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TodayisSaturday,December12,2015

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
FIRSTDIVISION
G.R.No.174689October22,2007
ROMMELJACINTODANTESSILVERIO,petitioner,
vs.
REPUBLICOFTHEPHILIPPINES,respondent.
DECISION
CORONA,J.:
WhenGodcreatedman,HemadehiminthelikenessofGodHecreatedthemmaleandfemale.(Genesis
5:12)
Amihan gazed upon the bamboo reed planted by Bathala and she heard voices coming from inside the
bamboo."OhNorthWind!NorthWind!Pleaseletusout!,"thevoicessaid.Shepeckedthereedonce,then
twice. All of a sudden, the bamboo cracked and slit open. Out came two human beings one was a male
and the other was a female. Amihan named the man "Malakas" (Strong) and the woman "Maganda"
(Beautiful).(TheLegendofMalakasandMaganda)
Whenisamanamanandwhenisawomanawoman?Inparticular,doesthelawrecognizethechangesmade
by a physician using scalpel, drugs and counseling with regard to a persons sex? May a person successfully
petitionforachangeofnameandsexappearinginthebirthcertificatetoreflecttheresultofasexreassignment
surgery?
OnNovember26,2002,petitionerRommelJacintoDantesSilveriofiledapetitionforthechangeofhisfirstname
andsexinhisbirthcertificateintheRegionalTrialCourtofManila,Branch8.Thepetition,docketedasSPCase
No.02105207,impleadedthecivilregistrarofManilaasrespondent.
PetitionerallegedinhispetitionthathewasbornintheCityofManilatothespousesMelecioPetinesSilverioand
Anita Aquino Dantes on April 4, 1962. His name was registered as "Rommel Jacinto Dantes Silverio" in his
certificateoflivebirth(birthcertificate).Hissexwasregisteredas"male."
Hefurtherallegedthatheisamaletranssexual,thatis,"anatomicallymalebutfeels,thinksandactsasafemale"
and that he had always identified himself with girls since childhood.1 Feeling trapped in a mans body, he
consultedseveraldoctorsintheUnitedStates.Heunderwentpsychologicalexamination,hormonetreatmentand
breastaugmentation.Hisattemptstotransformhimselftoa"woman"culminatedonJanuary27,2001whenhe
underwent sex reassignment surgery2 in Bangkok, Thailand. He was thereafter examined by Dr. Marcelino
ReysioCruz,Jr.,aplasticandreconstructionsurgeoninthePhilippines,whoissuedamedicalcertificateattesting
thathe(petitioner)hadinfactundergonetheprocedure.
x

