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LOIDA NICOLAS-LEWIS, GREGORIOB. MACABENTA, ALEJANDRO A.ESCLAMADO, ARMANDO B. HEREDIA,REUBEN S. SEGURITAN, ERICLACHICA FURBEYRE, TERESITA A.CRUZ, JOSEFINA OPENADISTERHOFT, MERCEDES V. OPENA,CORNELIO R. NATIVIDAD, EVELYN D.NATIVIDAD, Petitio e!",

- #e!"$" -

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, Re"%o &e t.

G.R. No. '()*+

Present:

PANGANIBAN, C.J., PUNO,

QUISUMBING, YNARES-SANTIAGO, SANDOVAL-GUTIERREZ, CARPIO, AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ, CORONA, CARPIO-MORALES, CALLEJO, SR., AZCUNA, TINGA, C ICO-NAZARIO, GARCIA, !n" VELASCO, JR., JJ .

Pr#$%&'!te":

A$ $"t , )//(

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -( D E C I S I O N

GARCIA, J .0

In t)*s +et*t*#n #r ert*#r!r* !n" $!n"!$%s, +et*t*#ners, re err*n' t# t)e$se& es!s / &$12"/ #r "%!& *t*0ens, +r!1 t)!t t)e1 !n" #t)ers 2)# ret!*ne" #r re! 3%*re" P)*&*++*ne

*t*0ens)*+ %n"er Re+%4&* A t 5R.A.6 N#. 7889, t)e Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003 , 4e !&e" t# ! !*& t)e$se& es # t)e $e )!n*s$ +r# *"e"%n"er t)e Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 ;< 5R.A. 7;=76 !n" t)!t t)e C#$$*ss*#n #nE&e t*#ns 5COMELEC6 ! #r"*n'&1 4e #r"ere" t# !& t)e$ t# #te !n" re'*ster !s!4sentee #ters %n"er t)e !e'*s # R.A. 7;=7.

T)e ! ts:

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Se t*#n 9. (isqua ifications . T)e #&*n' s)!&& 4e "*s3%!&* *e" r#$ #t*n'%n"er t)*s A t:

5!6 T)#se 2)# )! e st t)e*r @*&*+*n# *t*0ens)*+ *n ! #r"!n e 2*t)P)*&*++*ne &!2s

546 T)#se 2)# )! e e(+ress&1 ren#%n e" t)e*r P)*&*++*ne *t*0ens)*+ !n" 2)#)! e +&e"'e" !&&e'*!n e t# ! #re*'n #%ntr1

5 6 T)#se 2)# )! e 4een< #n * te" *n ! *n!& %"'$ent 41 ! #%rt #r tr*4%n!& # !n # ense +%n*s)!4&e 41 *$+r*s#n$ent # n#t &ess t)!n #ne 5;6 1e!r, *n &%"*n't)#se 2)# )! e 4een #%n" '%*&t1 # D*s!&t1 !s "e *ne" %n"er Art* &e ; # t)eRe *se" Pen!& C#"e, .

5"6 An *$$*'r!nt #r ! +er$!nent res*"ent 2)# *s re #'n*0e" !s s% ) *n t)e )#st#%ntr1, %n&ess )eKs)e e(e %tes, %+#n re'*str!t*#n, !n ! *"! *t +re+!re" #r t)e +%r+#se 41t)e C#$$*ss*#n "e &!r*n' t)!t )eKs)e s)!&& res%$e ! t%!& +)1s* !& +er$!nent res*"en e *nt)e P)*&*++*nes n#t &!ter t)!n t)ree 5 6 1e!rs r#$ !++r# !& # )*sK)er re'*str!t*#n %n"er t)*s

A t. S% ) ! *"! *t s)!&& !&s# st!te t)!t )eKs)e )!s n#t !++&*e" #r *t*0ens)*+ *n !n#t)er #%ntr1. @!*&%re t# ret%rn s)!&& 4e t)e !%se #r t)e re$# !& # t)e n!$e # t)e *$$*'r!nt#r +er$!nent res*"ent r#$ t)e N!t*#n!& Re'*str1 # A4sentee V#ters !n" )*sK)er

+er$!nent "*s3%!&* * !t*#n t# #te in absentia .

5e6 An1 *t*0en # t)e P)*&*++*nes !4r#!" +re *#%s&1 "e &!re" *ns!ne #r *n #$+etent 41 #$+etent !%t)#r*t1 . 5 #r"s *n 4r! et !""e".6

N#t!4&1, Se t*#n 9 &*sts t)#se 2)# !nn#t ! !*& t)e$se& es # t)e !4sentee #t*n'

$e )!n*s$. #2e er, Se t*#n 95"6 # t)e en%$er!t*#n res+e t*n' @*&*+*n# *$$*'r!nts !n" +er$!nent res*"ents *n !n#t)er #%ntr1 #+ens !n e( e+t*#n !n" 3%!&* *es t)e"*s3%!&* * !t*#n r%&e. Se t*#n 95"6 2#%&", )#2e er, ! e ! #nst*t%t*#n!& )!&&en'e #n t)e'r#%n" t)!t, !s n!rr!te" *n Maca inta , *t -

*#&!tes Se t*#n ;, Art* &e V # t)e ;7= C#nst*t%t*#n 2)* ) re3%*res t)!t t)e#ter $%st 4e ! res*"ent *n t)e P)*&*++*nes #r !t &e!st #ne 1e!r !n" *n t)e +&! e 2)ere )e

+r#+#ses t# #te #r !t &e!st s*( $#nt)s *$$e"*!te&1 +re e"*n' !n e&e t*#n. T)e)!&&en'er< *tes Caasi vs! Court of Appea s 7< t# s%++#rt )*s &!*$ 2)ere< t)e C#%rt)e&" t)!t ! H'reen !r" )#&"er *$$*'r!nt t# t)e US< *s "ee$e" t# )! e !4!n"#ne" )*s"#$* *&e !n" res*"en e *n t)e P)*&*++*nes.

