G.R. No. L-20811 July 26, 1966
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR ADMISSION TO PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP. JULIO LIM alias JUAN TAN alias JULIONG LIM, petitioner and appellee, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor and appellant.

FACTS

Petitioner Julio Lim, also known as Juan Tan and Juliong Lim, filed a petition for admission to Philippine citizenship. The lower court found him entitled to citizenship, prompting an appeal by the State. The petitioner’s average monthly income was P300.00, and his monthly income at the time of filing his petition was P250.00. He is married with four children. He also uses multiple names, including Julio Y. Lim and Juliong Tan, without judicial authorization. Furthermore, he presented no evidence regarding his actual name as it appears in the civil register of Malitbog, Leyte, his birthplace.

ISSUE

Whether the petitioner is entitled to be admitted to Philippine citizenship.

RULING

No. The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s judgment and denied the petition. The denial was based on three grounds: First, the petitioner’s income (P300.00 average monthly, P250.00 at filing) was not lucrative, failing to meet the statutory requirement for citizenship, especially given that he supports a wife and four children. Second, his use of multiple aliases (Julio Lim, Juan Tan, Juliong Lim, Julio Y. Lim, Juliong Tan) without judicial authority violated Commonwealth Act No. 142, which regulates the use of aliases. Third, he failed to present evidence of his true name as recorded in the civil register, which is considered a person’s real name for legal purposes. The absence of such evidence is a bar to the grant of citizenship. Costs were imposed against the petitioner.