Justin Brownlee's naturalization approved by Senate on 2nd reading

The Senate on Monday approved on second reading the bill seeking to grant Filipino citizenship to American basketball player Justin Donta Brownlee.

Bill sponsor Senator Francis Tolentino urged senators to expedite the naturalization of the Ginebra San Miguel import due to the deadline for the submission of players planning to represent their countries in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

Brownlee is expected to boost the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team in the international tournament set in February 2023.

“We are running against time here because there is supposed to be a February six-window of the FIBA World Cup. There is a deadline for the submission of lineups coming from all participants,” Tolentino said.

“Perhaps by almost the end of January if the President signed a law or if it lapses it into a non-signature law, it will take time. And by that time, we are now costing the FIBA,” he added.

The House of Representatives has approved Brownlee's naturalization last week.

Brownlee, who has been playing in the PBA since 2016, has 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.

He is also the first PBA import to record over 400 three-point field goals made and ranks first among PBA imports for three-point field goals made with 404 as of July 24, 2022.

In addition, Brownlee ranks an all-time fifth among PBA imports in terms of scoring with 4,539 points as of April 2022. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News