled to England, could have been conscripted into the British army.
The fact of the matter is that within the United States, our sovereignty is absolute, and unless we limit ourselves by statute or treaty, a foreign governments demand on anyone (except ambassadors) either citizen or alien, is not binding on the United States. We simply would not defer to any such demands, making them of no effect.
Sven, why do you even bother? Oath of naturalization.
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
Thank you for conceding you just made that up.