THE SENATE version of the naturalization act for NBA player Andray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets is being expedited to catch up with the June 30 deadline for the submission of the final line-up to the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Spain.
Senator Sonny Angara, who authored the Senate Bill that would give Filipino citizenship to Blatche through a congressional act, is hoping his fellow senators would approve the bill once it is presented to the Senate Hall.
Angara was successful in having the bill pass through the sub-committee level during its initial hearing held last Tuesday.
Aside from Angara, committee on justice and human rights chairman Koko Pimentel and majority leader Allan Peter Cayetano were at the committee hearing which had Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Sonny Barrios, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, his assistant Jong Uichico, team manager Aboy Castro and naturalized player Marcus Douthit in attendance.
The House Bill was authored by Antipolo Rep. Robbie Puno and co-authored by Rep. Sam Sam Gullas of Cebu.
“We were very glad that the house bill, naturalizing Blatche, passed the three readings without even an opposition or an abstention. It is now up to the senate to pass their own version to make it into a law,” Gullas said.
Oppositors to the bill, led by University of Cebu Dean of the College of Law, Baldomero Estenzo was frustrated that their opposition was not even heard by the House of Representatives.
“It is very sad that our plea was not even given a chance to be heard. It’s all up to now with the president. We hope that he will consider our opposition,” Estenzo told Sun.Star Cebu.
Once the Senate version of the naturalization bill will be approved, it will be endorsed to the office of President Noynoy Aquino to make it a law.