Category Archives: Immigration

Exclusive: Interview With Maria Ressa On Dual Citizenship Petition

85E74EC0-AE6D-482F-AA8F-84BD2FF1C488SINGAPORE (The Adobo Chronicles, Singapore Bureau) – An online petition on change.org is asking the Philippine Department of Justice to revoke the reacquired citizenship of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa because of alleged violation of her oath of allegiance as a Filipino dual citizen.

We caught up with Ressa at the Facebook regional headquarters in Singapore where she is reportedly meeting with top brass to explore closing down the FB accounts of each and every person who has signed the petition.  As of this writing, close to 35,000 haved signed.

Here’s our interview with Ressa:

AC: Any comment on the petition?

MR: Political harassment!

AC: Who do you think is behind this petition?

MR: Pro-Duterte trolls!

AC: What do you think would be the outcome of this petition?

MR: Suppression of Press Freedom!

AC: But you yourself have been accused of suppressing the freedom of speech of bloggers and netizens.

MR:  Those trolls! Trolls!

AC: Is it true both your parents are Indonesian?

MR: Pilipino po! As a dual citizen, I have both a PH and U.S. passport. I have both of the passports stamped whenever I exit or enter the Philippines.

AC: Is that even possible?

MR: Hehe, joke lang.

AC: Any comment on the criminal charges filed against you?

MR: Intimidation!

AC: And your warrants of arrest?

MR: Weaponizing the law to silence me and Rappler!

AC: How do you feel about all these “attacks” on you and Rappler?

MR: Death by a thousand cuts.

AC: Would you excuse us for a moment. Our phone connection is spotty.

MR: I will hold the line.

AC: Okay we’re back. If the petition to revoke your Philippine citizenship succeeds, what’s your plan?

MR: I will apply for political asylum in Hawaii.

AC: But you are a citizen of the United States.

MR:  Ah… uhm… Is Hawaii part of the United States?

(At this point, the connection was lost. Ressa could not hold the line.)

We Interrupt The Satire To Bring You A Matter Of Great Concern…

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Maria Ressa Responds To Online Petition For Revocation Of Her Dual Citizenship

85E74EC0-AE6D-482F-AA8F-84BD2FF1C488MANILA, Philippies (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – An online petition urging the Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOH) to revoke the dual citizenship of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa has, as of this writing, garnered over 7,000 signatures — more than the total number of islands in the Philippines.

The petition, started less than 48 hours ago, cites Ressa’s efforts to destablize the government and the Filipino people by claiming “suppression of Press Freedom,” “political harassment and intimidation.” It urged DOJ through the Bureau of Immigration to review Ressa’s activities which the petitioner says violate her oath of allegiance when she became a dual citizen. She also has U.S. citizenship.

Natural-born Filipinos who have naturalized as foreign citizens are allowed under Republic Act  9225 to re-aquire Philippine citizenship but must swear to uphold the Constitution, follow the law and recognize duly-constituted authorities.  Ressa faces several cases  for violating the Constitution and Philippine laws.

Responding to the petition, Ressa told The Adobo Chronicles that if the number of signatures reaches 16 Million — the number of votes Rodrigo Duterte garnered in the last Presidential elections — she will voluntarily give up her dual citizenship and relocate to her other country, America.

Additional signatures to the petition are still being accepted HERE.