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Saturday, October 30, 2004
Gonzalez dares 'Fil-sham' to take DNA test
By Benjamin B. Pulta
STATE lawyers want beleaguered basketball player Rudolf Hatfield to undergo a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) paternity test to prove that he is indeed the grandson of the man his lawyers presented Thursday before a Manila court.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said "the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is capable of requiring the DNA testing" as he noted that it was "the first time that they (Hatfield's lawyers) presented the new witness" in court proceedings on Hatfield's claim of Filipino citizenship.
"It was also the first time that the man saw Hatfield," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez implied that all the six players sought to be deported may also opt to go through DNA testing.
The process of DNA paternity testing was recently adopted by the Supreme Court (SC) as a fail-safe way of determining a spurious descendant's claim of filiation.
As this developed, state lawyers Friday made good on its earlier plan to seek the inhibition of a Manila judge who issued a restraining order to prevent the deportation of one of six players which the Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled as having fake citizenship papers.
In a motion, state counsel Mon Mendoza asked Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 Judge Marcelino Sayo to inhibit himself from the case.
The DOJ earlier said it planned to initiate administrative charges against Sayo after the latter issued a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on the deportation proceedings against basketball player Alex Crisano.
Gonzalez said the TRO was "hastily issued" and that Judge Sayo did not give the DOJ enough time to oppose Crisano's petition.
Two other players have also questioned the DOJ findings against them before the Pasig City RTC.
(October 30, 2004 issue)
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