From then on, petitioner lived as a female and was in fact engaged to be married. He then sought to have his
SponsoredAdby
Privacy
Whyisthishere?
nameinhisbirthcertificatechangedfrom"RommelJacinto"to"Mely,"andhissexfrom"male"to"female."
IntelliTerm
AnordersettingthecaseforinitialhearingwaspublishedinthePeoplesJournalTonight,anewspaperofgeneral
circulation in Metro Manila, for three consecutive weeks.3 Copies of the order were sent to the Office of the
SolicitorGeneral(OSG)andthecivilregistrarofManila.
On the scheduled initial hearing, jurisdictional requirements were established. No opposition to the petition was
made.
During trial, petitioner testified for himself. He also presented Dr. ReysioCruz, Jr. and his American fianc,
RichardP.Edel,aswitnesses.
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OnJune4,2003,thetrialcourtrenderedadecision4infavorofpetitioner.Itsrelevantportionsread:
Petitioner filed the present petition not to evade any law or judgment or any infraction thereof or for any
unlawfulmotivebutsolelyforthepurposeofmakinghisbirthrecordscompatiblewithhispresentsex.
Thesoleissuehereiswhetherornotpetitionerisentitledtothereliefaskedfor.
The[c]ourtrulesintheaffirmative.
Firstly, the [c]ourt is of the opinion that granting the petition would be more in consonance with the
principlesofjusticeandequity.Withhissexual[reassignment],petitioner,whohasalwaysfelt,thoughtand
acted like a woman, now possesses the physique of a female. Petitioners misfortune to be trapped in a
mansbodyisnothisowndoingandshouldnotbeinanywaytakenagainsthim.
Likewise,the[c]ourtbelievesthatnoharm,injury[or]prejudicewillbecausedtoanybodyorthecommunity
ingrantingthepetition.Onthecontrary,grantingthepetitionwouldbringthemuchawaitedhappinesson
thepartofthepetitionerandher[fianc]andtherealizationoftheirdreams.
Finally,noevidencewaspresentedtoshowanycauseorgroundtodenythepresentpetitiondespitedue
notice and publication thereof. Even the State, through the [OSG] has not seen fit to interpose any
[o]pposition.
WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered GRANTING the petition and ordering the Civil Registrar of
ManilatochangetheentriesappearingintheCertificateofBirthof[p]etitioner,specificallyforpetitioners
firstnamefrom"RommelJacinto"toMELYandpetitionersgenderfrom"Male"toFEMALE.5
OnAugust18,2003,theRepublicofthePhilippines(Republic),thrutheOSG,filedapetitionforcertiorariinthe
CourtofAppeals.6Itallegedthatthereisnolawallowingthechangeofentriesinthebirthcertificatebyreasonof
sexalteration.
OnFebruary23,2006,theCourtofAppeals7renderedadecision8infavoroftheRepublic.Itruledthatthetrial
courtsdecisionlackedlegalbasis.Thereisnolawallowingthechangeofeithernameorsexinthecertificateof
birth on the ground of sex reassignment through surgery. Thus, the Court of Appeals granted the Republics
petition,setasidethedecisionofthetrialcourtandorderedthedismissalofSPCaseNo.02105207.Petitioner
movedforreconsiderationbutitwasdenied.9Hence,thispetition.
PetitioneressentiallyclaimsthatthechangeofhisnameandsexinhisbirthcertificateisallowedunderArticles
407to413oftheCivilCode,Rules103and108oftheRulesofCourtandRA9048.10
Thepetitionlacksmerit.
APersonsFirstNameCannotBeChangedOntheGroundofSexReassignment
Petitionerinvokedhissexreassignmentasthegroundforhispetitionforchangeofnameandsex.Asfoundby
thetrialcourt:
Petitioner filed the present petition not to evade any law or judgment or any infraction thereof or for any
unlawful motive but solely for the purpose of making his birth records compatible with his present
sex.(emphasissupplied)
Petitioner believes that after having acquired the physical features of a female, he became entitled to the civil
registrychangessought.Wedisagree.
TheStatehasaninterestinthenamesbornebyindividualsandentitiesforpurposesofidentification.11Achange
ofnameisaprivilege,notaright.12Petitionsforchangeofnamearecontrolledbystatutes.13Inthisconnection,
Article376oftheCivilCodeprovides:
ART.376.Nopersoncanchangehisnameorsurnamewithoutjudicialauthority.
This Civil Code provision was amended by RA 9048 (Clerical Error Law). In particular, Section 1 of RA 9048
provides:
SECTION1.AuthoritytoCorrectClericalorTypographicalErrorandChangeofFirstNameorNickname.
No entry in a civil register shall be changed or corrected without a judicial order, except for clerical or
typographical errors and change of first name or nickname which can be corrected or changed by the
concernedcityormunicipalcivilregistrarorconsulgeneralinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthisActand
itsimplementingrulesandregulations.
