MANILA, 5 September 2003 — Send the Fil-shams out of the country now!
This was the siren call made by the players union in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as they press for the summary deportation of fake Filipino players.
The Professional Players Basketball Association (PPBA) called on the PBA leadership to immediately purge its ranks of fake Filipino-foreign players to save some credibility it lost with the players’ citizenship controversy.
Union spokesman Jojo Lastimosa said that the professional league could repair its damaged image by expelling the fake Filipinos from the country.
He asked the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice (DoJ) to speed up the process of investigating and revoking the Fil-Shams’ papers leading to their deportation.
Lastimosa, who is currently serving as one of coach Tim Cone’s assistants at Alaska, called on the rest of the local players to rally behind him in this fight. The retired player lamented that what is supposed to be the players’ union’s unified fight against fake Fil-Ams has appeared to be a lonely battle for him. But Lastimosa is confident the 29-year old PBA will be able to overcome the Fil-shams mess.
“Looking back at the history of the PBA, it’s like a cycle,” said Lastimosa. “Right now, the league is down, but time will come when we’ll get back on top. Definitely, the PBA will recover.”
He maintained the PPBA is not exactly against the practice of PBA teams hiring Fil-foreign players.
What they’re after are the players who passed themselves off as Fil-Ams but don’t really have any Filipino roots.
“By doing so, we’re not only protecting the welfare of local players, but likewise the integrity of the league,” he said.
Chaired by Sen. Robert Barbers, the Senate committee on games, amusement and sports, which conducted the probe on Fil-shams, has recommended the summary deportation of Talk ‘N’ Text’s Asi Taulava, Red Bull’s Davon Harp, Alaska’s Jonathan Ordonio, Coca-Cola’s Rudy Hatfield and Purefoods’ Andrew John Seigle. Three others — San Miguel’s Dorian Pe?a, Talk ‘N’ Text’s Alex Crisano and Red Bull’s Mick Pennisi were also recommended for deportation. According to Atty. Orlando Salatandre, the legal counsel of the PPBA, said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) can immediately conduct deportation proceedings on the eight alleged Fil-Shams “anytime.”
He was quoting what BI official Ronaldo Ledesma said during one of the Senate hearings held a few months back by Sen. Barbers.
“Atty. Ledesma was actually asked if the BI could initiate summary deportation proceedings to these Fil-Shams, and he answered Sen. Barbers, ‘yes, chairman’ I didn’t said this, it was Atty. Ledesma who said this. I just found out in one of the transcripts of the committee hearings,” said Salatandre.
The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID), headed by Andrea Domingo, has ordered the creation of a committee that will speed up deportation proceedings against the eight Fil-foreigners who were found to have faked their papers to play in the professional league.
Domingo named Atty. Roy Almoro as executive director of the committee, which is tasked to institute deportation proceedings against the Fil-shams within 30 days.
Almoro, shortly after his appointment, said the bureau has requested Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Simeon Datumanong to revoke the citizenship confirmation documents issued by the department on the Fil-foreigners.
“We are expecting a swift reply from the DoJ. Once their confirmations have been cancelled, we could immediately institute summary deportation proceedings on the Fil-foreigners,” said Almoro. Lastimosa welcomed the formation of a fact-finding committee by BID commissioner Domingo.
But Lastimosa said he is keeping his fingers crossed, adding that hopefully, the Immigration bureau and even the DoJ, which would be working closely with the BID, would get the job done the soonest possible time.
Earlier, Commissioner Domingo had said the agency can’t immediately deport the Fil-shams unless their Philippine citizenship is revoked by the courts and the Department of Justice. Sehe explained the BI can no longer exercise jurisdiction over the players — Taulava, Hatfield, Ordonio, Seigle and Harp - because they have already acquired Philippine citizenship the moment the DOJ affirmed their recognition as Filipinos.
“Until such time that their citizenship is questioned and subsequently revoked, we cannot institute summary deportation proceedings against them,” Domingo said, adding the BID has no authority to withdraw the conferment of Philippine citizenship on the players or hear and decide on citizenship cases.
But Domingo said she will request the Senate for the evidence it gathered in its investigation so these can be referred to the DOJ for the latter’s review and basis for canceling the players’ recognition as Filipino citizens.
She said the DOJ can revoke the Philippine citizenship of the five players since it was the department which affirmed the recognition of the five as Filipinos.
Domingo said the BID’s responsibility is limited to accepting petitions for recognition, evaluating the documents submitted and screening of the applicants before their papers are forwarded to the DOJ for affirmation.
Ledesma, of the BI board of special inquiry, said that the issue of Philippine citizenship can only be resolved with finality through judicial proceedings.
“One cannot impugn Philippine citizenship is a non-adversarial proceeding,’’ said Ledesma, who suggested that the Office of the Solicitor General, which is under the DoJ, represent the government before the courts in questioning the citizenship of the players. Ledesma explained that once the Supreme Court makes a judgment canceling the players’ Philippine citizenship, the immigration bureau can institute deportation proceedings against them.
PBA Commissioner Noli Eala said if Taulava and company really violated the law, they should be held liable for their actions, but they should also be given their day in court.
“Some senators had already told me about the direction of the inquiry so I wasn’t surprised about it. But everybody should be given due process,” said Eala.
Echoing an opinion by the Bureau of Immigration, PBA boss said the summary deportation proceedings are not applicable to the five players since they have already acquired Filipino citizenship.
“Summary deportation only applies to aliens. But for the players to be deported, the government... should file a case against them before the Office of the Solicitor General,” said Eala.
