Short answer. Not as your errand-runner. Section 3 allows only a person having direct and personal interest in the correction to file, and requires that it be filed in person. A relative can file only if he has such an interest of his own, not merely because you asked him to go.
What the law says
Any person having direct and personal interest in the correction of a clerical or typographical error in an entry and/or change of first name or nickname in the civil register may file, in person, a verified petition with the local civil registry office of the city or municipality where the record being sought to be corrected or changed is kept.
RA 9048, Section 3 — Who May File And Where. Read the full provision →
What the law says
All petitions for the clerical or typographical errors and/or change of first names or nicknames may be availed of only once.
RA 9048, Section 3 — Who May File And Where. Read the full provision →
Two requirements, and the second is the awkward one
Any person having direct and personal interest in the correction of a clerical or typographical error in an entry and/or change of first name or nickname in the civil register may file, in person, a verified petition with the local civil registry office of the city or municipality where the record being sought to be corrected or changed is kept. Direct and personal interest is the first requirement. Filing in person is the second, and the phrase recurs throughout the section — it is not satisfied by a representative, a courier, a letter or an emailed attachment. Whoever files must present himself.
Interest of his own, not borrowed from you
The Act defines a petitioner as a natural person who has direct and personal interest in the correction. That standard belongs to the filer, so the question is never whether you consented — it is whether the relative standing at the counter has an interest of his own in the entry being right. Close family members frequently do, which is why parents commonly file for minor children. But whether a particular relative qualifies is a determination for the registrar under the implementing rules rather than something to assume, and it is worth asking that office before anyone travels.
The routes that exist for someone who cannot appear
The section anticipates the problem twice over. A person who has migrated within the country, and for whom appearing before the registrar keeping the record would be impractical in terms of transportation expenses, time and effort, may file with the registrar where he now resides or is domiciled; the two offices then communicate to process it. A Filipino residing or domiciled abroad may file with the nearest Philippine Consulate. Both preserve the in-person requirement while moving the counter closer, which is usually a better answer than looking for someone to send.
One attempt only
The section closes with a rule that makes all of this worth getting right the first time: All petitions for the clerical or typographical errors and/or change of first names or nicknames may be availed of only once. A petition filed carelessly, or filed for the wrong correction, is not a rehearsal. Before anyone files, be certain the correction sought is the one you actually need, that it is genuinely clerical rather than substantial, and that the supporting documents establish the correct entry. That single sentence is the strongest argument for taking advice before the counter, not after.
Related provisions
- RA 9048, Section 1 — Correction Without A Court
- RA 9048, Section 2 — Definition Of Terms
- RA 9048, Section 3 — Who May File And Where
- RA 9048, Section 5 — Form Contents And Publication