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RA 9048 now governs the change of first name.14 It vests the power and authority to entertain petitions for
changeoffirstnametothecityormunicipalcivilregistrarorconsulgeneralconcerned.Underthelaw,therefore,
jurisdiction over applications for change of first name is now primarily lodged with the aforementioned
administrativeofficers.Theintentandeffectofthelawistoexcludethechangeoffirstnamefromthecoverageof
Rules103(ChangeofName)and108(CancellationorCorrectionofEntriesintheCivilRegistry)oftheRulesof
Court, until and unless an administrative petition for change of name is first filed and subsequently denied.15 It
likewiselaysdownthecorrespondingvenue,16form17andprocedure.Insum,theremedyandtheproceedings
regulatingchangeoffirstnameareprimarilyadministrativeinnature,notjudicial.
RA9048likewiseprovidesthegroundsforwhichchangeoffirstnamemaybeallowed:
SECTION 4. Grounds for Change of First Name or Nickname. The petition for change of first name or
nicknamemaybeallowedinanyofthefollowingcases:
(1) The petitioner finds the first name or nickname to be ridiculous, tainted with dishonor or extremely
difficulttowriteorpronounce
(2)Thenewfirstnameornicknamehasbeenhabituallyandcontinuouslyusedbythepetitionerandhehas
beenpubliclyknownbythatfirstnameornicknameinthecommunityor
(3)Thechangewillavoidconfusion.
Petitionersbasisinprayingforthechangeofhisfirstnamewashissexreassignment.Heintendedtomakehis
firstnamecompatiblewiththesexhethoughthetransformedhimselfintothroughsurgery.However,achangeof
namedoesnotalteroneslegalcapacityorcivilstatus.18RA9048doesnotsanctionachangeoffirstnameon
thegroundofsexreassignment.Ratherthanavoidingconfusion,changingpetitionersfirstnameforhisdeclared
purposemayonlycreategravecomplicationsinthecivilregistryandthepublicinterest.
Before a person can legally change his given name, he must present proper or reasonable cause or any
compellingreasonjustifyingsuchchange.19Inaddition,hemustshowthathewillbeprejudicedbytheuseofhis
trueandofficialname.20Inthiscase,hefailedtoshow,orevenallege,anyprejudicethathemightsufferasa
resultofusinghistrueandofficialname.
Insum,thepetitioninthetrialcourtinsofarasitprayedforthechangeofpetitionersfirstnamewasnotwithin
that courts primary jurisdiction as the petition should have been filed with the local civil registrar concerned,
assuming it could be legally done. It was an improper remedy because the proper remedy was administrative,
thatis,thatprovidedunderRA9048.ItwasalsofiledinthewrongvenueasthepropervenuewasintheOfficeof
theCivilRegistrarofManilawherehisbirthcertificateiskept.Moreimportantly,ithadnomeritsincetheuseof
his true and official name does not prejudice him at all. For all these reasons, the Court of Appeals correctly
dismissedpetitionerspetitioninsofarasthechangeofhisfirstnamewasconcerned.
No Law Allows The Change of Entry In The Birth Certificate As To Sex On the Ground of Sex
Reassignment
Thedeterminationofapersonssexappearinginhisbirthcertificateisalegalissueandthecourtmustlooktothe
statutes.21Inthisconnection,Article412oftheCivilCodeprovides:
ART.412.Noentryinthecivilregistershallbechangedorcorrectedwithoutajudicialorder.
Together with Article 376 of the Civil Code, this provision was amended by RA 9048 in so far as clerical or
typographical errors are involved. The correction or change of such matters can now be made through
administrativeproceedingsandwithouttheneedforajudicialorder.Ineffect,RA9048removedfromtheambitof
Rule108oftheRulesofCourtthecorrectionofsucherrors.22Rule108nowappliesonlytosubstantialchanges
andcorrectionsinentriesinthecivilregister.23
Section2(c)ofRA9048defineswhata"clericalortypographicalerror"is:
SECTION2.DefinitionofTerms.AsusedinthisAct,thefollowingtermsshallmean:
xxxxxxxxx
(3)"Clericalortypographicalerror"referstoamistakecommittedintheperformanceofclericalwork
inwriting,copying,transcribingortypinganentryinthecivilregisterthatisharmlessandinnocuous,
such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth or the like, which is visible to the eyes or
obvioustotheunderstanding,andcanbecorrectedorchangedonlybyreferencetootherexisting
recordorrecords:Provided,however,Thatnocorrectionmustinvolvethechangeofnationality,
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age,statusorsexofthepetitioner.(emphasissupplied)
UnderRA9048,acorrectioninthecivilregistryinvolvingthechangeofsexisnotamereclericalortypographical
error.ItisasubstantialchangeforwhichtheapplicableprocedureisRule108oftheRulesofCourt.
TheentriesenvisagedinArticle412oftheCivilCodeandcorrectableunderRule108oftheRulesofCourtare
thoseprovidedinArticles407and408oftheCivilCode:24
ART.407.Acts,eventsandjudicialdecreesconcerningthecivilstatusofpersonsshallberecordedinthe
