GR L 10472; (February, 1958) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-10472; February 26, 1958
In the matter of the petition of Dionisio Sy to be admitted a citizen of the Philippines. DIONISIO SY, petitioner-appellee, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor-appellant.
FACTS
Petitioner Dionisio Sy, born of Chinese parents in Cebu City on September 19, 1929, filed a petition to be declared a Filipino citizen. He had continuously resided in the Philippines for 26 years, possessed the required Alien Certificate of Registration and Immigrant Certificate of Residence, and had never left the country. He completed his elementary, secondary, and tertiary education (Bachelor of Science in Commerce) in Cebu City institutions. He was employed, paid his taxes regularly, had no criminal record, observed good behavior, mingled socially with Filipinos, embraced Filipino customs and ideals, and was willing to renounce his allegiance to Nationalist China. The government did not file a written opposition, but on appeal, argued that his two character witnesses, Jose Batiquin and Maximo S. Ylaya, did not have sufficient intimate knowledge of his life to competently testify about his good moral character. The lower court granted the petition subject to the condition in Republic Act No. 530 .
ISSUE
Whether the petitioner’s character witnesses possessed the requisite intimate knowledge of his life and conduct to competently establish his good moral character, a qualification for naturalization.
RULING
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s decision, finding that the character witnesses substantially complied with the legal requirement. Jose Batiquin knew petitioner since their school days, frequently met him for games before the war, knew of his evacuation during the Japanese occupation, and continued to see him after liberation. Maximo S. Ylaya met petitioner in 1941 as a student, regularly saw him for meals and games, continued their acquaintance after liberation in college where Ylaya was an instructor, and knew of his current employment and social activities. Their declarations, based on years of actual and personal acquaintance, demonstrated sufficient knowledge of petitioner’s behavior and conduct to infer his good moral character. Coupled with petitioner’s compliance with all other legal qualifications (residence, education, lack of criminal record, etc.) and the absence of contrary evidence from the government, the petition was properly granted.