Enrile re Gabby Lopez: Qualified to own & manage a PH media corp.

Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, ABS-CBN chairman emeritus has found an ally in former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile when the latter said Lopez is very much qualified to own and manage a media company in the country.

Enrile is of the opinion that it is a “weak ground” to question Gabby’s citizenship as he was born to Filipino parents in the United States of America (USA) in relation to the right of his company’s application of a new franchise in Congress.

Enrile explains that Lopez acquired his Philippine and US citizenships at birth by virtue of the doctrine jus sanguinis (law of ethnicity) and jus soli (law of the soil).

(PHOTO CREDIT TO OWNER)

The Philippine constitution never required Gabby Lopez and those similarly situated like him to elect and choose which of his two citizenship he would retain or follow.

Below is the full quote of Enrile’s post in his Facebook account:

GABBY LOPEZ AND
HIS CITIZENSHIP

The citizenship of Gabby Lopez, standing alone or by itself, is a weak ground to deny ABS-CBN a new franchise or to extend its old franchise. I understand Gabby Lopez was born in the United States with parents who were both citizens of the Philippines.

Under that factual situation, Gabby Lopez, at birth, acquired the status of being a natural born citizen of the United States by virtue of the principle of JUS SOLI ( law of the soil or place of birth), which is generally followed to determine the citizenship of the United States. Also at birth, Gabby Lopez simultaneously acquired the status of being a natural born citizen of the Philippines by virtue of the principle of JUS SANGUINIS (law of nationality or ethnicity), which is generally followed to determine Philippine citizenship. Gabby Lopez (and all Filipinos similarly situated like him) was never required under our Constitution to elect and choose which of his two citizenship he would retain or follow. Both attached to him at birth without any choice or act on his part. From the view point of US law, he is a natural born American.

At the same time, from the view point of Philippine law, he is a natural born Filipino. This dual citizenship is, in fact, recognized by our Congress under the dual citizenship law passed by it. And so under those circumstances, I personally believe that Gabby Lopez is qualified to own and managed a mass media broadcast business in our country, and that ABS-CBN Corporation is not disqualified because of him to engaged in mass media broadcast business under a provision of our Constitution which says - "The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines . . . ."

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