civilregister.
ART.408.Thefollowingshallbeenteredinthecivilregister:
(1) Births (2) marriages (3) deaths (4) legal separations (5) annulments of marriage (6) judgments
declaring marriages void from the beginning (7) legitimations (8) adoptions (9) acknowledgments of
natural children (10) naturalization (11) loss, or (12) recovery of citizenship (13) civil interdiction (14)
judicialdeterminationoffiliation(15)voluntaryemancipationofaminorand(16)changesofname.
Theacts,eventsorfactualerrorscontemplatedunderArticle407oftheCivilCodeincludeeventhosethatoccur
afterbirth.25 However, no reasonable interpretation of the provision can justify the conclusion that it covers the
correctiononthegroundofsexreassignment.
To correct simply means "to make or set aright to remove the faults or error from" while to change means "to
replace something with something else of the same kind or with something that serves as a substitute."26 The
birthcertificateofpetitionercontainednoerror.Allentriestherein,includingthosecorrespondingtohisfirstname
andsex,wereallcorrect.Nocorrectionisnecessary.
Article 407 of the Civil Code authorizes the entry in the civil registry of certain acts (such as legitimations,
acknowledgmentsofillegitimatechildrenandnaturalization),events(suchasbirths,marriages,naturalizationand
deaths) and judicial decrees (such as legal separations, annulments of marriage, declarations of nullity of
marriages, adoptions, naturalization, loss or recovery of citizenship, civil interdiction, judicial determination of
filiationandchangesofname).Theseacts,eventsandjudicialdecreesproducelegalconsequencesthattouch
uponthelegalcapacity,statusandnationalityofaperson.Theireffectsareexpresslysanctionedbythelaws.In
contrast,sexreassignmentisnotamongthoseactsoreventsmentionedinArticle407.Neitherisitrecognized
norevenmentionedbyanylaw,expresslyorimpliedly.
"Status" refers to the circumstances affecting the legal situation (that is, the sum total of capacities and
incapacities)ofapersoninviewofhisage,nationalityandhisfamilymembership.27
Thestatusofapersoninlawincludesallhispersonalqualitiesandrelations,moreorlesspermanentin
nature,notordinarilyterminableathisownwill,suchashisbeinglegitimateorillegitimate,orhisbeing
marriedornot.Thecomprehensivetermstatusincludesuchmattersasthebeginningandendoflegal
personality, capacity to have rights in general, family relations, and its various aspects, such as birth,
legitimation, adoption, emancipation, marriage, divorce, and sometimes even succession.28 (emphasis
supplied)
Apersonssexisanessentialfactorinmarriageandfamilyrelations.Itisapartofapersonslegalcapacityand
civilstatus.Inthisconnection,Article413oftheCivilCodeprovides:
ART.413.Allothermatterspertainingtotheregistrationofcivilstatusshallbegovernedbyspeciallaws.
But there is no such special law in the Philippines governing sex reassignment and its effects. This is fatal to
petitionerscause.
Moreover,Section5ofAct3753(theCivilRegisterLaw)provides:
SEC.5.Registrationandcertificationofbirths.Thedeclarationofthephysicianormidwifeinattendance
atthebirthor,indefaultthereof,thedeclarationofeitherparentofthenewbornchild,shallbesufficientfor
theregistrationofabirthinthecivilregister.Suchdeclarationshallbeexemptfromdocumentarystamptax
and shall be sent to the local civil registrar not later than thirty days after the birth, by the physician or
midwifeinattendanceatthebirthorbyeitherparentofthenewbornchild.
In such declaration, the person above mentioned shall certify to the following facts: (a) date and hour of
birth(b)sexandnationalityofinfant(c)names,citizenshipandreligionofparentsor,incasethefather
isnotknown,ofthemotheralone(d)civilstatusofparents(e)placewheretheinfantwasbornand(f)
suchotherdataasmayberequiredintheregulationstobeissued.
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xxxxxxxxx(emphasissupplied)
Under the Civil Register Law, a birth certificate is a historical record of the facts as they existed at the time of
birth.29 Thus, the sex of a person is determined at birth, visually done by the birth attendant (the physician or
midwife) by examining the genitals of the infant. Considering that there is no law legally recognizing sex
reassignment,thedeterminationofapersonssexmadeatthetimeofhisorherbirth,ifnotattendedbyerror,30
isimmutable.31
Whenwordsarenotdefinedinastatutetheyaretobegiventheircommonandordinarymeaningintheabsence
ofacontrarylegislativeintent.Thewords"sex,""male"and"female"asusedintheCivilRegisterLawandlaws
concerning the civil registry (and even all other laws) should therefore be understood in their common and
