Comelec Orders Abante as Manila 6th District Rep

Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. beat the deadline for filing his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections – National Capital Region office in San Juan City on Oct. 8, 2024. The Commission on Elections ruled Abante as the duly elected representative of the district, annulling the proclamation of Luis Chua Uy over citizenship issues.

The Comelec affirmed the decision of its Second Division, declaring Abante as the duly elected representative of the Sixth District of Manila. The Comelec en banc ordered the City Board of Canvassers to reconvene and declare Abante as the winner in the May 12 midterm elections.

The poll body annulled the proclamation of Luis Chua Uy, who garnered 64,746 votes against Abante’s 63,358. The Second Division ruled that Uy is not a natural-born citizen but a naturalized citizen, contradicting his declaration in his certificate of candidacy.

Uy claimed to be born and raised in Manila, studied in local schools, resides in Manila, regularly voted as a Filipino citizen, and served as a councilor of Manila’s 6th District for several terms. However, the Comelec noted that Uy did not dispute the authenticity of the evidence submitted by Abante, including the Identification Certificate issued by the Bureau of Immigration.

Abante’s petition stated that Uy, at the time of his birth, was the legitimate child of a Chinese father who was naturalized and a Filipino mother who lost her Filipino citizenship after marriage to Uy's father. The Second Division concluded that Uy's parents were non-Filipinos when he was born, making him ineligible for natural-born Filipino status.

Since natural-born citizenship requires being a citizen of the Philippines from birth without needing to perform any act to acquire such citizenship, Uy cannot claim natural-born status, as per the decision. (PNA)