Nerriza P.

Balmores
LLB 3rd Year

Under Article 15 of the 1949 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UN Declaration, everyone has the right to a nationality no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of
his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality. It is considered as a principle of
international law which promotes the right of Nationality of every individual, and should be
interpreted against the condition of statelessness.
Moreover, The Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1961) provides that the
States are obliged to grant nationality to persons born in their territories, who would be otherwise
stateless, and to enable stateless persons under certain circumstances to acquire a member States
Nationality.
While, it is true that Philippines is not signatory on this convention. This principle would
allow the state to resolve stateless issues, especially when social justice demands. Social justice
means that the State shall look after the best interest of those who have less in life, including
abandoned children, should have more in law. To support this argument, The Constitution
provides the principle of Parens Patriae which defines that the State shall act as parents of its
citizens in need of guardians. Therefore, an abandoned children shall have been given
Nationality, rather than being stateless.
One of the determination of whether an individual is a Citizen of the Philippines or not is
Those whose fathers are citizens of the Philippines. In such case, I further argue, that such
determination does not provide a substantial distinction whether the person who has Filipino
father should be a biological or an adoptive son/ daughter.
Upon the consideration of the contentions herein provided, I stand, with the best of my
knowledge that Grace Poe, an adoptive daughter of Fernando Poe Jr., is a Filipino Citizen