ordinaryusage,therebeingnolegislativeintenttothecontrary.Inthisconnection,sexisdefinedas"thesumof
peculiarities of structure and function that distinguish a male from a female"32 or "the distinction between male
andfemale."33Femaleis"thesexthatproducesovaorbearsyoung"34andmaleis"thesexthathasorgansto
produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova."35 Thus, the words "male" and "female" in everyday understanding do
notincludepersonswhohaveundergonesexreassignment.Furthermore,"wordsthatareemployedinastatute
whichhadatthetimeawellknownmeaningarepresumedtohavebeenusedinthatsenseunlessthecontext
compelstothecontrary."36SincethestatutorylanguageoftheCivilRegisterLawwasenactedintheearly1900s
and remains unchanged, it cannot be argued that the term "sex" as used then is something alterable through
surgery or something that allows a postoperative maletofemale transsexual to be included in the category
"female."
For these reasons, while petitioner may have succeeded in altering his body and appearance through the
interventionofmodernsurgery,nolawauthorizesthechangeofentryastosexinthecivilregistryforthatreason.
Thus,thereisnolegalbasisforhispetitionforthecorrectionorchangeoftheentriesinhisbirthcertificate.
NeitherMayEntriesintheBirthCertificateAstoFirstNameorSexBeChangedontheGroundofEquity
Thetrialcourtopinedthatitsgrantofthepetitionwasinconsonancewiththeprinciplesofjusticeandequity.It
believedthatallowingthepetitionwouldcausenoharm,injuryorprejudicetoanyone.Thisiswrong.
Thechangessoughtbypetitionerwillhaveseriousandwideranginglegalandpublicpolicyconsequences.First,
eventhetrialcourtitselffoundthatthepetitionwasbutpetitionersfirststeptowardshiseventualmarriagetohis
male fianc. However, marriage, one of the most sacred social institutions, is a special contract of permanent
union between a man and a woman.37 One of its essential requisites is the legal capacity of the contracting
parties who must be a male and a female.38 To grant the changes sought by petitioner will substantially
reconfigure and greatly alter the laws on marriage and family relations. It will allow the union of a man with
anothermanwhohasundergonesexreassignment(amaletofemalepostoperativetranssexual).Second,there
arevariouslawswhichapplyparticularlytowomensuchastheprovisionsoftheLaborCodeonemploymentof
women,39 certain felonies under the Revised Penal Code40 and the presumption of survivorship in case of
calamities under Rule 131 of the Rules of Court,41 among others. These laws underscore the public policy in
relationtowomenwhichcouldbesubstantiallyaffectedifpetitionerspetitionweretobegranted.
It is true that Article 9 of the Civil Code mandates that "[n]o judge or court shall decline to render judgment by
reason of the silence, obscurity or insufficiency of the law." However, it is not a license for courts to engage in
judiciallegislation.Thedutyofthecourtsistoapplyorinterpretthelaw,nottomakeoramendit.
In our system of government, it is for the legislature, should it choose to do so, to determine what guidelines
should govern the recognition of the effects of sex reassignment. The need for legislative guidelines becomes
particularlyimportantinthiscasewheretheclaimsassertedarestatutebased.
To reiterate, the statutes define who may file petitions for change of first name and for correction or change of
entriesinthecivilregistry,wheretheymaybefiled,whatgroundsmaybeinvoked,whatproofmustbepresented
andwhatproceduresshallbeobserved.Ifthelegislatureintendstoconferonapersonwhohasundergonesex
reassignment the privilege to change his name and sex to conform with his reassigned sex, it has to enact
legislationlayingdowntheguidelinesinturngoverningtheconfermentofthatprivilege.
ItmightbetheoreticallypossibleforthisCourttowriteaprotocolonwhenapersonmayberecognizedashaving
successfullychangedhissex.However,thisCourthasnoauthoritytofashionalawonthatmatter,oronanything
else.TheCourtcannotenactalawwherenolawexists.Itcanonlyapplyorinterpretthewrittenwordofitsco
equalbranchofgovernment,Congress.
Petitionerpleadsthat"[t]heunfortunatesarealsoentitledtoalifeofhappiness,contentmentand[the]realization
of their dreams." No argument about that. The Court recognizes that there are people whose preferences and
orientationdonotfitneatlyintothecommonlyrecognizedparametersofsocialconventionandthat,atleastfor
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them, life is indeed an ordeal. However, the remedies petitioner seeks involve questions of public policy to be
addressedsolelybythelegislature,notbythecourts.
WHEREFORE,thepetitionisherebyDENIED.
Costsagainstpetitioner.
SOORDERED.
Puno,C.J.,Chairperson,SandovalGutierrez,Azcuna,Garcia,JJ.,concur.

