G.R. No. L-20318 May 19, 1966
Joseph Soglou alias Go Siok Du alias Joseph Go, petitioner-appellee, vs. Republic of the Philippines, oppositor-appellant.

FACTS

Petitioner Joseph Soglou Go, a citizen of the Republic of Nationalist China, filed a petition for naturalization before the Court of First Instance of Cebu. He was born in Amoy, China, on March 16, 1920, and arrived in the Philippines on March 13, 1938. He resided in Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro, eventually settling continuously in Cebu City from 1950. He completed his education in schools recognized by the Philippine government, where Philippine history, civics, and government were taught. He filed his declaration of intention on July 13, 1950. Prior to being authorized by court order to use the name Joseph Soglou Go, he used the names Go Siok Du, Joseph Go, and Joseph Soglou Go interchangeably. The trial court granted his petition for naturalization, prompting the government to appeal.

ISSUE

Whether the petitioner is disqualified from acquiring Philippine citizenship due to his use of multiple aliases without court authority and questions regarding his moral character.

RULING

The Supreme Court reversed the trial court’s decision and denied the petition for naturalization. The Court held that the petitioner was disqualified because he had used three different names (Joseph Go, Go Siok Du, and Joseph Soglou Go) interchangeably in his transactions and dealings without prior court authorization, in violation of Commonwealth Act No. 142 . This violation demonstrated a lack of the proper and irreproachable conduct required for naturalization. The subsequent filing of a petition to change his name in 1959 did not cure this prior willful violation. Furthermore, the Court found his claim of good moral character undermined by his arrest during a gambling raid at age 14, even though no information was filed against him. The Court concluded he failed to prove the requisite integrity and moral character for citizenship.