American big man Bennie Boatwright moved a step closer to becoming eligible for Gilas Pilipinas after a bill seeking to grant him Filipino citizenship passed second reading in the Senate.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said House Bill No. 6639 was approved on Tuesday, May 26, following plenary deliberations on the measure.
The proposed naturalization of the 6-foot-10 Boatwright is expected to strengthen Gilas Pilipinas as the national team continues to compete in major international tournaments, including the Asian Games and FIBA competitions.
Pangilinan, who sponsored and defended the measure as former chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said Boatwright’s size would give the Philippine team an added frontcourt option and help improve its competitiveness against regional rivals that also rely on naturalized players.
Records cited during deliberations showed that Indonesia and Lebanon each have five naturalized players, while Japan has 12. The Philippines currently has six naturalized basketball players.
“This gives us a sense of the competition out there in terms of naturalized players of their respective countries,” Pangilinan said. “Having this pool of players will give our coaches more flexibility and leeway in terms of being able to put together a strong team.”
But Pangilinan stressed that Boatwright’s possible impact on the court was not the only consideration in granting citizenship.
He said senators also looked into Boatwright’s willingness to live in the Philippines, embrace Filipino culture, and make a commitment beyond playing basketball for the national team.
“We made this clear during the hearings. Senator Jinggoy Estrada was there asking about Boatwright’s intentions of residing in the Philippines,” Pangilinan said.
“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,” he added.
Pangilinan said concerns over Boatwright’s allegiance to the Philippines were also discussed during committee hearings.
“I agree that contributions to a championship team should not be the only basis for citizenship,” he said. “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.”
The bill must still secure final Senate approval before moving closer to enactment.