Footnotes
1Petitionerwentforhiselementaryandhighschool,aswellashisBachelorofScienceinStatisticsand

MasterofArts,intheUniversityofthePhilippines.HetookupPopulationStudiesProgram,MasterofArtsin
SociologyandDoctorofPhilosophyinSociologyattheUniversityofHawaii,inManoa,Hawaii,U.S.A.Rollo,
p.48.
2Thisconsistedof"penectomy[surgicalremovalofpenis]bilateraloschiectomy[ororchiectomywhichis

thesurgicalexcisionofthetestes]penileskininversionvaginoplasty[plasticsurgeryofthevagina]clitoral
hoodreconstructionandaugmentationmammoplasty[surgicalenhancementofthesizeandshapeofthe
breasts]."Id.
3OnJanuary23,2003,January30,2003andFebruary6,2003.
4PennedbyJudgeFelixbertoT.Olalia,Jr.Rollo,pp.5153.
5Id.,pp.5253(citationsomitted).
6DocketedasCAG.R.SPNo.78824.
7SpecialSixthDivision.
8PennedbyAssociateJusticeArcangelitaM.RomillaLontokwithAssociateJusticesMarinaL.Buzonand

AuroraSantiagoLagmanconcurring.Rollo,pp.2533.
9ResolutiondatedSeptember14,2006,id.,pp.4546.
10AnActAuthorizingtheCityorMunicipalCivilRegistrarortheConsulGeneraltoCorrectaClericalor

TypographicalErrorinanEntryand/orChangeofFirstNameorNicknameintheCivilRegisterWithout
NeedofaJudicialOrder,AmendingforthePurposeArticles376and412oftheCivilCodeofthe
Philippines.
11Wangv.CebuCityCivilRegistrar,G.R.No.159966,30March2005,454SCRA155.
12Id.
13Kv.HealthDivision,DepartmentofHumanResources,277Or.371,560P.2d1070(1977).
14UnderSection2(6)ofRA9048,"firstname"referstoanameornicknamegiventoapersonwhichmay

consistofoneormorenamesinadditiontothemiddlenamesandlastnames.Thus,theterm"firstname"
willbeusedheretoreferbothtofirstnameandnickname.
15ThelastparagraphofSection7ofRA9048provides:

SECTION7.DutiesandPowersoftheCivilRegistrarGeneral.xxxxxxxxx
Wherethepetitionisdeniedbythecityormunicipalcivilregistrarortheconsulgeneral,thepetitioner
mayeitherappealthedecisiontothecivilregistrargeneralorfiletheappropriatepetitionwiththe
propercourt.
16SECTION3.WhoMayFilethePetitionandWhere.Anypersonhavingdirectandpersonalinterestin

thecorrectionofaclericalortypographicalerrorinanentryand/orchangeoffirstnameornicknameinthe
civilregistermayfile,inperson,averifiedpetitionwiththelocalcivilregistryofficeofthecityormunicipality
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wheretherecordbeingsoughttobecorrectedorchangediskept.
Incasethepetitionerhasalreadymigratedtoanotherplaceinthecountryanditwouldnotbepracticalfor
suchparty,intermsoftransportationexpenses,timeandefforttoappearinpersonbeforethelocalcivil
registrarkeepingthedocumentstobecorrectedorchanged,thepetitionmaybefiled,inperson,withthe
localcivilregistraroftheplacewheretheinterestedpartyispresentlyresidingordomiciled.Thetwo(2)
localcivilregistrarsconcernedwillthencommunicatetofacilitatetheprocessingofthepetition.
CitizensofthePhilippineswhoarepresentlyresidingordomiciledinforeigncountriesmayfiletheirpetition,
inperson,withthenearestPhilippineConsulates.
Thepetitionsfiledwiththecityormunicipalcivilregistrarortheconsulgeneralshallbeprocessedin
accordancewiththisActanditsimplementingrulesandregulations.
Allpetitionsfortheclericalortypographicalerrorsand/orchangeoffirstnamesornicknamesmaybe
availedofonlyonce.
17SECTION5.FormandContentsofthePetition.Thepetitionshallbeintheformofanaffidavit,

