Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has co-authored a Senate bill granting Filipino citizenship to Justin Brownlee in an effort to tap him as a naturalized player for the Philippine men's basketball team or Gilas Pilipinas.
The measure was principally authored by Senator Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa as Senate Bill 1336.
Go said that Brownlee's heart is with Filipinos and that he is loved by Pinoys because of his never-say-die attitude. The basketball player from Tifton Georgia, USA, is deserving to be recognized as a Filipino, Go said.
Brownlee has carried his team, as Ginebra import, to five Philippine Basketball Association championships.
The Philippines will co-host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with Japan and Indonesia, which will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena from 25 August to 10 September next year.
The country will also host the final phase of the competition.
Optimal performance
Previously, Go filed a Senate resolution urging the Senate Committee on Sports to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the ways to support the Philippine men's basketball team and, in the process, review the relevant laws and policies to ensure optimal performance in future international sports competitions and to protect the welfare of Filipino athletes.
Go authored and co-sponsored a bill in the Senate which became Republic Act 11470 in 2020, establishing the National Academy of Sports System and Main Campus.
The academy is equipped with world-class sports facilities, housing and other amenities. Classrooms and other facilities have also been built at the complex to provide a conducive learning environment for all the students.
Meanwhile, Go has asked education authorities to safeguard the health and safety of students during in-person classes amid the Commission on Higher Education's order that fully online classes would no longer be allowed next semester unless given exemptions.
"While we welcome the gradual opening or the gradual move towards renormalization, we must make sure that we do not endanger the lives and health of our students," he said.
