Virac, Catanduanes – Vice Governor Peter “Boste” C. Cua is facing a disqualification case filed with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), seeking to invalidate his candidacy for governor in the 2025 National and Midterm Elections.
The petition alleges that Cua lacks evidence of Filipino citizenship, based on his Certificate of Live Birth from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The birth certificate reportedly lists his parents, Fernando So Cua and Asuncion Chua Cua, as Chinese citizens.
Under existing law, a child’s citizenship follows that of their parents, unless the child undergoes naturalization. The petitioner argues that Cua, being the child of Chinese citizens, is also Chinese and therefore ineligible to run for governor.
The petition further raises several issues challenging Cua’s claim of being a naturalized Filipino citizen:
- The petition questions Cua’s claim that his parents were naturalized under Presidential Decree No. 836. It states that the name “Fernando So Cua” does not appear in the said decree. While the name “Fernando So Chua” appears in Item No. 1836, page 21 of Annex A, PD 836, the petitioner argues this does not match “Fernando So Cua” on Peter Cua’s birth certificate. The petition also notes a previous name change request from “Qua” to “Cua,” but argues that “Cua” is still different from “Chua” in PD 836, invalidating the claimed naturalization.
- The petitioner argues that if there were errors in the law or birth certificate, they should have been legally corrected, but no amendments or corrections were made.
- The signatures on the naturalization documents are allegedly significantly different from Cua’s signatures on other identification documents, such as his passport, driver’s license, and voter’s ID.
- The signature under the name “Fernando So Cua” on the documents is also questioned, as it allegedly does not match the usual signing style of Chinese citizens.
The petitioner argues that if Vice Governor Cua’s Filipino citizenship through his father is legitimate, his birth certificate should have been corrected through special proceedings, as required by law.
Cua’s camp has questioned the petition’s technical aspects, such as the incorrect location of the signature on the verification. They also argue that the petitioner’s evidence, particularly the birth certificate, is insufficient and a sensitive document under the Data Privacy Act, therefore Cua cannot be disqualified.
The petitioner asserts that Cua’s camp’s arguments are irrelevant, as the main issue is the lack of solid proof of his Filipino citizenship.
The petitioner requests that COMELEC immediately disqualify Cua, arguing that allowing his candidacy to continue violates the Constitution and threatens the integrity of the elections.
The petition against Cua was filed by former Catanduanes State University (CatSU) president and current gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Patrick Alain T. Azanza. Azanza stated that only legitimate Filipinos can run in Philippine elections. He warned against foreign influence in Philippine politics, citing the case of Alice Guo in Tarlac.
VG Cua has not yet released a statement on the issue.
Both camps are awaiting the COMELEC’s decision on the petition. (Bicol Peryodiko NewsTeam)
