MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) denied on Friday, November 3, that it collects an “allegiance fee” from individuals applying to reacquire their Philippine citizenship.

“The amount of €45, which is equivalent to $50, does not correspond to an ‘allegiance fee’ for applicants who are applying for the retention or reacquisition of their Philippine citizenship but instead refers to the ‘one-time fee for the processing of the application and issuance of the corresponding Identification Certificate’ of the applicants,” DFA spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said in a statement.

Bolivar said the collection of $50 from dual citizenship applicants “is authorized under Memorandum Circular No. MCL-‎08-006 2008 and Circular No. AFF-04-01 promulgated by the Bureau of Immigration.”

This in line with “provisions of Republic Act No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 and Administrative Order No. 091 designating the Bureau of Immigration as the implementing agency of Republic Act No. 9225.”

The DFA issued this statement after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon urged the DFA on Thursday, November 2, to stop collecting “allegiance fees” from individuals wanting to reacquire their Philippine citizenship. 

Drilon said the issue of allegiance fees was raised by the Filipino community in Spain and Andorra.

He pointed out that the DFA is “not an income-generating institution” and that it exists to serve Filipino citizens abroad.

It was Drilon who authored the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003. – Rappler.com