Duterte signs law granting Filipino citizenship to international boxing referee Bruce McTavish

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law granting Filipino citizenship to veteran international boxing referee Bruce Donald McTavish.

Duterte approved Republic Act 11161 on December 14 last year.

“Mr. Bruce Donald McTavish is hereby granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, privileges and prerogatives, and is likewise vested with the duties and opportunities appurtenant thereto,” the law stated.

Under the law, the McTavish shall take the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before an authorized officer.

The oath of allegiance shall be registered with the Bureau of Immigration, which in turn, shall issue a certificate of naturalization to McTavish.

In pushing for the grant of Filipino citizenship to McTavish, lawmakers cited his “exemplary contributions as a sportsman, entrepreneur, civic leader, devout Catholic and philanthropist.”

Now in his 70s, McTavish had applied for Filipino citizenship as early as 2010 but previous bills in support of his application had failed to reach the plenary for approval.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, McTavish settled in Clark, Pampanga in 1967 and became field office manager in an American automobile manufacturer before pursuing a career as a boxing referee.

McTavish had called some fights of eight-division world champion and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

The international referee had also officiated matches in New Zealand, Australia, China, England, Japan, North Korea, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

McTavish is a three-time World Boxing Council Referee of the Year. He was honored by the WBC in 2013, 2015 and 2017. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News