Lawmakers face tough battle in naturalizing NBA players McGee, Blatche

If it were up to Senator Sonny Angara and Congressman Robbie Puno, we would have NBA-caliber practice players.

"There is an urgent need to have a pool of naturalized players along with Marcus Douthit to increase the team's over-all capability and as back up in case of injuries," said Angara in the explanatory notes of Senate Bills 2107 and 2108, to grant Filipino citizenship to JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche, respectively.

The same sentiments are echoed in Puno's filings in the lower house:

"We need to naturalize at least two players to avoid jeopardizing the entire basketball program in the event of an injury to any one of our naturalized players. Also, the addition of another player will contribute to effective team development. The two naturalized athletes would practice against each other and serve as back-up players to one another."

With Marcus Douthit remaining healthy and the legislature staying strict in granting citizenship, the possibility of passing these bills by July 30, when the 24-man line up for the 2014 FIBA World Championship is due, appear slim.

Granting Filipino citizenship through legislation is not an easy task. Of the 13 bills of such nature filed in the previous congress, only one was enacted into law. Republic Act 10148 granted Gilas big man Marcus Douthit Philippine citizenship.

A similar bill filed in the 15th Congress, House Bill 2683, was supposed to grant citizenship to six-foot-three women's basketball player Xiaojing Zheng. It passed in the lower house but languished in the senate.

Other bills involving long-time residents of the Philippines, ranging from businessmen to doctors, lawyers, priests, and even philanthropists never made it as well. Only one bill made it past both the lower and upper house. It was ultimately vetoed by the president.

Conferring citizenship is a privilege not afforded to all. Congressman Al Francis Bichara previously filed House Bill 6715 to grant Filipino citizenship to Wassim Nanaa. Nanaa is the honorary Consul General of the Philippines in Syria. Just last January, President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the Order of Sikatuna to Nanaa for protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in Syria.

Nanaa now joins former US president Dwight Eisenhower, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao as awardees. Nanaa's citizenship did not even make it past the Congress' committee level.

From now until July, it's a race against time for Puno in the lower house.

"Kailangan natin ikutan yung mga adjournment ng congress," added Puno in an interview with Spin.ph. The congress will take a break from March 14 to May 4, further trimming the time to get things going. Puno added that they set the record with the fastest approval for citizenship with Douthit at seven months.

This time, they plan to do it in a bit over one:

"Kailangan kong ma-approve sa congress by March 14 and that would give the senate time to approve their counterpart bill [the Angara bill] between May 5 and June 13."

Puno also has to get the support of Congress' Justice committee and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte, Jr.

The elder Belmonte took convincing the last time around, when it was Douthit's naturalization on the table. "Critical yung suporta ni Speaker [Belmonte] kasi pag sumuporta si Speaker, lahat sasabay," said Puno. With FIBA allowing only one naturalized player to suit up, Belmonte may need even more convincing now that Puno is asking for a "pool" of naturalized players, especially when it seems that players may be granted citizenship even if they will not be able to play. 

"Baka hindi rin umabot [si McGee] but he's our first choice," Puno added. "Pinakiusap ni Chot [Reyes] sakin kung pwedeng dalawahin na natin subukan i-naturalize."

Douthit will be 34 years old when the team goes to Spain. Blatche will be 28, while McGee will be 26. Interestingly, the lawmakers pushed through with the filing for McGee, even if it's uncertain that he will be serviceable in time for August.

The Denver Nuggets big man has been undergoing bone stimulation therapy to repair his fractured leg, but most recent reports indicate that he will be out for the rest of the current NBA Season. Adding physical therapy, the possibility of McGee being a hundred-percent fit for Spain is unknown. — LBG, GMA News