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Co V HRET 199 SCRA 692 Facts

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Co v HRET 199 SCRA 692

Facts:
On May 11, 1987, the congressional election of Northern Samar was held.Among the
candidate is herein respondent Jose Ong, Jr. Respondent Ong was proclaimed the duly
elected representative of the second district of Northern Samar. Petitioners questioned the
citizenship of respondent Ong since Ong’s father was only a naturalized Filipino citizen
and questioned Ong’s residence qualificationsince Ong does not own any property in
Samar.

ISSUE/s:
1.) Whether the decision of HRET is appealable;
2.) Whether respondent is a citizen of the Philippines; and
3.) WhetherOng is a resident of Samar.

RULING:
1.) Yes. The Constitution explicitly provides that the House of Representatives Electoral
Tribunal (HRET) and the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) shall be the sole judges of all
contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of their respective members. In
the case at bar, the Court finds no improvident use of power, no denial of due process on
the part of the HRET which will necessitate the exercise of the power of judicial review by
the Supreme Court.
2.) Yes. On April 28, 1955, Jose OngChuan, respondent’s father, an immigrant from
China was declared a Filipino citizen by the CFI of Samar. At the time Jose OngChuan
took his oath, the private respondent then is a minor of nine years, was finishing his
elementary education in the province of Samar. Hence, there is no ground to deny the
Filipino citizenship of respondent Ong. Respondent Ong was also born of a natural-born
Filipino mother, thus the issue of citizenship is immaterial.
3.) Yes. The framers of the Constitution adhered to the earlier definition given to the
word residence which regarded it as having the same meaning as domicile. The domicile
of origin of the private respondent, which was the domicile of his parents, is fixed at
Laoang, Samar. Contrary to the petitioners' imputation, Jose Ong, Jr. never abandoned
said domicile; it remained fixed therein even up to the present. Hence, the residency of
respondent Ong has sufficiently proved.

WHEREFORE, the petitions are hereby DISMISSED.

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