THE House of Representatives yesterday approved on third and final reading a measure granting Philippine citizenship to Gilas Pilipinas prospect and PBA import Justin Donta Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra.
Congressmen voted 274-0 with no abstention in favor of House Bill (HB) No. 6224, which was based on the various bills filed by lawmakers led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, Rep. Michael Romero (PL, 1-Pacman), Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Cavite and majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.
“This is the House’s humble contribution to the national basketball team’s quest for glory in the FIBA World Cup. Anything is possible if you put your heart or ‘puso’ into it. Speaking of puso (heart), we commend Justin for his desire in joining Gilas Pilipinas in this path, to represent the Philippines which is his home in this corner of the world,” the Speaker said.
During a courtesy visit at the House, the 34-year-old Brownlee signed a basketball and handed it to the Speaker as a token of gratitude.
“Justin Donta Brownlee is hereby granted Philippine citizenship with all rights, privileges and prerogatives, as well as the duties and obligations appurtenant thereto, under the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines,” read HB No. 6224.
The measure mandates that Brownlee “shall take the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before an officer duly authorized to administer the same.”
“The Oath of Allegiance shall be registered with Bureau of Immigration,” it added. “Upon registration of the Oath of Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall issue a Certificate of Naturalization to Justin Donta Brownlee who shall thereupon enter into the full enjoyment of Philippine citizenship,” it said.
Romero, who defended the bill in the plenary, enumerated the 6-foot-6 player’s achievements and credentials: five PBA championships and two best import awards with career averages of 28.9 points per game, 12 rebounds per game, 5.6 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game, and 1.7 blocks per game.
The lawmaker pointed out that Brownlee is also the first PBA import to record 400-plus 3-pointers and ranks first among PBA imports for 3 points made with 404 as of July 24, 2022.
Lastly, he noted that Brownlee ranks fifth in the all-time PBA imports scoring leaders with 4,539 points as of April 2022.
Romero said that with Brownlee, Gilas Pilipinas Men’s Basketball team will be with “a truly dependable ally in their quest to proudly represent our country in the upcoming February 2023 sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers which will be hosted by the Philippines, and the FIBA World Cup 2023.”³
