NBA player gets Phl citizenship

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate approved on third and final reading yesterday a bill that will confer Philippine citizenship on American professional basketball player Andray Blatche who plays for the Brooklyn Nets in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, who filed the measure, said the move in effect gives Blatche an opportunity to help the Philippine national basketball team that will compete in the FIBA World Championships in Spain this August.

“Blatche is possibly the best center from the NBA that we can get who is willing to shun more lucrative offers now and in the future just to be part of our national team,” Angara said.

Also a basketball fan, Angara said that the Brooklyn Nets’ big man’s documents would now be transmitted to Malacañang for President Aquino’s signature.

Angara expressed gratitude to his colleagues, particularly Senate Justice Committee chair Aquilino Pimentel III and Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, for the swift passage of Senate Bill 2108.

“This was indeed a total team effort on the part of the Senate. Credits are due to both the majority and minority blocs for supporting this measure, which to my mind, is the Senate’s own way of contributing to the cause of our basketball team,” he said.

Angara also noted that Senate President Franklin Drilon, and Senators Vicente Sotto and Jinggoy Estrada were also supportive even though Estrada earlier raised questions why Baltche was given citizenship when he has not set foot in the country.

Blatche, who averages 12 points and six rebounds in the NBA where his team reached the conference semifinals, will also play for the country in other major international basketball tournaments, including the Asian Games in September this year in South Korea and in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

For accepting to be part of the Philippine basketball squad, Blatche will be forever prohibited to join any other foreign national team.

“Having naturalized players is the rule in international competitions rather than the exception. It’s very accepted. We are just taking advantage of the rule,” said Angara, who chairs the committee on games, amusement and sports.

The House of Representatives, through the efforts of Antipolo Rep. Robbie Puno, approved the application of Blatche last month.

The 6-foot-11 American isn’t the first foreign player to be given Philippine citizenship.

Americans Arthur “Chip” Engelland, Jeff Moore and Dennis Still were naturalized in the 1980s to help the Philippine men’s basketball team win the Asian Basketball Confederation (now FIBA Asia Championship) crown in 1985.

Another American, Marcus Douthit, who was naturalized in 2011, contributed a lot in bringing back the country to the international basketball map as he helped the squad to qualify for the world championships by placing second in last year’s FIBA Asia, beating powerhouse and perennial nemesis South Korea in the semifinal.

“We took a leap of faith when we naturalized Marcus Douthit, and that leap of faith paid dividends. We are hoping this would be a similar case with Andray Blatche,” Angara said.

Angara also dismissed concerns that having naturalized players would stunt local players, saying that on the contrary, it would definitely help the locals.