Actor Ariel “Aga” Muhlach reiterated on Monday at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that he is a natural- born Filipino, contrary to the disqualification case against him for ‘committing false material representation”.

“Filipino ako noon pa (I am a Filipino even then),” Muchlach said.

Muhlach with his wife, actress Charlene Gonzales, personally attended the hearing of his disqualification case and asked Comelec secretariat to dismiss the case filed by a certain Gilmar Pacamarra due to “utter lack of merit”.

“[I] never made any false material representation in [my] certificate of candidacy and [I am] qualified to run as a member of the House of Representatives,” Muhlach stated in his 12-page reply.

Earlier in October, Pacamarra asked Comelec’s First Division to disqualify Muhlach for committing “false material representation” in his certificate of candidacy filed on October 5.

The complainant claimed that Muhlach is no longer a Filipino citizen since he has Spanish passport since 2011.

Muhlach just brushed aside the issue and clarified that he never relinquished his Filipino citizenship.

Muchlach is running for congressman in the fourth district of Camarines Sur under the Liberal Party coalition.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, argued that his client is a natural-born citizen since he has continually resided in the country since his birth on August 12, 1969 in Manila and has only visited Spain once in the 1990s to fulfill work-related commitments.

Macalintal explained in their petition that while being a natural born Filipino, the Spanish government recognized his client as a Spanish citizen by origin because of the nationality of his father.

Muchlach’s father, Alvaro Muchlach, is of Spanish descent but born in the Philippines.

“Contrary to petitioners’ claim that respondent acquired Spanish citizenship, the truth is that the respondent was merely recognized by Spain as a Spanish citizen by origin or historical,” Macalintal said.

He also argued that Muhlach was never naturalized as a Spanish citizen since naturalization is granted through Royal Decree under the Spanish law, therefore Muchlach is Filipino.