President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed House Bill No. 6224 or the proposed measure seeking to grant Philippine citizenship to Barangay Ginebra resident import Justin Donta Brownlee, Senator Francis Tolentino said Thursday.
Last December, the Senate approved the bill seeking to grant Brownlee Filipino citizenship with 21 affirmative votes, no negative votes, and no abstentions
Brownlee is expected to fill in for Jordan Clarkson in Gilas Pilipinas for the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers this February.
Clarkson previously said he wouldn't be available to play the country's national basketball team due to his commitments with Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association.
Brownlee is not a new name to Filipinos as he was once hailed Best Import when Ginebra won the 2018 edition of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup.
The Philippines, alongside Indonesia and Japan, will host the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will start on 25 August 2023 and will culminate in Manila for the final phase from 5 to 10 September 2023.
Senator Sonny Angara, who chairs the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, previously said Brownlee's naturalization will beef up the roster of Gilas Pilipinas during the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, while providing even more excitement to Filipino hoop fans.