Senator Kiko Pangilinan said that House Bill No. 6639, which seeks to grant Filipino citizenship to American basketball player Bennie Boatwright, passed second reading in the Senate recently.
Pangilinan, as the previous chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, sponsored and defended the measure during the Senate’s plenary session when the period of interpellation was opened.
Granting Boatwright Filipino citizenship will pave the way for him to join Gilas Pilipinas and improve the competitiveness of the Philippine basketball team in the Asian Games and the FIBA Games.
However, the veteran legislator also assured that possible contributions to winning championships in the games were not the only determinant for naturalizing athletes seeking to make the Philippines their home.
“There has to be not simply a commitment to play basketball for the country, but also to embrace what it means to be Filipino, and we were convinced.”
“We made this clear during the hearings. Senator Jinggoy Estrada was there asking about Boatwright’s intentions of residing in the Philippines. So, therefore, yes. There has to be not simply a commitment to play basketball for the country, but also to embrace what it means to be Filipino, and we were convinced,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
With a height of 6’10”, the senator explained that Boatwright will give Gilas Pilipinas a height advantage and would make the team more competitive, given that neighboring countries also have a pool of naturalized players in their roster.
The Philippines currently has six naturalized basketball players.
Based on records, Indonesia and Lebanon each have five naturalized players, while Japan has 12. The Philippines currently has six naturalized basketball players.
“So, this gives us a sense of the competition out there in terms of naturalized players of their respective countries mentioned. And that’s why we do have this pool of players, it will then give our coaches more flexibility and leeway in terms of being able to put together a strong team, Mr. President,” Pangilinan said.
He also alleviated concerns regarding the athlete’s allegiance to the country, saying that these were thoroughly discussed during the committee hearings on the pending measure.
“I agree that contributions to a championship team should not be the only basis for citizenship,” Pangilinan stressed.
“So, we made sure, through our questions, to determine his willingness to embrace Filipino culture, to settle down in the Philippines, and whether he associated himself with Filipinos and Filipino-Americans while in the US,” he concluded.
