In Re Mallare, A.M. No. 533 September 12, 1974
Facts
Mallare’s father Esteban was the
illegitimate child of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, and believed himself to be
Chinese. Mallare became a lawyer, but his admission to the bar was revoked
because his citizenship was questionable.
Issue
Is Mallare a Filipino citizen?
Ruling
The Supreme Court reversed the revocation
after finding that Esteban was a Filipino because his mother was not married to
his Chinese father. Furthermore, when Mallare came of age, he registered as a
voter and exercised his right of suffrage. The Court considered these acts to
be enough to show that Mallare had elected Filipino citizenship, without
needing any formal declaration on his part.
