Title: ERNESTO S.

MERCADO, petitioner,
vs.
EDUARDO BARRIOS MANZANO and the COMMISSION ON EECTIONS, respondents.
Co!rt: S!pre"e Co!rt o# the $hilippines, En Ban%
Case No.: &.R. No. '()*+(
,!d-e: Mendoza, J.:
Date: Ma. /0, '111
So!r%e: http:22333.la3phil.net24!d4!ris24!ri'1112"a.'1112-r5'()*+(5'111.ht"l
67ACTS8

$etitioner Ernesto Mer%ado and Respondent Ed!ardo Man9ano 3ere :oth %andidates #or
the vi%e;"a.or o# Ma<ati Ct. in the '11+ ele%tions. It 3as Ed!ardo Man9ano 3ho had re%eived
the "ost n!":er o# votes 3hile Mer%ado pla%ed se%ond.
Ernesto Ma"aril #iled a petition #or dis=!ali#i%ation :e#ore the Co""ission on Ele%tions
>COMEEC? Se%ond Division a-ainst Ed!ardo Man9ano. It 3as alle-ed in the petition that
Ed!ardo Man9ano 3as not a %iti9en o# the $hilippines :!t o# the United States. D!e to the
pendin- petition #or dis=!ali#i%ation, the pro%la"ation o# Ed!ardo Man9ano as the vi%e;"a.or o#
Ma<ati Cit. 3as s!spended #or the "eanti"e.
The COMEEC Se%ond Division -ranted the petition o# Ernesto Ma"aril and de%lared
Ed!ardo Man9ano dis=!ali#ied on the -ro!nd that he is a d!al %iti9en. Ed!ardo Man9ano is
re-istered as a #orei-ner as he 3as :orn in the United States and he is also a %iti9en o# the
$hilippines as his parents are :oth 7ilipinos. The dis=!ali#i%ation 3as :ased on se%tion @*>d? o#
the o%al &overn"ent Code provides that persons 3ith d!al %iti9enship are dis=!ali#ied #ro"
r!nnin- #or an. ele%tive position.
Ed!ardo Man9ano #iled an appeal. The COMEEC En Ban% reversed the r!lin- o# its
Se%ond Division and de%lared Ed!ardo Man9ano as =!ali#ied to r!n #or vi%e "a.or. A%%ordin- to
the COMEEC En Ban%, Ed!ardo Man9ano is no lon-er a US %iti9en. Ahen Ed!ardo Man9ano
attained the a-e o# "a4orit., he re-istered hi"sel# as a voter, and voted in the ele%tions o# '11/,
'11) and '11+, 3hi%h e##e%tivel. reno!n%ed his US %iti9enship !nder A"eri%an la3. Under
$hilippine la3, he no lon-er had U.S. %iti9enship.
$etitioner Ernesto Mer%ado #iled a petition #or %ertiorari see<in- to set aside the
resol!tion o# the COMEEC En Ban%.
6ISSUE8
Ahether or not Ed!ardo Man9ano, 3ho is :oth a national o# the $hilippines and the
United States, is dis=!ali#ied to hold o##i%e in the &overn"ent
6RUIN&8

No. D!al %iti9enship is di##erent #ro" d!al alle-ian%e. The #or"er arises 3hen, as a res!lt
o# the %on%!rrent appli%ation o# the di##erent la3s o# t3o or "ore states, a person is
si"!ltaneo!sl. %onsidered a national :. the said states. 7or instan%e, s!%h a sit!ation "a. arise
3hen a person 3hose parents are %iti9ens o# a state 3hi%h adheres to the prin%iple o# 4!s
san-!inis is :orn in a state 3hi%h #ollo3s the do%trine o# 4!s soli. $rivate respondent is
%onsidered as a d!al %iti9en :e%a!se he is :orn o# 7ilipino parents :!t 3as :orn in San 7ran%is%o,
USA. S!%h a person, ipso #a%to and 3itho!t an. vol!ntar. a%t on his part, is %on%!rrentl.
%onsidered a %iti9en o# :oth states. Considerin- the %iti9enship %la!se >Art. IB? o# o!r
Constit!tion, it is possi:le #or the #ollo3in- %lasses o# %iti9ens o# the $hilippines to posses d!al
%iti9enship: >'? Those :orn o# 7ilipino #athers and2or "others in #orei-n %o!ntries 3hi%h #ollo3
the prin%iple o# 4!s soliC >/? Those :orn in the $hilippines o# 7ilipino "others and alien #athers i#
:. the la3s o# their #athersD %o!ntr. s!%h %hildren are %iti9ens o# that %o!ntr.C >(? Those 3ho
"arr. aliens i# :. the la3s o# the latterDs %o!ntr. the #or"er are %onsidered %iti9ens, !nless :.
their a%t or o"ission the. are dee"ed to have reno!n%ed $hilippine %iti9enship.
D!al alle-ian%e, on the other hand, re#ers to the sit!ation in 3hi%h a person
si"!ltaneo!sl. o3es, :. so"e positive a%t, lo.alt. to t3o or "ore states. Ahile d!al %iti9enship
is invol!ntar., d!al alle-ian%e is the res!lt o# an individ!alDs volition.
Clearl., 3hat the %onstit!tion re#ers to is not d!al %iti9ens per se, :!t 3ith nat!rali9ed
%iti9ens 3ho "aintain their alle-ian%e to their %o!ntries o# ori-in even a#ter their nat!rali9ation.
Th!s, persons 3ith "ere d!al %iti9enship do not #all !nder the dis=!ali#i%ation !nder the o%al
&overn"ent Code.
B. the #ilin- o# %erti#i%ate o# %andida%., Ed!ardo Man9ano had s!%%ess#!ll. reno!n%ed
his A"eri%an Citi9enship.

6Si-ni#i%ant $oints8
A person 3ho is a national o# t3o di##erent %o!ntries "a. still r!n #or o##i%e in the
$hilippines as lon- as he is a 7ilipino National and his alle-ian%e :elon-s to the said %o!ntr..
Eo3ever, a d!al %iti9en "!st #irst reno!n%e his other %iti9enship :e#ore he %o!ld r!n #or o##i%e.