Menk, 10 other Fil-Ams cleared

While Eric Menk and 10 others got off the hook, Andy Seigle and seven others didn’t — well, at least for now — as the Senate hearing on alleged fake Fil-foreign players plying their trade in the Philippine Basketball Association resumed yesterday.

Records with the Senate committee on games and amusements indicated that aside from Menk of Ginebra, those who have no problems at all on documentation were Rudy Hatfield of San Miguel, Devonn Harp and Michael Pennisi of Batang Red Bull, Dorian Pena of San Miguel, John Arigo and Jonathan Ordonio of Alaska, Jeffey Cariaso and Rafi Reavis of Coca-Cola, and Christopher Jackson and Robert Wainwright of Shell.

The eight cagers classified by the PBA as Fil-Americans but have yet to show an affirmation from the Department of Justice or Filipino ID from the Bureau of Immigration or both are Nicolas Belasco of San Miguel, Ali Peek and Robert Duat of Alaska, James Walkvist of Ginebra, Alex Crisano of Talk ‘N Text, William Antonio of Coca-Cola, Michael Hrabak of Shell and Seigle of Purefoods.

Of the eight, only Seigle was part of the national basketball team that landed fourth in the 14th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, last October.

Sen. Robert Barbers, chairman of the committee, said that this was the initial finding of his committee based on documents submitted by the DOJ and BI.

The committee was investigating reports that there are fake Fil-foreign playing in the PBA and other basketball leagues in the country. It is also seeking to verify reports that these Fil-foreign are receiving extra perks not enjoyed by Filipinos of equal talent.

Commissioner Jun Bernardino of the PBA told the committee that no Fil-foreign cager should be allowed to play in Asia’s first play-for-pay league if they don’t have both the DOJ affirmation and Filipino ID from the immigration bureau.

The Bureau of Immigration issues a Filipino ID to an applicant who possesses a DOJ affirmation. Records before Barbers’ committee showed that while some players had the DOJ affirmation, they did not even bother to apply for a Filipino ID.

Bernardino stressed that the PBA trusted the words of various team managers that their Fil-American players all have the needed documents, so they were allowed to play.

Bernardino said that these Fil-foreign cagers could be recalled if it is proven that they don’t have either the DOJ affirmation or Filipino ID from the Bureau of Immigration.

Sen. John Osmeña said that it is "highly suspicious" that almost all of the questioned PBA players have parents from Samar. The only exception was Hrabak, who claimed that his mother came from Cavite.

Osmeña added that a lawyer told him that the agent of these Fil-foreign players was lawyer Paul Daza, whose father, Raul, is governor of Northern Samar.

Barbers asked Seigle the particular town in Samar where his mother came from, and Seigle replied "Tacloban," drawing uproar from the crowd. Tacloban, in case Seigle didn’t know, is in Leyte.

Curiously, Seigle’s brother, Daniel (Danny) of San Miguel, has a Filipino ID although the duplicate copy was not signed.

Asi Taulava of Talk N Text, whose mother also reportedly came from Samar, failed to attend yesterday’s hearings. He was previously deported for being an alien, but was later readmitted and even played for the Philippine team in the recent Asian Games.

Barbers said he would also inquire into circumstances behind the setting aside of previous deportation orders and rejection of application for affirmation by the DOJ.

In the previous hearing, Barbers and Osmeña asked the supposed Fil-foreign players to submit the names and addresses in the Philippines of their Filipino parent/parents but very few complied. The solons said they need the addresses so they could summon their parent/parents, and then trace where they really came from.

Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo, meanwhile, yesterday decided to summon six players, including five who played for the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, after a record check confirmed that they were not issued any work permits or granted recognition as Philippine citizens by the bureau.

The former MBA players are Matthew Mitchell, Christopher La Fontaine, Daniel Mosley, Nate Payne and Stephen Antonio. It was not clear, however, if these players are still in the country. The other player in the list is William Wilson, a Fil-American who played for La Salle in the UAAP and ICTSI in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Once they heed the summon, the players will be asked to explain why they should not be arrested or deported for working in the country without the required working visa.

Domingo said she has instructed executive director Roy Almoro, chair of the bureau’s task force in illegally working aliens, to issue the summons on the players and schedule a hearing on the case. — With reports from Rey Arquiza