Last month the nation was delighted when Miss Philippines was crowned the new Miss Universe. The fact that the winner was a born and bred Australian whose only claim to being a Filipino was her Pinay mother caused a lot of controversy throughout the social media sphere. I even wrote two articles about Miss Catriona Gray and what makes one a Filipino. One opinion column I analysed proclaimed there is no Filipino race or culture and that the category of Filipino is legal and political only while in another article I wrote that one can be Filipino by choice.
Now enter Tony Labrusca.
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| https://entertainment.inquirer.net/312331/tony-labrusca-apologizes-for-outburst-vs-immigration-officers |
Labrusca narrated that he was frustrated on the Immigration official after revealing that he only has 30 days to stay in the Philippines.
“After lining up and crossing the immigration, I went up to the superior and we ended up going inside an enclosed space inside her office to discuss privately. I admit I was a bit frustrated and that I asked why I was only given 30 days to stay in the country this time,” he said.
He also confessed that he was unaware of the Immigration policy on the Balikbayan Privilege.
“I was unaware of the policy that because I was not with my mother, I did not qualify for a Balikbayan stamp,” Labrusca said.
To recall, the Bureau of Immigration reminded foreign nationals that the one-year Balikbayan Privilege was “exclusively given to former Filipinos naturalized abroad and their spouse and children who are traveling with them.”
Who is Tony Labrusca and what happened at the Immigration desk?
Tony Labrusca Jr. is an American born and Canadian raised actor who is the son of Filipino celebrities Tony Labrusca and Angel Jones. It seems that Tony Sr., also known as Boom, left his girlfriend Angel and their son Tony Jr. and returned to the Philippines where years later his son would join him to pursue a career in show business. Slowly he built up his career appearing in a talent show and then a popular Mc Donald's commercial and the TV show La Luna Sangre. As this article so succinctly puts it:
Meet Anthony Labrusca, full-blooded Filipino, but spent part of his growing up years in Canada (oh, and he's the son of Angel Jones of the hip hop/R&B group Kulay so you know where he got that singing prowess from, and actor Boom Labrusca).
https://lifestyle.abs-cbn.com/articles/1814/hottie-alert-whos-that-cutie-who-broke-his-girlfriends-heart-in-that-new-fastfood-commercial/
Full-blooded Filipino? Well if you subscribe to the theory that there is no Filipino race then no he is not for such a thing does not exist. But if you mean both of his parents are natural born citizens then yes he is a full-blooded Filipino. Too bad for Tony such nuances did not pass through the mind of the immigration officer processing him into the country. The only consideration was his passport. Not his looks or his lineage.
What happened at the immigration desk was the officer took one look at Tony's United States passport and lack of work visa and gave him the appropriate 30 day tourist stamp which of course as an American he can extend for up to 3 years before he has to exit the country. Immediately the question arises: "How has this foreigner been working in the Philippines for so long without a work visa?" Even Canadian Kyle Jennermann of Becoming Filipino has a work visa! Here are two screenshots from the Facebook page of an Immigration officer who was present as Tony was processed into the country.
One has to wonder why in all the time he has been living and working in the country he has not availed of the right of dual citizenship? He obviously knows what a balikbayan stamp is so how is he completely ignorant of the immigration process and the qualifications for obtaining that kind of visa? How has Tony been able to work without having the proper visa? Is ABS-CBN wilfully committing fraud by allowing him to work for their company? A thorough investigation should ensue since it is the government who grants them a license to operate.
Amazingly enough despite being an American and being rude with Immigration officers plenty of people are tweeting and Facebooking that they have this man's back and support him 100%. That is despite him being a jerk, an illegal worker, and an ugly American to boot!
Someone should yell "Hey Joe!" to this American and send him packing just like they would do and have done with many other rude foreigners.
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| https://globalnation.inquirer.net/163872/immigration-officer-entry-philippines-foreigner-tourist-barred-rude-disrespect |
“The entry and stay of foreigners in the country is not a right but a mere privilege,” Morente said in a statement. “Thus, they ought to show respect and courtesy to immigration officers upon their arrival in our ports of entry.”
The situation with Tony Labrusca proves beyond doubt that blood does not make one a Filipino. One is either a natural born Filipino or one is given citizenship based on his lineage but only after filing the proper paperwork. As it stands Tony Labrusca Jr. is not a Filipino.
Now once more to the question of what makes one a Filipino citizen, the constitution is not helpful at all. Article 4 sec. 1 states that those whose parents are citizens of the Philippines are citizens of the Philippines. But Tony has two parents who are Filipino citizens yet he is not a citizen. But the constitution!
In this case the constitution is faulty and should be amended to indicate and clear up any confusion that those born abroad to Filipino parents are not automatically citizens but must apply for citizenship.
Just as I wrote in a previous article this type of citizenship is one that can be passed on in perpetuity which raises the possibility of whole generations of Philippine citizens who know nothing about the Philippines.
Now once more to the question of what makes one a Filipino citizen, the constitution is not helpful at all. Article 4 sec. 1 states that those whose parents are citizens of the Philippines are citizens of the Philippines. But Tony has two parents who are Filipino citizens yet he is not a citizen. But the constitution!
In this case the constitution is faulty and should be amended to indicate and clear up any confusion that those born abroad to Filipino parents are not automatically citizens but must apply for citizenship.
Foreign nationals who were born outside of the Philippines to a Filipino parent (Note: the parent/s must be Philippine citizen/s at the time of the applicant’s birth) may apply for Recognition as a Filipino citizen, without losing the current citizenship of the applicant.
http://www.immigration.gov.ph/faqs/citizenshipNote that even the BOI refers to persons born abroad to Pinoy parents as FOREIGN NATIONALS. If they wish to become citizens the matter is a simple process of compiling documents and paying the fee. This is what Catriona Gray did and it is what Tony Jr. should do if he wishes to work in the Philippines without any hassle. Of course that means double taxes so why bother? Until he does though he will remain a foreign national. The choice to be Filipino is completely up to him.
Just as I wrote in a previous article this type of citizenship is one that can be passed on in perpetuity which raises the possibility of whole generations of Philippine citizens who know nothing about the Philippines.
The child or person born abroad of a Filipino parent is a Philippine citizen from birth, and that citizenship may pass to subsequent generations in perpetuity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_nationality_lawThus being a Filipino citizen becomes meaningless and a political and legal category and tool only.
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