MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Government employees with dual citizenship have been given until March next year to renounce their alien citizenship.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) reminded that employees – political appointees included, except those chosen by the President – are not allowed to have dual citizenship based on Memorandum Circular (MC) 23, series 2016.

Government employees are given 6 months from the date of effectivity of the resolution to relinquish their legal allegiance to another country. Since the measure took effect on September 23, the deadline falls on March 23.

“If a person fails to renounce the other citizenship then the approval of the appointment will be recalled by the CSC. Recall would actually be the disapproval of the appointment and may result to separation from service,” CSC Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo said.

Ronquillo also explained why appointees named by the President are not covered by the CSC order.

“Regarding the jurisdiction of the CSC, it’s in the law also that only non-presidential appointees are under us. So [it’s] only the appointments of these people which the CSC can invalidate or disapprove. As to the others, the invalidation can be done by other jurisdiction such as the regular courts,” he said.

The memo, signed by CSC Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa Bala, sets the employment policy in government service based on Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003.

Before the issuance of the CSC order, the law had been applied to elective positions only.

MC 23 also specifies that:

• A person with dual citizenship should not be appointed to government service until he/she renounces foreign citizenship.
• A person who renounced foreign citizenship who continues to use his/her foreign passport will be denied appointment in public agencies.
• Those occupying posts or are being active in military services of a country where they are naturalized citizens cannot be given the right for any appointment to any Philippine public office.

“You have to have allegiance to the government that you are serving and the allegiance that we are talking about here is 100% allegiance,” said Ronquillo. – Rappler.com