Palace backs Yasay in citizenship row

CITIZENSHIP ISSUE Malacañang is supporting Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., shown in this photo taken in January last year with President Duterte, despite questions about Yasay’s American citizenship. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Malacañang is standing by Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. despite reports that he may have lied under oath about having held American citizenship in the past.

“I think Mr. Yasay has already made a very credible and logical, reasonable response regarding the matter,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella told a press briefing on Tuesday.

Abella was asked to respond to the controversy surrounding the confirmation of Yasay’s appointment following an Inquirer report that the official became a US citizen in 1986 and that he sought to renounce it in 1993 but failed to reacquire his Philippine citizenship.

Yasay formally renounced his US citizenship two days before he was appointed to the Cabinet in 2016.

On Monday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Commission on Appointments (CA) committee on foreign affairs, said the foreign secretary could be liable for perjury for stating under oath last week that he never acquired US citizenship.

Waiting for defense

In the House of Representatives, Assistant Majority Leader Abraham Tolentino said he would not deem Yasay liable for perjury for now, as the latter could have “strong evidence in his defense.”

The lawmaker, a CA member, also cited Yasay’s argument that he did not complete his residency requirement in the United States after seeking naturalization in 1986.

“I think he has a justification. He has an alibi for saying that. He’s saying he wasn’t qualified for citizenship. So, maybe he’s not an American citizen,” Tolentino said.

Green card holder

In an affidavit dated Feb. 23, 1993 that he submitted to the CA, Yasay said that while he “was granted United States citizenship” on Nov. 24, 1986, his decision to return to the Philippines within a year made him “ineligible and disqualified for such citizenship.”

Tolentino echoed the argument that while Yasay held a green card, permanent residency status did not equate to American citizenship.

He also noted how Yasay was able to run for senator and even for Vice President, which meant the Commission on Elections had accepted his Filipino citizenship.

“It means he’s Filipino. That was based on submitted documents. Maybe, those weren’t dug up when he ran before,” he said.

Loss of US nationality

Tolentino said these issues would be raised when the CA hearing resumes.

He said Yasay’s chances of being confirmed may be affected if it was proven that he was once an American citizen.

Tolentino said Yasay had not formally submitted the “certificate of loss of nationality of the United States.”

The document, obtained by the Inquirer, showed that Yasay renounced his citizenship only on June 28, 2016.

Tolentino noted that Yasay’s citizenship was already “being questioned in the hearing” on Feb. 22, even before the Inquirer published the document on Monday.

It was Tolentino who moved to suspend the CA session last week because of committee members’ request for more documents to ascertain Yasay’s citizenship, even as the foreign secretary asserted that he “never legally acquired American citizenship.”