Immigration to pursue case against 7 Fil-fors

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) lamented the court decision stopping it from deporting basketball player Asi Taulava who is alleged to have faked his Filipino lineage papers even as it vowed to expedite the deportation proceedings against seven others.

Lawyer Roy Almoro, who heads the two panels formed to carry out the Senate recommendation to have eight Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players deported for fraud, said unlike Taulava who filed a civil case to stop the deportation proceeding, the seven other players have no such legal remedy and may take a while to secure one, too.

Almoro also heads the panel investigating possible collusion among BI employees in approving the papers of the players.

Almoro said that once the Department of Justice cancels its affirmation of the supposed Filipino lineage of the seven other foreign players, they can be immediately deported after a summary hearing.

Aside from Taulava, recommended for deportation by the Senate committee were Mick Pennisi, Davonn Harp, Rudy Hatfield, Andy Seigle, Jon Ordonio, Alex Crisano, and Dorian Peña.

"We were overtaken by events. We have no choice but stop all deportation proceedings against Taulava but we will go ahead with the rest," said Almoro.

Almoro said he expects the court injunction on Taulava lifted before the end of the year.

The DOJ has reportedly assigned the case of each player to different prosecutors to hasten the cancellation of their affirmation based on the evidence provided by the Senate. The players are being given a chance to contest the evidence.