Fil-Am probe takes Senate floor

A lot of questions will be asked but probably left unanswered when the Senate committee on games and amusements starts this morning its investigation on the alleged influx of "fake" Filipino-foreign players into the Philippine Basketball Association and other basketball leagues in the country.

Sen. Robert Barbers, the committee chairman, is conducting the hearing after he reportedly received information that some Fil-foreign cagers falsified or tampered with documents for them to be declared Filipino citizens and therefore allowed to play in the PBA.

Barbers yesterday said the Senate hearing would also look into allegations of special privileges to Fil-foreign players as against homegrown basketball players. Nine Fil-foreign players were named to the RP team that placed fourth in the Busan Asian Games last October.

Aside from PBA officials, the committee has also invited officials of the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration to look into the process of determining whether a Fil-foreign players is indeed eligible to play in the country.

Barbers, a former police official, said the committee would look into the records of the Fil-foreign players and try to trace their parental background or even details on where they were either born or raised.

"Once we have determined who their parents are, we’d call them (players) to the hearing or verify documents as to their citizenship," said Barbers, who expressed concern over reports that the PBA has double standards on the granting of benefits and privileges with homegrown players ending up on the losing end.

"These homegrown PBA players have reduced into writing their grievances, disgust and sentiment on the influx of fake Fil-Americans (Fil-foreign) and the double standard of treatment," said the senator who, according to sources, is set to bare the names of at least nine "Fil-shams."

Commissioner Jun Bernardino of the PBA received his invitation to the hearing Friday afternoon. Teams that received such invitations were Shell, Red Bull and Talk N Text. San Miguel, according to a team official, has yet to receive theirs although the team has three Fil-foreign cagers in its lineup.