Lim Yuen v. Republic of the Philippines

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. L-21218      December 24, 1965 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF LIM YUEN TO BE ADMITTED A CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES. LIM YUEN, petitioner-appellee, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor-appellant. Francisco Pascual, Simeon Mesina, Jr. and Angel C. Cruz for petitioner-appellee. Office of the Solicitor General for oppositor-appellant. CONCEPCION, J.: Appeal by the Government from a decision of the Court of First Instance of Isabela granting the petition for naturalization of appellee Lim Yuen. Appellant maintains that said decision should be reversed upon the ground: (1) that appellee has not evinced a sincere desire to embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipinos; and (2) that one of his character witnesses is not a credible person, within the purview of our Naturalization Law. With reference to the first ground of the appeal, the record shows that, when appellee filed his petition for naturalization (November 11 1960), he had the following children, whose date of birth is given after their respective names, to wit: Lolita Lim - February 14, 1950 Henry Lim - November 20, 1951 Purita Lim - April 2, 1953 Lucia Lim - March 26, 1954 Charles Lim - May 20, 1955 Moises Lim - May 25, 1956 Elizabeth Lim - November 19, 1957, and Abraham Lim - May 20, 1959;

that at the time of the hearing of this case in the lower court (from August 9, 1961 to July 7, 1962), Lolita Lim was enrolled at the St. Theresa's Chinese Academy, in Dagupan City, whereas Henry, Purita and Lucia Lim were enrolled at the Santiago Chinese School, in Santiago, Isabela; and that, although there were a few Filipinos studying in these schools, the enrollment therein is predominantly Chinese.

We have already held that from the enrollment of the children of an applicant for naturalization in Chinese schools it may be inferred that he has not evinced a sincere desire to embrace our customs, traditions and ideals, which is a disqualification to be naturalized as citizen of the Philippines.¹

It is true that the enrollment of Charles, Lucia and Henry Lim was later transferred from the Santiago Chinese School to the Northeastern College, in Santiago, Isabela. This transfer took place, however, after the Solicitor General had moved the lower court to reconsider its aforementioned decision, because of said disqualification of herein appellee.

Again, said transfer does not detract from the fact that, prior to and at the time of the filing of his petition for naturalization, as well as of the hearing thereof and the rendition of said decision, appellee's behavior had not evinced a sincere desire to embrace the Filipino customs, traditions and ideals, which can hardly be imbibed by his children in a Chinese school, the student population of which is almost entirely Chinese.

At any rate, appellee's daughter Lolita Lim has seemingly remained enrolled at the St. Theresa's Chinese Academy, in Dagupan City, to which the Bureau of Private Schools had granted the "Government Recognition to operate the complete Elementary Course for Chinese since 1958." In this connection, it should be noted that our law requires the applicant to show, by positive, overt and convincing acts, that he earnestly wishes to embrace our customs, traditions and ideals. In the case at bar, the aforementioned acts of appellee herein suggest otherwise.

IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, we deem it unnecessary to pass upon the second ground of the appeal and the decision appealed from should be, as it is hereby reversed with costs against petitioner-appellee. It is so ordered.

Bengzon, C.J., Bautista Angelo, Dizon, Regala, Makalintal, Bengzon, J.P., and Zaldivar, JJ., concur.

Reyes and Barrera, JJ., took no part.

Footnotes

¹ See. 4, par. (f), Commonwealth Act No. 473; Ong Chin Guan vs. Republic, L-15813, September 29, 1962; Garchitorena & Dy Boon Beng vs. Republic, L-15102, April 20, 1961; Haw Su Siong & Ramon Cuenco vs. Republic, L-13045, July 30, 1962.