subscribedandsworntobeforeanypersonauthorizedbythelawtoadministeroaths.Theaffidavitshall
setforthfactsnecessarytoestablishthemeritsofthepetitionandshallshowaffirmativelythatthe
petitioneriscompetenttotestifytothemattersstated.Thepetitionershallstatetheparticularerroneous
entryorentries,whicharesoughttobecorrectedand/orthechangesoughttobemade.
Thepetitionshallbesupportedwiththefollowingdocuments:
(1)Acertifiedtruemachinecopyofthecertificateorofthepageoftheregistrybookcontainingthe
entryorentriessoughttobecorrectedorchanged
(2)Atleasttwo(2)publicorprivatedocumentsshowingthecorrectentryorentriesuponwhichthe
correctionorchangeshallbebasedand
(3)Otherdocumentswhichthepetitionerorthecityormunicipalcivilregistrarortheconsulgeneral
mayconsiderrelevantandnecessaryfortheapprovalofthepetition.
Incaseofchangeoffirstnameornickname,thepetitionshalllikewisebesupportedwiththedocuments
mentionedintheimmediatelyprecedingparagraph.Inaddition,thepetitionshallbepublishedatleastonce
aweekfortwo(2)consecutiveweeksinanewspaperofgeneralcirculation.Furthermore,thepetitioner
shallsubmitacertificationfromtheappropriatelawenforcementagenciesthathehasnopendingcaseor
nocriminalrecord.
18Republicv.CourtofAppeals,G.R.No.97906,21May1992,209SCRA189.
19Supranote11.
20Id.
21InreLadrach,32OhioMisc.2d6,513N.E.2d828(1987).
22Leev.CourtofAppeals,419Phil.392(2001).
23Id.
24Cov.CivilRegisterofManila,G.R.No.138496,23February2004,423SCRA420.
25Id.
26Id.
27Beduyav.RepublicofthePhilippines,120Phil.114(1964).
28Salonga,Jovito,PrivateInternationalLaw,1995Edition,RexBookstore,p.238.
29This,ofcourse,shouldbetakeninconjunctionwithArticles407and412oftheCivilCodewhich

authorizestherecordingofacts,eventsandjudicialdecreesorthecorrectionorchangeoferrorsincluding
thosethatoccurafterbirth.Nonetheless,insuchcases,theentriesinthecertificatesofbirtharenotbe
correctedorchanged.Thedecisionofthecourtgrantingthepetitionshallbeannotatedinthecertificatesof
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birthandshallformpartofthecivilregisterintheOfficeoftheLocalCivilRegistrar.(Cov.CivilRegisterof
Manila,supranote24)
30Theerrorpertainstoonewherethebirthattendantwrites"male"or"female"butthegenitalsofthechild

arethatoftheoppositesex.
31Moreover,petitionersfemaleanatomyisallmanmade.Thebodythatheinhabitsisamalebodyinall

aspectsotherthanwhatthephysicianshavesupplied.
32BlacksLawDictionary,8thedition(2004),p.1406.
33WordsandPhrases,volume39,PermanentEdition,p.106.
34InreApplicationforMarriageLicenseforNash,2003Ohio7221(No.2002T0149,slipop.,Not

ReportedinN.E.2d,2003WL23097095(OhioApp.11Dist.,December31,2003),citingWebstersIINew
CollegeDictionary(1999).
35Id.
36StandardOilCo.v.UnitedStates,221U.S.1(1911),31S.Ct.502,55L.Ed.619.
37Article1,FamilyCode.
38Article2(1),Id.
39TheseareArticles130to138oftheLaborCodewhichincludenightworkprohibition,facilitiesfor

women,prohibitionondiscriminationandstipulationagainstmarriage,amongothers.
40TheseincludeArticle333onadultery,Articles337to339onqualifiedseduction,simpleseductionand

actsoflasciviousnesswiththeconsentoftheoffendedpartyandArticles342and343onforcibleand
consentedabduction,amongothers.
41Section3(jj)(4).
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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