Performed in a social hall attended by over 30 FilAms eager to acquire back lost citizenship, the oath taking was initiated by a consulate official. A light amiable atmosphere enlivened the short proceedings, peppered by some questions from the soon-to-be Filipinos again regarding the ramifications of acquiring back citizenship.
Not lost in the little lecture obligingly given by a consulate official was this little known fact: Renewal of passports in the consulate is done in one day. Applied in the morning and received in the afternoon.
Oh, how many wished transacting with government offices in the old homeland were as efficient and expeditious.
Then it was over. And for our troubles, we received the following documents: A numbered Identification Certificate to be shown upon entry to any Philippine international airport, an Order of Approval signed by the consul general, and last but not least, a written testament of the Oath of Allegiance that we just took.
The last document sent a flash of fearful shivers down my spine, making one feel a little treasonous (or to put it mildly, maybe just a bit unfaithful) knowing that allegiance has already been promised to the adopted country, and which promised commitment has not been renounced.
These cumbersome fears have extracted a personal commitment to blog about the ramifications of maintaining dual or multiple citizenships. So till then.
The US government is less able to help if a US citizen (who also holds the Philippine citizenship)is (falsely) accused of a crime in the Philippines. Reason is simple : it is a domestic matter (Filipino laws over Filipino citizens).
ReplyDeleteHi, Delfin:
ReplyDeleteThat is a distinct possibility that crossed my mind since I started thinking about dual citizenship.
And that I read somewhere is one of the reasons why the US does not recommend nor expressly favor its citizens taking on dual citizenship.