Yasay: I’m not a US citizen

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay is facing the Commission on Appointments (CA).

CA members asked Yasay if it is true that he is a citizen of the United States (US).

Yasay refuted this information.

He said he had once applied for US citizenship but his application was denied.

The reason for the denial was not discussed.

Lawmakers also asked Yasay why the country’s claim on the islands in the South China Sea seems to have waned.

“I believe territorial dispute might not be solved during our lifetime, but the answer is not war,” he told the CA.

Yasay’s appointment at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been bypassed by the commission several times.