G.R. No. L-4725 October 15, 1952
In the matter of the petition of YU LO for Philippine Citizenship. YU LO, petitioner-appellant, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor-appellee.

FACTS

Appellant Yu Lo filed a petition for naturalization in the Court of First Instance of Samar. He proved continuous residence in the Philippines for 33 years, ability to speak and write Spanish and the native dialect, and an annual income of P7,000 to P10,000 from a beauty parlor and rental houses. He had six children with his common-law wife, Francisca Amable, and all school-age children were attending a private school recognized by the Government. The trial court found he possessed all qualifications except that he had not conducted himself in a proper and irreproachable manner. The court inferred he might be married to another woman and thus living in concubinage, and that he utilized Francisca’s Philippine citizenship to acquire property by registering the beauty parlor and houses in her name. The petition was denied.

ISSUE

Whether the petitioner, Yu Lo, has conducted himself in a proper and irreproachable manner as required for naturalization, considering his open cohabitation with a woman without the benefit of marriage.

RULING

The Supreme Court affirmed the denial of the petition for naturalization. While it disagreed with the trial court’s conclusions regarding the property acquisition and the inference of a prior marriage, it held that the appellant’s conduct in openly cohabiting with Francisca Amable and begetting children without marriage does not constitute proper and irreproachable conduct required by law. The denial is without prejudice to a renewal of the petition if the petitioner legalizes his relations through marriage.