T)e )!&&en'er< %rt)er !r'%es t)!t Se t*#n ;, Art* &e V # t)e C#nst*t%t*#n "#esn#t !& +r# *s*#n!& re'*str!t*#n #r ! +r#$*se 41 ! #ter t# +er #r$ ! #n"*t*#n t# 4e3%!&* *e" t# #te *n ! +#&*t* !& e(er *se t)!t t)e &e'*s&!t%re s)#%&" n#t 4e !&e" t#*r %$ ent t)e re3%*re$ent # t)e C#nst*t%t*#n #n t)e r*')t # s% r!'e 41 +r# *"*n' !#n"*t*#n t)ere#n 2)* ) *n e e t !$en"s #r !&ters t)e ! #res!*" res*"en e re3%*re$ent t#3%!&* 1 ! @*&*+*n# !4r#!" t# #te. e &!*$s t)!t t)e r*')t # s% r!'e s)#%&" n#t 4e 'r!nte"

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t# !n1#ne 2)#, #n t)e "!te # t)e e&e t*#n, "#es n#t +#ssess t)e 3%!&* * !t*#ns +r# *"e" #r 41 Se t*#n ;, Art* &e V # t)e C#nst*t%t*#n. ;>< 5 #r"s *n 4r! et !""e".6

As $!1 4e re !&&e", t)e C#%rt %+)e&" t)e #nst*t%t*#n!&*t1 # Se t*#n 95"6 # R.A.7;=7 $!*n&1 #n t)e stren't) # t)e #&*n' +re$*ses:

As *n!&&1 !++r# e" *nt# &!2, Se t*#n 95"6 # R.A. N#. 7;=7 s+e * * !&&1"*s3%!&* *es !ni$$igrant #r per$anent resident 2)# *s Hre #'n*0e" !s s% ) *n t)e )#st#%ntr1 4e !%se *$$*'r!t*#n #r +er$!nent res*"en e *n !n#t)er #%ntr1 *$+&*es

ren%n *!t*#n # #neFs res*"en e *n )*s #%ntr1 # #r*'*n. #2e er, s!$e Se t*#n !&s !n*$$*'r!nt !n" +er$!nent res*"ent !4r#!" t# re'*ster !s #ter #r !s n' !s )eKs)e e(e %tes!n ! *"! *t t# s)#2 t)!t )eKs)e )!s n#t !4!n"#ne" )*s "#$* *&e *n +%rs%!n e # t)e#nst*t%t*#n!& *ntent e(+resse" *n Se t*#ns ; !n" 8 # Art* &e V t)!t H a *t*0ens # t)eP)*&*++*nes n#t #t)er2*se "*s3%!&* *e" 41 &!2 $%st 4e ent*t&e" t# e(er *se t)e r*')t # s% r!'e !n", t)!t C#n'ress $%st est!4&*s) ! s1ste$ #r !4sentee #t*n' #r #t)er2*se, * ! t%!&, +)1s* !& res*"en e *n t)e P)*&*++*nes *s re3%*re", t)ere *s n# sense #r t)e r!$ers #

t)e C#nst*t%t*#n t# $!n"!te C#n'ress t# est!4&*s) ! s1ste$ #r !4sentee #t*n'. C#ntr!r1 t# t)e &!*$ # t)e )!&&en'er

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re3%*res res*"en 1 *n t)e P)*&*++*nes #r ! ert!*n +er*#", !n" R.A. 7;=7 2)* ) 'r!nts !@*&*+*n# n#n-res*"ent !4sentee #t*n' r*')ts, ;8< COMELEC !r'%es:

?. ( A#./ M . 1 R. ". A # .4 4" R (OM C #"5 R". ("6C" 6 4" )4 # )) 6".

?.>;. T)e *n &%s*#n # s% ) !""*t*#n!& !n" s+e * * re3%*re$ents *n RA 7889 *s'* !&. T)e "%!&s, %+#n ren#%n e$ent # t)e*r @*&*+*n# *t*0ens)*+ !n"! 3%*s*t*#n # #re*'n *t*0ens)*+, )! e +r! t* !&&1 !n" &e'!&&1 !4!n"#ne"t)e*r "#$* *&e !n" se ere" t)e*r &e'!& t*es t# t)e )#$e&!n" !s !#nse3%en e. ! *n' s%4se3%ent&1 ! 3%*re" ! se #n" *t*0ens)*+ 5 i!e.,@*&*+*n#6 t)en, "%!&s $%st, #r +%r+#ses # #t*n', *rst # !&&, "e *s* e&1!n" "e *n*te&1 est!4&*s) t)e*r "#$* *&e t)r#%') +#s*t* e ! ts ; , t)e Overseas

Absentee Voting Act of 2003 .

SO ORDERED .