ABS-CBN Chairman Emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III on Wednesday appeared in a House hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal where congressmen questioned his citizenship as cause for the possible forfeiture of ownership based on the Constitution.
“My understanding from my lawyer was that I am a natural-born Filipino citizen because both my parents are Filipino citizens,” Lopez said.
Lopez explained that he grew up and studied grade school and high school in the Philippines. He is a dual citizen as he had voted in the 2016 US elections.
He disclosed he got his Filipino passport way back in 2001 but did not renounce his Filipino citizenship.
The statement of Lopez were affirmed by the Justice Department.
“Ang kaniya pong paggamit ng US passport ay hindi dahilan para mawala ang kaniyang Filipino citizenship at ang hindi naman po niya pagkakaroon ng Filipino passport ay hindi dahilan para siya ay hindi maging Pilipino (His use of a US passport is not a reason to lose his Filipino citizenship, and the absence of a Filipino passport is not a reason for hin not to be a Filipino),” DOJ USec. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar explained.
Some lawmakers against the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN considered the dual citizenship of Lopez as problematic when it comes to owning a company in the Philippines.
Deputy Speaker Rep. Rodante Marcoleta declared that the ownership of a mass media company is limited only to Filipinos. There should not have been a problem if Lopez is a Filipino-only citizen. – Report from Daniel Manalastas
