Asi a 'Fil-Sham':

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday ordered the deportation of Paul Asi Taulava and declared him ineligible to play in the country for failure to prove his Philippine citizenship.

In a four-page decision, the three-man BI board of commissioners denied for the last time Taulava's appeal to reverse the summary deportation order issued against the Tongan player last Feb. 3.

Immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez said Taulava will be deported in 15 days, adding that it will be up to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to decide whether the Mobiline slotman will still be allowed to play in the league before he leaves the country.

"Citizenship cannot be presumed. It is not a commodity to be displayed when required and suppressed when convenient," the BI said in its decision.

Despite the order, Taulava still showed up in the Phone Pals' practice at the Reyes gym yesterday. (See related story below)

PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino said the league will abide by the BI decision, noting that the incident, though unfortunate, only proved that no one is above the law.

"Though the decision took a long time, we are sure that the Mobiline management will put the issue behind, and start re-focusing its efforts on the task at hand - to stay competitive for the rest of the year and the seasons to follow," said Bernardino, who nevertheless cited Taulava's part in helping raise the level of play in the pro league.

Rodriguez stressed that Taulava can still appeal the decision to the Office of the President and the courts which can issue orders stopping the board from implementing its deportation order until his appeal is resolved.

He said Taulava's deportation may be delayed if the courts issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary writ of injunction against the BI.

"Unless Taulava acquires a court order or given a new certificate of recognition, the PBA will abide by the BI decision," Bernardino added.

The decision overshadowed Purefoods' 65-59 win over Ginebra that gave the Hotdogs a slot in the Magic Four and assured themselves of a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals of the PBA All Filipino Cup at the PhilSports Arena last night.

In its decision, the board said it found no convincing and substantial evidence to reverse its Feb. 3 decision ordering Taulava's deportation.

It noted that Taulava's witnesses never came forward to testify or present evidence to substantiate his claim of Filipino lineage.

"The burden of proof lies on the respondent (Taulava) and he was given sufficient opportunity to gather valid evidence to prove his Filipino lineage. There appears to be none," the board said.

The board added that all that Taulava submitted were pieces of evidence that "do not evoke faith as they do not present clear and convincing proof of his lineage."

Taulava was also faulted for failing to present Sergio Midoranda, the alleged guardian of his mother who caused the late registration of his mother's birth.

Likewise, the board stated that the evidence submitted by Taulava -- certifications, affidavits and pictures of his sister -- in the hearings were not enough, adding that there were discrepancies in his mother's birth certificate regarding her actual date and place of birth.

"We found no competent evidence to prove that respondent has any Filipino lineage because the only link he had to his claim, his mother's lineage is flawed," the board said.

It also reiterated that Taulava's mother cannot speak a single Filipino word or dialect aside from her unusual physique that "denies anything Filipino." -