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Republic vs. Lao

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION (SCN), PETITIONERS, VS. WINSTON BRIAN CHIA LAO AND CHRISTOPHER TROY CHIA LAO, RESPONDENTS. [G.R. No. 207075, February 10, 2020] REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION (SCN), PETITIONERS, V. JON NICHOLAS CHIA LAO, RESPONDENT.

G.R. No. 205218/G.R. No. 207075 | 2020-02-10

THIRD DIVISION
 
D E C I S I O N
 
LEONEN, J.:
 
The birth certificate, more than a historical record of one's birth, is a vital marker of identity. Therefore, acts and events, though occurring after birth, may be annotated on the birth certificate so long as they are consistent with a legal truth and a special law provides for its effects.
 
This resolves two (2) consolidated Petitions for Review on Certiorari[1] directly filed before this Court by the Republic of the Philippines, represented by the Special Committee on Naturalization (SCN), raising pure questions of law. In G.R. No. 205218, the Republic...